Discussion of interactive multimedia instructional systems focuses on interactive multimedia courseware (IMMCW) and offers a conceptual framework for its design. Highlights include interactivity among students, instructors, and computers; instructional objectives accomplished using IMMCW; Gagne's events of instruction; learning effectiveness; and…

Describes a study conducted in Finland that investigated designers' and teachers' conceptions of learning and evaluation criteria for educational software. Results indicate that designers emphasized the appearance of software while teachers referred more to practical teaching arrangements, and that participative and collaborative design is needed.…

Discusses computer programs for textual research in literature and describes a graduate course on computing for the humanities that was developed at Dakota State University that used the World Wide Web and included students from throughout the world. Assignments for the course are described and benefits of textual analysis are discussed. (LRW)

A roundtable discussion of specialists in copyright law examines issues of intellectual ownership and copyright for online courseware created by college/university faculty. These include faculty as free agents, the need for normative standards concerning conflicts of interest, academic freedom, the possibility that institutions will import…

Explains the function of formative evaluation and the evaluation techniques that can be used in the various stages of educational computing research and development. Topics include computer software design; selecting evaluation standards; and a framework for formative evaluation, including theoretical models, expert consultation, and field…

Compares the features, advantages, and disadvantages of two major software options available for designing web courses: (1) component, off-the shelf software that allows for creation of audio slide lectures, course materials, discussion forums, animations, synchronous chat groups, quiz creators, and electronic mail, and (2) integrated packages…

Discussion of elementary school children who have a preferred visual learning style focuses on a study that investigated the impact of the use of computers and a visually rich software program in a constructivist classroom environment on their writing. Results show an increase in volume and linguistic complexity in their writing skills. (LRW)

College and university administrators everywhere are struggling with the challenges of trying to "do more with less" in terms of balancing mandates and resources. The Internet has enabled new approaches for teaching and learning, vast interinstitutional collaborations in humanities and scientific research, and a renewed focus on the…

Concomitant with the many initiatives concerned with ICT curriculum integration are requirements for measurement of the student outcomes of that integration, in keeping with recent education priorities that emphasize outcomes and accountability. However researching and measuring the impact of ICT initiatives has been found to be a significant…

A superior learning environment provides students with an opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and experience of an instructor and encourages them to engage in research into the subject matter of the course. Collaboration between a course instructor and a library liaison using online courseware can lead to the creation of a "learning…

In the winter of 2000, a class of K-8 preservice teachers were introduced to "TesselMania! Deluxe," a software product that visually and manually engages students in the study of transformations but, more specifically, tessellations. Prior to discussing the topic of transformations, students were only slightly familiar with two types of…

This article describes an innovative hypermedia product for sixth graders in space science: Alien Rescue. Using a problem-based learning approach that is highly interactive, Alien Rescue engages students in scientific investigations aimed at finding solutions to complex and meaningful problems. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional…

One need not visit many classes to discover some students not sufficiently energized to do the work necessary to learn. Many of these same students, however, immerse themselves in complex computerized mystery/adventure games, becoming so engaged by the experience they lose track of time. Designers invest much of their energy in trying to figure…

This paper explores the potential opportunities that OpenCourseWare (OCW) offers in providing wider access to tertiary education, based on the ideal of "the right to education." It first discusses the wider implications of OCW, and its underlying philosophy, before using a case study of a tertiary preparation program (TPP) at the…

This study examined the pedagogy of three online teacher professional development (oTPD) modules. Evidence of design features oriented to the "how people learn" framework was the primary research objective. An analytic framework was devised to code knowledge types, levels of cognitive demand, levels of interaction, and sensory details in the…