The program used by French-language teachers at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) to develop software for students' independent study is described, and the process of creating an interactive exercise is illustrated. The ease and flexibility of authoring is highlighted. (MSE)

Provides an overview of computers in education: early computers and computer languages, computer-assisted instruction, micro worlds, microcomputers, intelligent tutors, intelligent tools, symbol systems, computer graphics, virtual reality, distance education via the Internet, distance mentoring, learning-on-demand, organizational learning via…

Argues that including computer programming in the curriculum as a medium for instruction is a feasible alternative for teaching problem solving. Discusses the nature of problem solving; the problem-solving elements of discovery, motivation, practical learning situations and flexibility which are inherent in programming; capabilities of computer…

A Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) class on computer applications in history and the humanities, entitled "Frankenstein Meets Multimedia," uses topics from the 1818 novel as the basis for students to develop multimedia compact disks about it. The novel is used because its author was heavily influenced by the philosophy of the…

Presents three lesson plans designed to work in conjunction with a live broadcast of the New York Philharmonic (may be available on videotape). The activities include identifying influences and components of works by Dvorak and Tchaikovsky. Includes a roster of the New York Philharmonic along with background material. (MJP)

Reviews the nature of Web-based course management systems (WCMSs), which are designed to help teachers create learning environments in which students have the necessary means to interact effectively with their peers, their instructors, and the course material. Focuses on their advantages, disadvantages, and potential for language learning by…

Describes a study of 647 preservice teachers in Ontario that used the Computer Ability Survey (CAS) to assess 4 components of computer literacy: software ability, awareness, programming skill, and perceived control. Correlations and validity for the CAS are discussed, and results of a principal-components factor analysis are reported. (Contains 39…

The use of computer programs for authoring and presenting case materials in professional instruction in radiology is discussed. A workstation-based multimedia program for presenting and annotating images accompanied by both voice and text is described. Comments are also included on validity results and student response. (MSE)

Presents an experiment supporting the thesis that visual languages are well-suited for computer programmers whose native languages are not English, analyzing the particular problems of Arabic speakers in comprehending Pascal program structures. A visual programming environment is presented in which all syntactic and nearly all semantic information…

Provides an overview of developments in computer-based training (CBT) authoring software and reviews the following products: Macromedia's Authorware, Aimtech's CBT Express, Iprax CourseWorks, Intersystem Concepts' Everest, Aimtech's IconAuthor, Innovus Multimedia, Allen Communication's QuestNet+, and Asymetrix's ToolBook II Instructor. A sidebar…

Discusses the use of electronic portfolios as an alternative student-assessment method. Highlights include reasons to use technology to store portfolios in multimedia format; context; teacher-centered approach, student-centered approach, and mixed models; multimedia software; authoring software; and multimedia presentations versus electronic…

Describes a speech-interactive graphics microworld in which learners speak problem-solving directions to an animated agent and in which new scenarios can be authored. A proof-of-concept application is illustrated for sustaining basic speaking skill in Modern Standard Arabic. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the Military Language Tutor (MILT), a language-tutor authoring system, examining the development of a proof of principal version of MILT's two-dimensional Arabic microworld, which uses speech input to control an animated agent in solving an authored problem and describing an evaluation of the speech-driven microworld at Fort Campbell,…

Investigated the effects on vocabulary acquisition of student participation in authoring a multimedia institutional module. Sixty-two subjects were randomly assigned to two groups, and each group was randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Showed evidence that students learn vocabulary significantly better when they participate in the creation…

Discusses theoretical and practical issues in teaching LOGO computer programming to young children from preschool to grade 5. Examines the program's adherence to developmentally appropriate practices, educational theories (particularly those of Piaget), and the Reggio Emilia approach. Considers implications of the program for curriculum design,…