This study examined the effectiveness of observable visual imagery strategy for the encoding of verbal information with special attention given to the relative effectiveness of the strategy for field-dependent and field-independent learners. The subjects, 54 undergraduate and graduaute students ranging in age from 20 to 54, were randomly assigned…

The effects of the Attention Directing Strategy and Imagery Cue Strategy as program embedded learning strategies for microcomputer-based instruction (MCBI) were examined in this study. Eight learning conditions with identical instructional content on the parts and operation of the human heart were designed: either self-paced or externally-paced,…

This first volume of a two-volume report describes a project at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) which assessed the effectiveness of a Virtual Classroom (VC) in which students and teachers communicate through a computer-mediated system called the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES). Chapter 1 provides background on project…

A study of 228 undergraduate psychology students examined the effectiveness of a prototype of "heatlab," a laboratory simulation written in PCE-PROLOG, intended for remedying misconceptions of the concepts "heat" and "temperature." The effect of varying the amount of structure on students' understanding and the…

The use of contextualized learning environments with learners who are at risk of school failure arises from the recognition that students who are introduced to concepts and strategies out of a meaningful context will view them as irrelevant to daily life. Contexts created by teachers using videotape and random access videodisc technologies have…

Current issues in educational communications and technology are addressed in this collection of 47 conference papers in which research reports predominate. Topics discussed include factors related to the learner, e.g., learning strategies, information processing, spatial ability, cognitive style, and cognitive strategies. Presentation format and…

The relative effectiveness of verbal and visual augmentation of rate-modified speech in the presentation of technical material was investigated. Subjects were 40 graduate students who used instructional materials consisting of normal and compressed audiotape versions of the Dwyer heart script, printed copies of the script, and black and white…

WICAT Systems, Inc., produced a "proof of concept" instructional videodisc in college biology with support from the National Science Foundation. The project involved simultaneous development of content design, instructional strategies, software, and hardware, with a principal focus on evaluation of the instructional videodisc in the classroom.…

Two computer assisted instruction programs tested the effects of plain and enhanced screen designs with or without information about those designs and task-type on time and learning. Subjects were 140 fourth grade students in Lincoln, Nebraska who had extensive prior experience with computers. The enhanced versions used headings, directive cues,…

This study investigated the effects of two factors on learner performance during computer-assisted instruction: locus of control, and varied feedback strategies. It was hypothesized that learners who attribute their successes and failures to internal events (Internals) will perform best under delayed feedback conditions, while those who attribute…

This paper presents a definition of distance education and a rationale for it both in pragmatic, problem-solving terms and in relation to a larger view of society. The geographic, political, educational, and technological context of distance education in Canada is then discussed. Traditional correspondence courses, satellite-delivered credit and…

This study investigated the relationship between learner attitudes (self-efficacy and anxiety), students' selection of feedback containing different amounts of information (no feedback, correct answer, the explanation alone, and the answer with an explanation), and achievement. Subjects were two clusters of college students (N=49) enrolled in a…

Earlier versions of the four papers presented in this collection formed a symposium, "Children's Interactions with Television," at the 1982 International Congress of Applied Psychology in Edinburgh. In the first paper, "Children's Comprehension of Television Programs," Peter Rendell and Mary Nixon describe a study which…

This study investigated the effectiveness of the use of computer networking in providing guided practice in teaching reading comprehension to middle school students (grades 6-8) in remedial reading class. (Guided practice is defined as the phase of instruction immediately following the presentation of a new skill, concept, or strategy, in which…

This paper describes the general rationale, hypotheses, methodology, findings and implications of a recent dissertation research project conducted in the Columbus, Ohio, public schools. The computer-based study investigated the simultaneous relationship between achievement in microeconomics and attitude toward economics, level of computer anxiety,…