Empirical research regarding the impact of multimedia on learning can be traced back several decades before the large-scale invasion of multimedia learning resources (like Cd-ROM titles and Internet applications) into the educational field and originated from areas outside the educational community. Although the results are not decisive, two…

Demonstrating wave processes quantitatively in the classroom using standard classroom tools (such as Slinkys and wave tanks) can be difficult. For example, waves often travel too fast for students to actually measure amplitude or wavelength. Also, when teaching propagating waves, reflections from the ends set up standing waves, which can confuse…

This training module is intended for individuals involved in the development and administration of learning centers for adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. It focuses on the design of multimedia (ESL) learning centers and the equipment and materials used in them. It begins with a description of learning center models and issues…

This guide outlines for teachers the principles and practices of the use of workstations for teaching culturally and linguistically diverse pupil populations. Workstations can provide practitioners with information concerning appropriate learning methods and environments for this population and allow examination of different instructional…

Many external factors will influence classrooms as the year 2000 approaches. This paper looks at a vision of what schools may look like in the year 2000, with classrooms where information will be accessed, processed, displayed, demonstrated, and communicated through multimedia. There will be two different types of classroom: the master classroom,…

This paper proposes a new model for developing information access skills in an academic environment. In order to meet the increasing demand for "research competence" among students and faculty, it is necessary to move beyond traditional lecture formats and develop interactive multimedia instructional units which exploit ongoing advances…

This study explores the instructional impact of using computer multimedia to integrate metaphorical verbal information into graphical representations of biotechnology concepts. The combination of text and graphics into a single metaphor makes concepts dual-coded, and therefore more comprehensible and memorable for the student. Visual stimuli help…

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) recently established the "Technology Scholarship Program for Alabama Teachers" (TSPAT). Jacksonville State University (JSU) is one of the state institutions participating in the program, which was funded by Act 93-636 of the Alabama Legislature. The program addresses technological…

This brief report describes the Rosetta Stone Language Library, a set of multimedia second language instructional materials. These materials emphasize comprehension of spoken language as the first step to acquiring fluency, sometimes referred to as the "comprehension approach" or "natural approach." The materials are designed…

Project FIRST (Field-Based Integrated Regular and Special Teacher Training) is an Oklahoma program that funds teacher training on the use of technology and media to adapt instruction for disabled students in the regular classroom. The program provided inservice training to regular teachers in rural Oklahoma school districts and preservice training…

In recognition of a need in the Buffalo area, the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo) established the Japanese Language and Culture Program for Business People and Students (JLCP) within the university's Center for Critical Languages. JLCP is a 3-year, 6-semester certificate program open to anyone with at least a high school…

This paper summarizes and extends an earlier study that reviewed the literature on technology effectiveness, focusing on computers, traditional distance education, two-way interactive telecommunications, multimedia, and the Internet. It also adds some tools for technology evaluation as well as a rationale for using regions to distribute…

The five essays in this volume represent the contributions of one group of leaders in the application of computers to the teaching and learning of foreign languages and illustrate present and future uses of technology in assisting language learning. Various pedagogical problems and approaches are considered in the papers. They are: (1)…

Multimedia allows computing to move from text and data into the realm of graphics, sound, images, and full-motion video, thus allowing both students and teachers to use the power of computers in new ways. Key elements of multimedia are natural presentation of information and non-linear navigation through applications for access to information on…

Criteria were developed and used to determine which of three existing computer-based instruction (CBI) lessons could be repurposed into a multimedia format. Researchers were commissioned to evaluate these three traditional linear CBI lessons by an insurance company. The lessons were updates on company policy and procedures. The repurposed CBI…