The Computerized Braille Tutor is an interactive software tutorial that sighted persons can use to learn the literary braille code. The software presents 15 lessons that address different aspects of the literary braille code and include braille-translation exercises, proofreading exercises, and graded self-evaluation proficiency tests. (Author)

This article reviews self-study programs that teach braille to sighted people. Programs include "Just Enough to Know Better,""Braille Reading for Family Members,""Handbook for Learning to Read Braille by Sight,""New Programmed Instruction in Braille,""Braille Codes and Calculations,""Literary Braille Refresher Course for Teachers and…

Discussion of teacher involvement in integrating technology into their curriculum focuses on a field-tested plan that helped teachers learn to apply technology via classroom action research. Explains the technology-based action research model that uses Bloom's taxonomy framework for planning, and describes the courses on computer applications and…

Discussion of support for authoring educational software focuses on a shift from attention on activities to products, and describes the SIMQUEST authoring system for designing and creating simulation-based multimedia learning environments that include support for the discovery process of the learner consisting of explanations, assignments, a…

This article reports on the design, implementation, and usage of the CourseMarker (formerly known as CourseMaster) courseware Computer Based Assessment (CBA) system at the University of Nottingham. Students use CourseMarker to solve (programming) exercises and to submit their solutions. CourseMarker returns immediate results and feedback to the…

A very simple strategy for the solution of the Schrodinger equation of a particle moving in one dimension subjected to a generic potential is presented. This strategy is implemented in a computer program called Kmonodium, which is free and distributed under the General Public License (GPL).

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. ASCUE has a strong tradition of bringing its members together to pool their…

The role of distance education is shifting. Traditionally distance education was limited in the number of people served because of production, reproduction, and distribution costs. Today, while it still costs the university time and money to produce a course, technology has made it such that reproduction costs are almost non-existent. This shift…

The sharable content object reference model (SCORM) includes a representation of distance learning contents and a behavior definition of how users should interact with the contents. Generally, SCORMcompliant systems were based on multimedia and Web technologies on PCs. We further build a pervasive learning environment, which allows users to read…

The Scottish Science and Technology Network (SSTN) is a major collaboration between Careers Scotland and Scottish industry to promote science and technology via an on-line and integrated learning programme. An initial two-year pilot project has grown considerably and has now been running for over 7 years. The SSTN programme is a web-based…

The Eighth Annual EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey asked campus information technology leaders to rate the most critical IT challenges facing them, their campuses, and/or their systems. Four findings associated with all respondents to this year's survey merit special mention. First, for the 2007 survey, the CIC decided to split a key issue choice…

"Innovate" editorial board member William H. Graves talks with Carol A. Twigg, president and CEO of the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging course redesign at both the state and system levels, about NCAT's groundbreaking Program in Course Redesign (PCR). PCR demonstrated that…

Montessori(TM) Learning Software programs are purportedly built upon the core concept of the Montessori philosophy, that a major path to intellectual development is through a child's hands and senses. Math by Colors, recommended for ages 4 to 8, encourages hands-on discovery by allowing the child to choose the right color from the assembled paint…

This paper reviews two of the United Kingdom's national programs to promote the use of computer-based teaching throughout higher education. In the first phase (1985-89) of the Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI), a suite of 139 individual software-production projects generally failed to meet expectations. In 1989, CTI became a network of…

A software application called HyperStory is a reading program for short fiction which has proved to be effective in the classroom. In 3 years of use, over 300 students have tried it out. Part of the reason for its suitability for helping students develop short story reading skills lies in the relationship between the computer technology known as…