In this article, the author discusses the CHANCE (Connecting Humans and Nature in the Costa Rican Environment) program, a coordinated effort between The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that trains 9th- through 12th-grade teachers to be more like scientists and develop a unique, pedagogical tool for…

This chapter describes the experience of two faculty members who implemented laptop technology in a lower-division social science course. The authors focus on the pragmatic issues associated with incorporating this technology into the social science classroom and recommend several strategies and resources.

Our role as teachers in universities should not be to simply keep up-to-date with new technologies; rather, we should be leaders in the use of new and emerging technologies to effectively meet the changing needs of learners. (Contains 1 figure.)

Student services Web sites need to be student-centered, convenient, and efficient in order to address the complex needs of both distance and campus-based students. (Contains 1 figure and 12 online resources.)

The authors of this article provide a forum using Louis Owens's novel "Wolfsong" as a collaborative reading project which aims to gain experience teaching Native American literatures and to explore the effect of bringing an author directly into the classroom discussion. The following sections reflect the structure of the project: (1) Reflective…

Over several decades the major thrust in the school sector of countries across the world has been the search for ways in which teachers can be convinced that ICT should be an integral part of their teaching strategy. Various approaches have been tried including the dissemination of good practice and the investment in infrastructure and equipment.…

Writing with the computer provokes and enables pupils to engage with aspects of multimodal design [Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures, Routledge, London, 2000]. At the same time the traditional stages of the writing process become much more fluid and integrated [Aust. J. Language Literacy 17(3) (1994) 183]. These…

This was a survey of the literature regarding the use of e-learning in two mainline e-learning projects in the European Union: (a) the e-Learning Action Plan and (b) the e-Learning Program. The author found evidence that the European Commission (EC) has positively affected European countries that have participated in these projects by (a)…

The use of computers within the school curriculum raises critical pedagogical issues. The Maddux (1991) classification of educational computer applications as Type I or Type II remains apposite. Type I applications simply reinforce existing teacher-learner paradigms, whereas Type II applications of ICT (Information and Communications Technology:…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of various external orienting tasks on learning, learner attitudes, and en route behaviors in the use of an educational hypertext system. Thirty-one sophomore students enrolled in three honors sections of an introductory military history course at the United States Air Force Academy served as…

The No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law with an aggressive goal of improving the academic performance of all students and eliminating the achievement gap between different races and classes. NCLB also required the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to make recommendations for a National Education Technology Plan, which was released in…

This article reports on issues relevant for teachers and instructional designers anticipating using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in higher education, particularly those wishing to adopt a flexible learning approach aimed at improving the quality of the student experience. The data that are reported on span more than five…

This study identified pre-entry variables related to course completion and noncompletion in university online distance education courses. Four hundred and sixty-four students who were enrolled in online distance education courses participated in the study. Discriminant analysis revealed six pre-entry variables were related to retention, including…

What the author has learned from this experience is to allow time for the unexpected when dealing with technology. She has further learned that one needs a strong technological support system in the school to ensure that access can be restored. The physical setting for online learning is important, as well. Students need to have a place where they…

This article reports on how a social sciences instructor teaching contemporary global issues implemented collaborative learning among students in a virtual environment. A substantial part of this particular course was delivered at a distance with the help of the Web. The bulletin board feature of WebCT was used to implement a simulation game where…