The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss some communicative opportunities currently emerging in networked classrooms and their implications for didactics. In particular, I examine multiple contexts that appear and how they give rise to diverse practices. However, such practices often have their origin in out-of-school contexts and not…

In this paper, I will discuss two related activities that I have developed for use in a college geometry course directed at pre-service secondary and elementary school teachers. These activities ask students to develop geometry on pool tables and on cones. The two activities are closely related, and both ask students to relate computer models with…

Spelling pronunciations are hypothesized to be helpful in building up relatively stable phonologically underpinned orthographic representations, particularly for learning words with irregular phoneme-grapheme correspondences. In a four-week computer-based training, the efficacy of spelling pronunciations and previewing the spelling patterns on…

The implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) and other inquiry-driven educational techniques is often resisted by both faculty and students, who may not be comfortable with this learning/instructional style. We present here a hybrid approach, which combines elements of expository education with inquiry-driven laboratory exercises and…

This book contains 18 chapters, written by different authors, on preparing for the future of multimedia computing (MMC). It is organized into four sections which focus on the following areas respectively: technology, applications and benefits, applications and development, and end users. The first section concerns the relationship between MMC…

This manual provides teacher educators with a broad perspective on educational technology to ensure that environmental education is enhanced not compromised by new information and communication tools. The manual puts technology problems and promises in perspective and contains sections that review educational philosophy and instructional…

Although it is evident that the Industrial Age has given way to the Information Age, educational institutions are still using Industrial Age models of instruction that encourage passive learning and stress knowledge mastery. In the media-rich Information Age, educators must shift to instructional models that put learners at the core of both the…

During the 1994-95 academic year a series of four focus groups were held to learn more about faculty attitudes toward computing and instructional technologies at the University of North Texas. This report assembles faculty quotes which represent group concerns about: (1) the reliability of the equipment and its technical support; (2) the…

Distance education has become a major teaching and learning tool. Distance education typically uses technology to reach learners in the following ways: (1) audio communication through one- or two-way radio or telephone; (2) audiographic links such as computer-to-telephone setups; (3) freeze-frame transmission of visual images; (4) one-way…

In 1991, educators at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia began developing ideas for integrating telecommunications into the instructional practices of public school teachers using Virginia's Public Education Network. Teachers from across the state were invited to participate in a telecommunications project called the…

This paper assesses the impact of using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in three American University undergraduate classes, a General Education survey course on Latin America (taught in English), and two Spanish language courses. The courses utilized both commercial software programs and software programs authored by faculty using Macintosh…

In order to prepare prospective teachers of secondary school mathematics to effectively guide the teaching and learning process using technology, a new required course was developed at Middle Tennessee State University. Technology has been integrated into mathematics courses in which these preservice teachers are enrolled. This paper discusses the…

An interactive training model called SAVR (Safety in Construction Using Virtual Reality) was developed to train construction students, novice engineers, and construction workers to prevent falls from scaffolding. The model was implemented in a graphics supercomputer, the ONYX Reality Engine2. The SAVR model provides trainees with an immersive,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the achievement and attitudinal effects of navigational behavior patterns and learner option choices in using a hypermedia-based computer-assisted instruction (CAI) unit designed for college students. Also investigated were the effects of two incentive structures on achievement and attitudes, as well as…

The Miscellaneous section of the proceedings contains the following 15 papers: "Selling to the Sellers: An Analysis of Advertising in 'Campaigns & Elections,' 1980-1994" (Michael S. Sweeney); "From 'Seventeen' to 'Sassy': Teen Magazines and the Construction of the 'Model' Girl" (Lisa Duke); "Survey Data Indicate Some…