Presents information on several critical themes related to multimedia instruction for those involved in the design, development, or use of computer delivered instruction. Addresses software product life cycle; systematic approach to design; multimedia design and development teams; production values; critical components of effective multimedia;…

Describes an action research study of faculty and graduate teaching assistants at the University of Tennessee that was conducted to assess technology use by faculty, including their perceived barriers to and needs for technology adoption and use. Discusses the development of a Web-based resource in response to these needs. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of information technology in Japan includes historical background, government-initiated movements for school reform backed by computer networks, and the introduction of an information technology course in senior high schools. Describes a nationwide open education project in Korea and the state of cyber universities supported by the…

Discussion of asynchronous communication in online learning environments focuses on a collaborative, constructivist discussion that considered what constitutes acceptable participation in an online doctoral forum. Presents selections from a class discussion and concludes that students see the value of counting contributions even though they object…

Outlines an approach for post-secondary educators to improve the quality of electronic discussion groups. Using a template of macros constructed in Microsoft Word, the authors explain a system of coding called cognotes and discuss an evaluation method where higher order critical thinking skills are given greater value toward higher grades.…

Describes the process for generating, from a text, three types of multiple-choice vocabulary cloze tests: one based on n-th word deletion, one using user-specified frequency ranges, and one based on a particular word class. The article discusses the extent to which good test material can be produced realistically by computer-aided systems and the…

The Dynamic Courseware Generator (DCG), which runs on a Web server, was developed for the authoring of adaptive computer-assisted learning courses. It generates an individual course according to the learner's goals and previous knowledge, and dynamically adapts the course according to the learner's success in knowledge acquisition. The tool may be…

Describes training strategies developed to introduce Web-based instructional projects to an assistant professor of drama and a senior professor of classics, both of whom had limited computer skills but were interested in including multimedia technology and the Web in their courses. Suggestions for incorporating these ideas into current training…

An examination of the salient characteristics and benefits of a technology-enriched curriculum for second-language learners underscores the pivotal role technology can play in second-language teaching. The current challenge is to adequately train teachers in the effective use of such curricula. (MSE)

Explores the need for teachers and students to ask critical and reflective questions concerning the mediated experiences they receive in school as part of the official curriculum. Discusses mediated experiences as representations; the nonneutrality of media and the technologies of storage and delivery; the falsity of notions surrounding the…

Summarizes how current scholarship is redefining and extending literacy understanding, materials, and instruction to encompass more than reading/writing print texts. Demonstrates principles for applying these conceptions. Offers three lesson plans and an account of their recent use to show how educators may apply changing literacy ideas to their…

Users and nonusers of Web-based instruction (WBI) in an undergraduate statistics classes at Youngstown State University were surveyed. Users concluded that distance learning via the Web was a good method of obtaining general information and useful tool in improving their academic performance. Nonusers thought the university should provide…

Presents guidelines for effective distance education planning that confront the issues of planning/organization, technology, and faculty development/academic policies. Concludes that understanding the unique characteristics and constraints of any particular program or target audience is the first step in selecting appropriate distance education…

Profiles the Switzerland County high, middle, and elementary schools in rural Indiana. Discusses the district's library media program and collections; the High Tech School grant award; the role of the Internet; librarian teacher partnerships; affiliation with the public library; and the sense of community throughout the district. (AEF)

Investigated the effects of student working-memory capacity, preference for amount of instruction, spatial problem-solving ability, and school mathematics grades on eighth graders' recall of factual information and conceptual understanding. Pairs of students worked through 16 activities using a dynamic, computer-based geometry program. Presents…