The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute conducted focus groups in the summer of 1997 to gain insight into why there is a gap in computer ownership between Hispanic middle-class families and non-Hispanic families of the same middle class income bracket (between 25 and 50 thousand dollars). Results from 6 focus groups of 15 to 20 heads of household each…

Astro Algebra is one of six titles in the Mighty Math Series from Edmark, a comprehensive line of math software for students from kindergarten through ninth grade. Many of the activities in Astro Algebra contain a unique technology that uses the computer to help students make the connection between concrete and abstract mathematics. This software…

Young children are interested in and capable of building a mathematics foundation at a very early age. Computer software allows children easy access to math. This software consists of seven activities for ages two to five years. These seven activities emphasize numbers, counting, addition, subtraction, patterns, problem solving, size, and…

Even without a formal program for writing across the curriculum, Tidewater Community College in Virginia has sustained communication-across-the-curriculum activities for nearly 20 years. Faculty groups have routinely gathered both formally and informally to discuss ways to improve student writing, to incorporate communication and collaboration…

Necessary conditions for successful integration of computers and other media into education include accessibility of hardware and software, opportunities for training and familiarization, and positive ideology. If these conditions are met, the result will be the development of demand on the part of faculty, pressure for more efficient systems and…

This paper examines how the University of Arkansas at Little Rock used Internet resources in an introductory education course, American Education. During the spring semester of 1996 and 1997, educators taught the course both via the Internet and in classrooms. Teaching materials were located on the university's website. The only difference between…

Many academic institutions are moving toward data base management and information retrieval system software to process regularly scheduled reports of information from large, multifaceted, student and faculty data bases. While customized reporting is typically available, oftentimes, personnel that produce reports operate in an overload status and…

This paper examines how well teachers are integrating computers across their curriculum. A survey was distributed to elementary school teachers who taught kindergarten through fifth grade (six teachers for each grade, except kindergarten which had three). A total of 60 survey questions measured teachers' impressions of their affect, knowledge,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the procedural knowledge brought to, and created within, a pond ecology simulation by students. Environmental Decision Making (EDM) is an ecosystems modeling tool that allows users to pose their own problems and seek satisfying solutions. Of specific interest was the performance of biology majors who had…

This research employs an ethnographic approach in the examination of the effects that computers in schools have on student learning in the United States. It is argued that emphasis on technology, science, and mathematics is not enough to meet educational needs in America. The enthusiasm fostered by technological innovation often overshadows…

This paper describes the Environmental Challenges Project which will culminate in the production of a CD-ROM for use in environmental education in secondary schools. Disk contents include case studies of environmental problems and programs to facilitate learners' discussion of the issues raised. The constructivist pedagogy that informs the project…

Although many elementary classrooms have computers, students commonly report that they do not know how to use the them. This study assessed the effectiveness of a computer training program for students to increase their awareness of and comfort level on Macintosh and IBM computers in their classroom. Participating were fifth graders in an…

Technology tools are critical to the restructuring of teaching and learning. This report describes the level of access and degree of use of technology in New York State public schools, and is based on the most current information available. It provides a point of reference for New York relative to the information presented in the Office of…

The use of technology in language arts instruction directly impacts students (now and in the future), the role of the teacher, and the role of the school in a changing society. The idea of utilizing motivating materials such as CD-ROM story books, closed caption television, interactive communications, and digital media may lead some to think that…

This document contains the following full and short papers on creative learning from ICCE/ICCAI 2000 (International Conference on Computers in Education/International Conference on Computer-Assisted Instruction): (1) "A Collaborative Learning Support System Based on Virtual Environment Server for Multiple Agents" (Takashi Ohno, Kenji…