Describes a system that stores course materials for computer-based training programs in a relational database called Of Course! Outlines the basic structure of the databases; explains distinctions between Of Course! and other authoring languages; and describes how data is retrieved from the database and presented to the student. (Author/LRW)

Studied keyboard activities and discussions of 60 children working in pairs or 21 children working as individuals on a computer-based language problem-solving task. Boy-girl pairs showed lower levels of verbal interaction and less keyboard cooperation, but few differences in task performance in comparison with single gender pairs. Children working…

Summarizes findings from studies that examined whether computer-based treatments search for and/or utilize any potential link between procedural and conceptual mathematical knowledge. Explains how these knowledge types may be linked and proposes two constructivist environments which enable a desired link. (Author/LRW)

Interdisciplinary research is being promoted in many quarters as the way forward, but "research islands" still persist. Taking computer-assisted learning (CAL) within health sciences as a case in point, this paper describes a detailed study of the references to source material within papers published in general medical, specific nursing and…

Computer-based instruction is becoming more prevalent in secondary education in the United States. Using computers to deliver instruction can help to correct inequities in educational opportunities that exist due to race/ethnicity, budget constraints, geographical location, income, school size, and substandard teaching. Some knowledgeable experts…

The differential effects of four task selection methods on training efficiency and transfer in computer-based training for Air Traffic Control were investigated. A non-dynamic condition, in which the learning tasks were presented to the participants in a fixed, predetermined sequence, was compared to three dynamic conditions, in which learning…

This article elaborates the factors that have led to the emergence of the concept of learning objects as the predominant model for digital learning materials, examining the problems that they address. It suggests that while there do appear to be real benefits, for a learning object model to be successful there needs to be a thriving learning…

Based on research in ten projects in a university, corporate learning, and military context, a set of dimensions is found that can help decision makers to develop strategies for reuse (Strijker, 2004). This article describes how these dimensions and their relation with human and technical aspects can be used in a reuse strategy. The dimensions can…

Purpose: Aims to examine a negotiation-oriented and partly web-based game "Surfing Global Change" (SGC) invented by the author based on didactics of self-managed learning and successfully implemented in WebCT. Design/methodology/approach: Along three historic generations of web-based teaching (WBT), the key functionalities of any platform…

A renewed focus on foreign language (FL) learning and speech for communication has resulted in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software developed with Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). ASR features for FL pronunciation (Lafford, 2004) are functional components of CALL designs used for FL teaching and learning. The ASR features…

An extensive research literature in education and psychology demonstrates positive effects of perspective-taking on various forms of learning. Until recently, perspective-taking has been limited to the mental simulation of how someone with different beliefs, knowledge, physical location, etc., perceives an object or event. Over the last decade…

"Pre-Trip Inspection" of the truck and trailer is one of the components of the current Commercial Driver's License (CDL) test. This part of the CDL test checks the ability of the student to identify the important parts of the commercial vehicle and their potential defects. The "Virtual Check Ride System" (VCRS), a…

This paper reports on a study that examined teachers' perspectives on learner centredness in a distance learning context. Data collection relied on semi-structured interviews conducted with 42 Canadian high school teachers. Teachers' perspectives were analysed then categorized according to the four dimensions of a research validated framework of…

Student teachers learned about teaching principles with the help of an instructional program that included classroom animation exemplars, where expert teachers demonstrate how to apply teaching principles to a classroom scenario. Some students learned by solely observing the classroom animations, whereas others were presented with the expert's…

Learning organisations face new challenges in the 21st century. Increased flow of trade in commodities, manufactured goods and information as well as mobility of people have led to increased global interdependence, interconnectedness and cultural diversity. People and teams within learning organisations have become globally distributed with the…