The purpose of this study is to examine how technology, namely virtual reality (VR), can be developed as a critical pedagogical tool. More specifically, the study explores whether the use of VR can challenge the traditional lecture format and make the classroom a more student-centered environment. In this instance, VR is defined as a set of…

Online courses are appearing at a high rate, increasing the competitiveness of the distance learning market. Reluctance to invest in this area is due to cost and quality concerns. This study reports the findings of a survey of 700 professional and graduate education students regarding their comfort with technology, satisfaction with those…

This guidebook gives educators an exciting new approach to improving language and writing skills for all students. Developed through a decade of work with elementary and middle school children, the Writing Lab Approach uses computer-supported activities to encourage student progress in each stage of the writing process, from organizing to editing.…

This book gives the reader ideas for providing primary-grade students with literacy learning opportunities that integrate conventional literacies, such as phonics and comprehension, with new literacies, such as multimedia composition and hyperlink navigation. The reader will find a variety of linked activities, including reading children's books,…

This paper addresses criteria in the design and development of computer-based courseware. The term "interactive multimedia" describes both the technology and the demands placed on the user. It implies that the user becomes actively engaged with the subject, thereby improving the likelihood that net learning takes place. However, nothing…

This book is designed to give teachers ideas about how to effectively integrate the Internet into the classroom, based on teaching practices throughout the world. The book is organized three sections. The first section provides an introduction to Internet use and applications. Chapters include the potential of the Internet to support learning,…

The main purpose of this Master's degree field project was for fourth grade students to create a "good" visual presentation of a Civil War topic using Clarisworks slideshow. Students were in charge of determining what constituted a good project. The components of the slideshow included the following: (1) title page; (2) biography; and (3) Civil…

As technology developments seek to improve learning, researchers, developers, and educators seek to understand how technological properties impact performance. This paper delineates how a traditional science course is enhanced through the use of simulation projects directed by the students themselves as a means to increase their level of knowledge…

This paper describes the development, design, and implementation of an educational multimedia program. The program, "Jungle Quest," combined HyperStudio and word study in a game for classroom use. Methods for word study provide a carefully sequenced teaching of phonics, vocabulary, and spelling following children's natural stages of…

This British guide contains reviews of software available for Basic Skills, including English for Speakers of Other Languages, in both education and training for employment. In addition, it offers guidance on how to use software effectively to develop basic skills. Section 1 provides information about the following aspects of the guide: computers…

This document contains the Conference Agenda, followed by highlights from 42 Spotlight School systems across the country. The schools briefly share their experiences, evaluation techniques, and tell their success stories about the positive impacts technology is having on teaching and learning. Conference research materials are then presented.…

This study compared the use of two developmental alternatives: a Web Editor (WE) in combination with a customized template/shell (Teaching Not Teaching, T-N-T) and a WE only, for development of a Web-based lesson by pre-service teachers. Six hypotheses were tested to find whether the WE and T-N-T alternative was more efficient, effective, and…

Teacher preparation programs have recognized their obligation to provide solutions for the dilemmas their teachers face once in the inclusive educational environment. The changing demands required by both general and special education teachers at the K-12 level are being addressed. One of these solutions is to provide access to technological…

Over a six-year period, a team of staff members in a high school in the Phoenix, Arizona area explored ways to improve student success while simultaneously reducing instructional costs. Technology as a tool for change played a significant role in most of the solutions that were explored. Increasing access to computers and the Internet by students…

This report is a description and evaluation of two computer-based learning environments, Rappin' Reader and Say Say Oh Playmate, that build upon the lived literacy experiences African-American children bring to classrooms as scaffolds for early literacy instruction. When Rappin' Reader and Say Say Oh Playmate were used with…