In this paper, a Web-based learning environment developed within the project called Virtual Learning Spaces (EVA, in Spanish) is presented. The environment is composed of knowledge, collaboration, consulting, experimentation, and personal spaces as a collection of agents and conventional software components working over the knowledge domains. All…

This paper details a study into the development of a WebCT based learning resource, which was used to augment the delivery of a second year degree level module. The development of the learning resource was informed by the educational theories expounded in the conversational framework, Laurillard (1993). Subsequently, the resource was evaluated…

An application specific style guide was produced for a large web-based multimedia and hyper-media learning project. It was introduced to 15 different sets of developers at Universities in disparate locations to promote consistency and good HCI practice for the whole project. This paper discusses the reactions to the use and practicality of the…

Since the inception of the World Wide Web, faculty members have been developing online course materials. However, there is little careful analysis of how students use these Webs. In particular, do more successful and less successful students use course webs and associated materials differently? Are usage patterns similar to those of printed…

This paper introduces and analyzes problems and issues in the design and use of cognitive tools in open, user-centered learning environments. It introduces a classification scheme for tool functions, and showcases several tools in a current educational hypermedia research and development effort. Information-seeking, information-presentation,…

Computers, because of their computational speed and multi-representational capabilities, are particularly well-suited to the implementation of dynamic models. This paper reviews research conducted on the use of computer-based models in precollege science classrooms. Topics addressed include Investigations of Running Simulations, Investigations of…

This paper describes the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) guidelines for librarians charged with customizing OPAC (online public access catalog) software and vendors and producers of this software. The guidelines are intended to apply to all types of catalog, including World Wide Web-based catalogs, GUI…

A project developed a resource to inform and support the information and communications technology (ICT) training process. Its target audience were directors of small and medium-sized enterprises and those responsible for developing ICT use within a company or for managing staff training. The project gathered information from previous experience,…

This paper describes the rationale and development of a teacher-made software program, instructional design features of the program, and student reaction to the program. The software was created for one student with moderate mental retardation to enable him to practice reading, writing, and reciting personal information. The program, "Your…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether exposure to multimedia and presentation software on laptop computers influenced student achievement in a secondary level anatomy and physiology science course. Group A used laptop computers with A.D.A.M. (Animated Dissection of Anatomy for Medicine) multimedia software and PowerPoint…

The benefits of high-level mathematics packages such as Matlab include both a computer algebra system and the ability to provide students with concrete visual examples. This paper discusses how both capabilities of Matlab were used in a multivariate calculus class. Graphical user interfaces which display three-dimensional surfaces, contour plots,…

This paper reports on the evolution of a software environment called ClassACT (Class Annotation and Collaboration Tool) from a simple multimedia annotation program to a multi-domain archival database management system. ClassACT was developed at Northwestern University (Illinois) for instructional use, and, although its original goal was to solve a…

In January 1999, an interdisciplinary seminar of doctoral students from cognitive, educational and computational sciences was organized to study theoretical texts that might provide insight into how to support collaborative learning with perspectives-based software. The seminar uses a Web-based tool called WEBGUIDE to mediate and structure…

This Spanish-language digest reviews research on the demographics and effects of video game playing, discusses game rating systems, and offers recommendations for parents. The digest begins by discussing research on the time children spend playing electronic games, which shows that younger children's game playing at home (90% of fourth-graders…

Japanese education, including preservice teacher education, is incorporating instructional technology as an effective, systematic way to enhance planning, teaching, and learning. Japanese researchers developed a framework for using instructional technology to develop lesson plans for autonomous learning. Preservice teachers in Japan tend to hold…