This column provides background science information for elementary teachers. Many innovations with computer software begin with analysis of how humans do a task. This article takes a look at how humans recognize spoken words and explains the origins of speech-recognition software.

Consistent user interface standards are necessary with the development of e-learning courseware, as they are the glue that binds the users' experience with their expectations. For example, the user controls for video playback were standardized many years ago, and we all benefit knowing a right-facing triangle signifies a play function, while dual…

During their middle and early high school years, students generally finalise their attitude towards mathematics and their perception of themselves as students of mathematics, in terms of aptitude, motivation, interest, and competence. Therefore, giving them varied opportunities to foster a positive and successful approach to the study of…

The molecular structure of living organisms and the complex interactions amongst its components are the basis for the diversity observed at the macroscopic level. Proteins and nucleic acids are some of the major molecular components, and play a key role in several biological functions, such as those of development and evolution. This article…

This paper reports on the development of constructive EAP CALL courseware, and its integration into blended learning contexts, as a solution to the problems in EAP courses in Chinese universities. A case study of a defining skills package, developed for undergraduates at the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), is used to…

The goals of the article's authors are: to justify the need to teach students the skills of professional communication in a foreign language on the basis of a text-oriented approach; to demonstrate the possibility of conducting this type of training in reference to the discourse analysis of a particular institutional area. Achievement of the goals…

This paper aimed to investigate the effect of a mobile app on mathematics learning in authentic contexts. Authentic contexts contain rich resources wherein students can use authentic objects as aid in advanced educational technology-assisted mathematics learning. We designed Ubiquitous-Fraction (U-Fraction), a mobile application that helps…

Augmented reality tools and applications have been shown to have powerfully impelled the development of the field of education. In this article, the authors designed and developed an augmented reality technology-based courseware "Starry Sky Exploration--Eight Planets in the Solar System" and explored how AR can bring an immersive…

This technology report aimed to explore preservice chemistry teachers' perception of mobile augmented reality (MAR) assisted chemical education. To this end, 15 participants were recruited from a Chinese university. They were provided access to an MAR chemistry learning app, Elements 4D, on their own mobile computing devices, and were instructed…

Engineering design thinking is hard to teach and still harder to learn by novices primarily due to the undetermined nature of engineering problems that often results in multiple solutions. In this paper, we investigate the effect of teaching engineering design thinking to freshmen students by using a computer-aided Design (CAD) simulation…

e-Learning is changing the way students learn in the classroom. However, one of the least emphasised aspect in e-learning design concerns with aesthetics. Recent research in multimedia aesthetics highlighted the need to understand interaction from a multidisciplinary perspective. Aesthetics research in e-learning usually focuses on exploring the…

Certification is often viewed to promote lifelong professional development. Industry accreditation agencies include standards for the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) that emphasize the measurement or promotion of continued competency throughout an individual's professional career. In 2013, NBCOT partnered with BreakAway Games to create the…

This article aims to examine the impact of an online learning environment enriched with computer activities on geometry achievement and geometric habits of mind (GHoM). The study includes reflections from an online application of a one-term computer-aided mathematics teaching course in which the participants were preservice teachers (PTs) enrolled…

In this paper, we propose an experiment for analysing harmonic motion using an iPhone's (or iPad's) magnetometer. This experiment consists of the detection of magnetic field variations obtained from an iPhone's magnetometer sensor. A graph of harmonic motion is directly displayed on the iPhone's screen using the "Sensor Kinetics"…

A challenge with flipped instruction is the pre-class preparation, where students independently learn fundamental content outside the classroom. For this pre-class learning, instructors typically assign videos with quizzes. However, this approach is the same for all and does not address differential needs. In a prior National Science Foundation…