This group study investigated the impact of teacher facilitation on the social interactions of young children during computer activities. The study compared 18 dyads comprised of children with and without disabilities who received teacher facilitation during computer activities to a group of children who did not receive teacher facilitation. The…

Field experience is a core element in an initial or preservice teacher education programme. It allows students to enact and reflect on their developing philosophies of teaching and is the "testing ground" for theory/practice links. Educational theorists and programme planners in distance delivered teacher education programmes acknowledge the…

To help students understand the connection that Earth and the solar system have with the cosmic cycles of stellar evolution, and to give students an appreciation of the beauty and elegance of celestial phenomena, the Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) educational website contains a stellar evolution module that is available free to teachers. In this…

The biochemistry lecture is often the place where students receive the greatest exposure to the structural nature of biomolecules. The use of molecular visualization software and web-based animated tutorials has enhanced the way instructors teach this important area of structural biology. Using the software and tutorials in class is an excellent…

This study was an attempt to measure the effects of praise and reinforcement on children in a computer learning setting. A sorting game was designed to simulate 2 interaction styles. One style, called high computer control, provided frequent praise and coaching. The other, called high child control, had narration and praise toggled off. A…

A particularly innovative use of laptops is to enhance the music appreciation experience. Group listening and discussion, in combination with a new Web-based application, lead to deeper understanding of classical music. ["Appreciating Music: An Active Approach" was written with Joshua Austin.]

Teaching animal sciences, like most agricultural disciplines, requires giving students hands-on learning opportunities in remote and often computer-unfriendly sites such as animal farms. How do faculty integrate laptop use into such an environment?

While the benefits of course websites have been established at the university level, a paucity of literature exists regarding K-12 teachers' creation and subsequent use of course websites, how they use these course websites, and the factors that encourage, or barriers that impede their use. In this study, 36 inservice K-12 teachers participated in…

This study analyzed applications for admission to a large metropolitan four-year public university over a three-year period, seeking to determine whether there were any significant differences in characteristics of students who applied online versus those who completed paper applications. (Contains 1 table.)

A model graduate training curriculum that emphasizes the counselor's role in assisting clients in the effective use of computer-assisted career guidance (CACG) systems is described in this article. This 4-module graduate training program emphasizes client readiness and exploration using CACG systems, skill building and simulation exercises, and…

The authors examine the results of introducing electronic portfolios in teaching and assessing English as a Foreign Language in Taiwan. The research participants were 37 eighth-grade Taiwanese students from one class at a public junior high school in a middle-range socioeconomic community of Taichung, Taiwan. Results show an overwhelmingly…

This study uses international data to investigate computer use situations in elementary school reading classes and the impacts of computer usage on students' reading performance across 15 countries. The study compares and reveals computer use levels in reading classes, frequencies of teachers having students use computers, times and places of…

This article looks at the use of computer-mediated communication in an ESL teacher education course. A course listserv was established so as to facilitate increased interaction between students on the premise that community building and student collaboration in the construction of knowledge and understanding play important roles in the training of…

The author used a mixed-method design to determine whether and how use of computers in the classroom affects sense of learning in a community among high school students (N = 181). The results indicate that using computers in the classroom positively affects students' sense of learning in a community. Analyses revealed that students believed that…

Development of Web-based learning has started a revolution in instructional design that is providing new opportunities for education. Instructional design for educational purposes is the systematic design of teaching and learning environments as well as instructional systems. Instructional design may include various facets of didactic methods…