In this fact sheet, data is reported from the IEA Civic Education Study -- a two-phased study of 14- and 17-year olds' civic knowledge, attitudes and activities conducted in 29 countries in 1999 and 2000 with nationally representative samples of students. The information from this study is used to address three main points concerning the media and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of scientific discussions based on student-constructed pre- and post-laboratory concept maps on students' attitudes toward chemistry laboratory in the university general chemistry. As part of instruction, during the first four laboratory sessions, students were taught how to construct and…

Discusses an adaptive diagnostic test used as part of an instructional program in signed-number arithmetic on the PLATO system. Findings indicated that differences in prior and subsequent instructional methods affected the learning of more advanced materials and produced lower achievement scores on posttests. Thirty-two references are listed. (MER)

Discusses studies that investigated the impact of the Web on student learning and compared Web-based with traditional courses. Focuses on individual differences, including gender differences and generational differences; instructional design, including interaction and electronic learning communities; and skills that are enhanced by online…

Describes a study in which community college students participated in a library instruction experiment to determine whether individual term paper counseling sessions conveyed information for immediate recall better than group instruction sessions. The test instruments used are provided and the absence of significant differences between the two…

Discussion of the use of computer drills in education focuses on a study designed to compare the effect of a progressive state drill with the effect of having high school students implement their own strategies using flashcards. The use of sequential analysis is explained, and student attitudes are examined. (26 references) (Author/LRW)

Describes a case study that was designed to discover how seventh-grade students felt about writing when composed using a word processing program compared to using pen and paper. Student and teacher interviews are discussed, classroom observations are reported, and factors students found important to enjoyment of writing assignments are described.…

Discusses the need to modify visual media for hearing-impaired students and describes a study of college students that examined the effects of modifying captions and providing supplementary instruction on the comprehension of a technical film. Effects of instruction, levels of captioning, test types, and reading ability are examined. (25…

Discussion of appropriate feedback in an instructional setting focuses on a study of undergraduates learning graphics materials production techniques that investigated whether internal feedback, provided by an expert system, differed in effectiveness from external feedback, provided by an instructor. The effects of each on processing activities…

This study examined learner-control strategies for selecting problem context and level of instructional support on a computer-based mathematics unit on the metric system. Subjects were 240 sixth grade students assigned to 15 treatments. Performance was lowest under learner-control instructional support conditions even though subjects indicated…

Discussion of the instructional effectiveness of educational software focuses on a study of undergraduates that investigated the effectiveness of a problem-solving program designed to assist students in solving nonlinear optimization problems. Results are reported that indicate manual procedures resulted in greater learning than use of the…

Describes a study that was conducted to determine whether paired/cooperative computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was as effective as individual instruction. Treatment of experimental and control groups is explained, and the effects of pairings based on cognitive style--i.e., field dependence and field independence--on achievement and student…

Describes results of a meta-analysis that was performed to synthesize existing research on the effects of computer programing on cognitive outcomes. Effect size is used to evaluate studies that used experimental and control groups to assess the relationship between computer programing and cognitive skills, and outcome measures are discussed. (79…

Describes two studies that examined the nature of Japanese elementary and junior high school students' perceptions of different media, the effect of teachers on these perceptions, and the relationship between perceptions and student learning. The studies of fifth graders and eighth graders also addressed gender and class differences. (Contains…

Discusses online teaching and how it compares to traditional face to face teaching. Topics include designing Web-based classes; the faculty perspective, including determining learning outcomes, time commitment, accountability, and library resources; and the student perspective, including expectations of faculty, time commitment, and technical…