Discusses the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) for foreign language instruction, and describes the development of a Foreign Language Instructional Design Environment (FL-IDE) that uses hypertext to organize the domain knowledge structure. The development of the original IDE as an intelligent tutoring system is also described. (20…

Describes the use of cartoons in presenting a historical perspective of soil microbiology that makes this information more entertaining to introductory students. Presents basic historical facts and major accomplishments of the pioneering soil microbiologists in a factual but tongue-in-cheek survey. (Author/JRH)

This study examines the cognitive and affective impact of a multimedia editing task. Students were highly motivated to work cooperatively and without teacher supervision to search out and remember science content materials from a wide variety of resources, with visual recall being especially promoted. (34 references) (LZ)

Explores impediments to the use of multimedia courseware in higher education and the factors required for multimedia to thrive. Impediments include the smug culture of higher education, finances, standards, the need for multiple talents, and time. (CK)

Discusses the author's experiences using interactive multimedia in the English classroom. (SR)

Discusses distance learning and examines the role of the educational environment as a place with unique characteristics. Highlights include correspondence education, multimedia and tele-learning models of distance education, and the trend to socially isolate the educational experience, thereby changing the nature of schools as public places. (LRW)

Discussion of the use of multimedia for training considers when multimedia is appropriate, what the potential benefits are, and how to effectively manage the development process. An informal study of multimedia projects is presented that identifies problem variables, including hardware and software decisions, organizational dynamics, and…

Evaluates the effectiveness of interactive multimedia instruction in a video production class as compared to the typical classroom lecture. Finds that students using the interactive multimedia system did not score higher on a posttest than students who attended lecture. (SR)

Discusses the definition of multimedia and describes various storage platforms currently in use as well as future possibilities. Highlights include interactive video; digital-based storage platforms; CD-ROM; digital video interactive (DVI); compact disc-interactive (CD-I); Commodore dynamic total vision (CDTV); CD-ROM extended architecture (CD-ROM…

Explores the issue of interactivity in distance education courses being compromised through the use of telecommunications technology. Factors contributing to low interactivity are discussed, including one-way communication, schedule conflicts, and lack of standards; and ways to increase interactivity are suggested, including two-way communication,…

The crisis in American education is converging with an equally significant concern: the unchecked destruction of our natural environment. Through its Science Institutes for youth, the National Audubon Society is helping teachers foster appreciation for the natural world and produce the know-how to conserve it. Programs in Maryland, District of…

Indian Creek Elementary School, a science and technology magnet school in Indianapolis, Indiana, is proud of its "high tech/soft touch" multimedia approach to learning. The standard high school computer education approach focusing on word processing, data processing, and other business applications will no longer suffice for…

By using the kind of two-way television system envisioned by Buckminster Fuller, school children can learn at their own rates and select interesting topics, thereby continually reinforcing the desire to learn. Today's new interactive video systems, from multimedia encyclopedias to hypermedia combinations, allow students to explore subject matter…

Describes how a videodisc of Alfred Hitchcock's film "North by Northwest" was repurposed by adding digitized and computer-generated sound, text, and graphics, to show users the capabilities of interactive multimedia. Recommendations are offered both for working in a design team and for the design of interactive materials. (LRW)

Lists 19 programs that approximately 1,000 educators find most useful and educationally valuable, plus a few new products. Telephone numbers are included to call for more information. (MLF)