Examines virtual-learning communities in higher education from a student's perspective. Discusses student-centered learning, cooperative learning, e-mail, listservs, bulletin boards, discussion groups, newsgroups, real-time discussion and the appropriate software, the World Wide Web, levels of effort needed for online learning, and a sense of…

A survey conducted in 1997 of distance learners at the Open University of Hong Kong to gauge the level of comfort with distance learning-style tutorials delivered in the face-to-face (F2F) mode revealed that students desired traditional teaching methods, rather than purely interactive instruction. Reasons for this attitude are explored.…

A case study investigated how the implementation of a "strategy redundancy" device, which consisted of the instructor's use of five teaching strategies and their mirroring in five features of a Webware package developed by the instructor, affected the participants' (graduate-level Internet course with eight teachers/three students) learning…

Describes how to combine computer-assisted learning with collaborative learning in an introductory chemical engineering course in process dynamics and control. Discusses participants' impressions regarding the effectiveness of the approach. (WRM)

Uses data from 54 urban school districts to test hypotheses explaining the integration of computer technology into the classroom. Finds no statistically significant effects of funding on the provision of computer-assisted learning, but a higher percentage of black students reduces the percentage of district students receiving computer-assisted…

Investigates how the design, creation, and revision of animated models that tell a science story can assist young bilingual children in science learning. Findings show that the animated software provided students with access to a world that is normally unavailable in real time; they were also able to manipulate science concepts and connect…

Examines how elementary school students improved their scientific discourse on a computer-networked database environment called Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environments (CSILE). Results showed that system affordance specially designed for jointly written discourse in the discussion-note based (D-CSILE) configuration significantly…

Contends that comparison studies offer one important view from which to frame questions about the study of distance education. Responds to Farhad Saba's ("Toward a Systems Theory of Distance Education") major premises about distance-education research. (AEF)

Reviews computer software that meets the interests and needs of young children and teaches powerful ideas. The evaluations are based on field tests and the following criteria: age appropriateness, child control, clear instructions, expanding complexity, independence, nonviolence, process orientation; real-world model, technical features, and…

The revolution in higher education being produced by advances in information technology brings these challenges: understanding what new skills students must master; making the distributed-learning environment an asset for interpersonal interaction; creating physical and virtual campuses that complement one another; creating large-scale…

Describes a complete, interactive, introductory German course on CD for adults. Designed for independent learning, the course emphasizes speaking and listening, though it provides a basis in reading and writing. Describes the role of contrastive grammar, proficiency-oriented teaching, the notational-functional approach, and word frequency counts…

Reports case studies which evaluated the effectiveness and quality of several Open University (OU) computer-based courses. The case studies are used to draw out lessons about how to conduct evaluations and provide some conclusions about how learning can be promoted using computer-based teaching. (Author/AEF)

Reports on a survey designed to identify how Talking Book software is being used to support reading development in U.K. classrooms and the potential benefits of adapting such software to meet individual learners' needs. Preliminary results highlight the success of this software for both early readers and older children experiencing difficulties in…

To categorize the various components available for use in Web-based instruction, a hierarchical framework was developed for describing related instructional activities. This framework includes six levels ranging from simple information delivery to immersive collaborative environments and includes the general instructional perspective, Web/Internet…

Describes software which was developed to help collaborating pupils test hypotheses. Discusses use of the software by 9-14 year-old pupils in Scotland, comparing their activity with that of similarly aged pupils who worked with otherwise equivalent software which lacked any prompts. (Author/AEF)