Design characteristics and instructional practices in exemplary technology education accord with cognitive science perspectives on learning, knowledge, and instruction, e.g., collaborative learning, socially distributed expertise, student as designer, and project-based learning. Teachers should examine the degree to which cognitive science theory…

Meta-analysis of 18 studies on the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) at the college level found an overall mean effect size of 0.127, i.e., students receiving traditional instruction supplemented with CAI performed slightly better than those receiving only traditional instruction. CAI was most effective in aviation and English…

Describes the instructional research and development (IRD) process employed in creation of a faculty resource guide, "Environmental Ethics in Practice," at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Notes the practical application of the IRD process and its relevance to creation of instructional materials in…

Discusses a shift in administration and decision making at colleges and universities since 1975 towards substantially more use of data and analysis to respond to such constituencies as federal agencies, state legislators, students, and donors. Urges the use of research to respond to new policy questions, such as appropriate rates of withdrawal…

Discusses the "think tank" programs of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education that enable college administrators to become more reflective about their practice and to conduct research that is rooted in practice. The think tanks are day-long seminars for chief student affairs officers, chief academic officers, associate academic…

Explains the development of a research perspective in pedagogy and information and communication technologies (ICT) in the context of visual education and the digital arts. Highlights include the Brighton Media Arts Project; media arts and ICT literacy; influences of culture, subject knowledge, and pedagogy; and teachers' perspectives and…

States that participants in a qualitative case study of nonacademic R&D authors thought their reports were more informative than persuasive. Describes how three definitions of "persuasion" emerged. Concludes that most of the participants felt they owed a greater debt to their subject matter rather than the audience; some participants…

Discussion of the relationship between academia and the National Science Foundation (NSF) notes the proven success of this relationship. Discusses the importance of basic research to the academic mission, the NSF merit-based funding approach, and NSF efforts to develop the science and technology skills of students in K-12. Urges support for…

Presents economic responsiveness and critical social pedagogy as the main forces in work-based learning. Describes research of Australia's Research Centre for Learning and Social Transformation, which is guided by principles of accessibility, shared knowledge production, and multidisciplinary learning. (Contains 41 references.) (SK)

Should efforts to learn about programs and outcomes be called "research" or "assessment"? The name makes all the difference. Trying to adhere to the standards of research may hinder effective assessment. In this discussion, assessment is compared and contrasted with research to explain how these forms of inquiry differ though methodology is…

Discusses the emergence of information technology in teacher education (ITTE) as a discipline; describes paradigms for research and development work, including empiricism, critical theory, and interpretivism; examines literature reviews, policy issues, diffusion of innovation, and component studies; and considers future possibilities. (Contains 89…

Explores similarities between research approaches characterizing different paradigms in information science and different information-processing styles of individual researchers. Proposes a model of the way in which new knowledge is generated, based on these similarities. The model focuses on "research pathologies," and ways in which the…

Presents both theoretical and technical bases on which to build a "science of text visualization." The Spatial Paradigm for Information Retrieval and Exploration (SPIRE) text-visualization system, which images information from free-text documents as natural terrains, serves as an example of the "ecological approach" in its visual metaphor, its…

Reviews research on computer programming and discusses implications for future research across various computer applications. Suggests future research needs, including expanding knowledge of what students/teachers learn in various environments, and investigating how unique features of various programming environments interact with goals and…

Researchers from the University of Washington, Microsoft Research, Boeing, and Risoe National Laboratory in Denmark have embarked on a project to explore the manifestations of Collaborative Information Retrieval (CIR) in work settings and to propose technological innovations and organizational changes that can support, facilitate, and improve CIR.…