Discusses a computer-assisted instruction study that examined the impact of group composition on student achievement, time on task, and group interactions when completing integrated learning system (ILS) math activities in cooperative pairs. The study paired elementary school students homogeneously or heterogeneously based on ability. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of graduate students that focused on determining the relationship among student characteristics, including gender, learning style, and prior computer experiences, and non-linear interval-based navigation of a hypermedia program. Highlights include a literature review, interval frequencies, and suggestions for future research.…

Describes the InfoMagic program at Chapman University (Orange, California), a three-part multimedia program for teaching information-access skills. Discusses the network simulations; automatic tracking and reporting; distributed versus centralized reporting; and student participation and feedback. Sidebars show examples of two student reports and…

Psychology students at the University of Southampton use "skywriting," an e-mail based discussion medium involving tutors and students and focusing on issues arising from course content. This article discusses student participation in skywriting; examines effects of gender, computer attitudes, and computer experience; compares student…

Discusses how to teach online research techniques and how to design research activities for beginner searchers. Highlights include contextualized learning; task definition; one-stop resource pages; words and search topics; search engines, including metasearch engines; browser techniques; management techniques for organizing sources into folders;…

An analysis of 79 K-12 Internet projects revealed seven common activities: pre-project activities; gathering information; sharing and communicating; data integration; constructing products; evaluating products; and demonstrating/teaching. Discussion includes learning models scaffolded and project difficulties/successes. (AEF)

Describes the Foresee Approach to integrating academic content, language, and learning instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) from kindergarten to grade 12 or in mainstream/part ESL classrooms. The Foresee Model includes theoretical and practical constituents and guides the formulation of instructional objectives in the three target…

Examines critical issues in distance education. Discusses three stages in the retraining of students; retraining of faculty, including establishing and maintaining effective interaction, motivating students, adapting the syllabus, and using technology to teach; and redesign of course content. (AEF)

Presents methods and outcomes of a semester-long course involving cooperative hypermedia authoring and instructional strategies for preservice teachers. Posttest findings revealed that participants showed a decrease in computer anxiety through their involvement in the course, and the lowest levels of anxiety were associated with graduate rank and…

Investigated whether incorporating youth cancer risk-assessment software with a cancer prevention curriculum would increase student knowledge and enhance behavior related to cancer prevention. Pre- and postintervention surveys of 10th graders indicated that adding the software did not increase program effectiveness. Knowledge and behavior scores…

Discusses problems with the use of technology, especially the Internet, for providing inservice teacher education. Highlights include the gap between available technology and the expertise to use it; antiquated hardware; the rapid growth and acceptance of the World Wide Web and graphical browsers; and the expertise gap between rural and urban…

Describes and evaluates Metacognition in Studying from Texts (MIST), a system that helps students develop metacognitive skills by providing a process-based interface and support for collaboration and reflection. A study of 20 ninth graders determined that high ability students used the interface and intervention productively, but that low ability…

Examines the education/methodological aspects of DeskTop Conferencing (DTC) used in classroom learning, adult distance education, and inservice training. Describes a project involving Italian primary and secondary schools aimed at collaboratively producing a hypermedia package using DTC. Lists guidelines for organizing multimedia conferencing in…

Presents findings from 55 team portfolios representing the field experiences of 285 preservice teachers grouped into teams to present technology-supported lessons in K-12 classrooms. Results indicated that preservice teachers were surprised at the disparity between educational technology practice in contemporary classrooms and their preconceived…

Provides a model for task computing for fifth graders that meets educational technology goals and challenges students to take full advantage of available hardware and software. Highlights include task rotation; assessment; benefits, including integrating technology into the classroom, computer literacy skills, peer tutoring, cooperative learning,…