This study was designed to determine (1) if there are significant differences in kindergarten reading readiness scores among children taught by traditional means versus those exposed to multimedia methods, and (2) to determine if children in one socio-economic group benefit more than others from multimedia methods of instruction. Three treatment…

As laws lag behind technology, multimedia presents complex problems for international legal frameworks, enforcement, and licensing. Discusses principles of international multimedia copyright management and clearance systems; describes market solutions, mandatory, and voluntary clearinghouses; and reviews key world agreements and copyright…

End users think of file names as a way to identify file contents, whereas computer programs often assign special meaning to file extensions. This article discusses different kinds of files on the World Wide Web: text, document, sound, video, and multimedia; file compression; and encoding formats. Includes a chart of file formats and lists Web…

Visual reasoning is an essential skill for engineers. This article describes an interactive multimedia application (Visual Reasoning Tutor) that provides a foundation in visual reasoning by exploiting the missing view problem. Presents an overview of system components, a complete sample exercise, and test results for several prototypes used in…

Presents a case study of a computer scientist learning and using the Cognitive Walkthrough (CW) technique to assess a multimedia authoring tool. Compares predictions by the analysis to the usability problems found in empirical usability tests. Presents several hypotheses about the cause of low effectiveness, which suggest that additional…

The American Association for the Advancement of Science held the 1996 Annual Meeting and Science Innovation Exposition in Baltimore (Maryland). Symposia considered interdisciplinary research issues, and seminars and multimedia presentations highlighted the librarian's role in Internet use and infrastructure, "The Textbook of the Future,"…

Explains how to create slide shows via computer using common software programs such as ClarisWorks. Highlights include identifying the audience, organizing the information, becoming familiar with technical specifications of the equipment, the use of text, style consistency, the use of graphics, and the use of color. (LRW)

Explores the divide between possibilities for technology use in classrooms and the realities of technology use in these same classrooms. Specific focus is on ways in which technology is used to teach culture in university Spanish classes. (Author/VWL)

Suggests that possibly one of the most profound changes in classroom writing has come with the ease and excitement of publishing electronic text on the Internet. Discusses publishing student work on the Internet, and Internet publishing of traditional writing assignments, collaborative writing projects, and multimedia presentations. (RS)

Using multimedia improves the quality of case studies, especially their presentation of reality. Describes the development of multimedia case studies; an action model supporting particular didactic aims; and the experiences with a multimedia case study used in the Department of Information Systems at the University of Innsbruck (Austria). (PEN)

Based on Quality Education Data's ninth annual Educational Technology Trends Survey of 2,501 school districts and 5,000 public schools, this article reviews findings concerning technology expenditures, uses, and effects. Districts will spend an estimated $4.1 billion on instructional technology during 1996-97. Schools have a 10 to 1…

Problem-based learning is a student-centered pedagogical strategy that poses real-world situations and provides resources, guidance, instruction, and opportunities for reflection. Examines problem-based learning, provides a rationale for its use in the curriculum, identifies problems inherent in designing and implementing problem-based learning,…

Discusses adolescents' increased use of electronic over print-based information technologies, especially interactive technologies. Reports on their use of information technology at home are compared with earlier findings and conclude that high levels of personalization, mobility, and global reach constitute a paradigm shift that will increasingly…

Discusses new information technologies, networked-based software and their use in distance education, especially in Europe. Topics include hypermedia tools; multimedia tools; the World Wide Web; examples of custom-designed tools from Greece; and an example of a distance education network. (LRW)

Explains how student-generated, computer-based multimedia projects can be meaningful learning activities to integrate into the K-12 curriculum. Describes three phases: design, including goals and objectives of the project and use of the finished product; production, including choosing multimedia software, prototyping, and usability testing; and…