Data-driven decision making, popularized in the 1980s and 1990s, is evolving into a vastly more sophisticated concept known as big data that relies on software approaches generally referred to as analytics. Big data and analytics for instructional applications are in their infancy and will take a few years to mature, although their presence is…

An early 15th century drawing by Leonardo da Vinci depicted a device that used gears and a pendulum that moved in synchronization with the wearer as he or she walked. This is believed to be the early origins of today's physical activity monitoring devices. Today's devices have vastly expanded on da Vinci's ancient concept with a myriad of options…

The authors describe the University of Central Florida's top-down/bottom-up action analytics approach to using data to inform decision-making at the University of Central Florida. The top-down approach utilizes information about programs, modalities, and college implementation of Web initiatives. The bottom-up approach continuously monitors…

Although the term data-driven decision making (DDDM) is relatively new (Moss, 2007), the underlying concept of DDDM is not. For example, the practices of formative assessment and computer-managed instruction have historically involved the use of student performance data to guide what happens next in the instructional sequence (Morrison, Kemp, &…

The increasing adoption of e-Learning technology is facing new challenges, such as how to produce student-centered systems that can be adapted to each student's needs. In this context, educational video games are proposed as an ideal medium to facilitate adaptation and tracking of students' performance for assessment purposes, but integrating the…

This work introduces the concept of an Object-Oriented Learning Object (OOLO) that is developed in a manner similar to the one that software objects are developed through Object-Oriented Software Engineering (OO SWE) techniques. In order to make the application of the OOLO feasible and efficient, an OOLO model needs to be developed based on…

This paper addresses issues of using computer technology to support in-classroom teaching and learning regarding one of the most frequent problems in such scenarios: the students' attention. First, it presents the distraction and focus of attention problems that arise while using computer technology with off-the-shelf software for supporting…

A software program, AIMSTAR, was designed to enhance the process of making decision rules about when and how an instructional program should be changed. Examples are given of the program's use in teaching a mentally retarded adolescent to identify utensils by name. (CL)

Describes a software package used by six universities in the Netherlands for computer managed instruction, and discusses means provided for guiding students through a course and for evaluation. Special attention is given to the structuring and implementation of courses and blocks in a course. (Author/CMV)

Commercially available software is described that can help manage information in speech and hearing clinics. Applications addressed include word processing, database management, columnar analysis, integrated programs, specialized information management programs, and networks. (CL)

A major change has occurred in the way Web technology is being used in society. The change is grounded in user empowerment using Web 2.0 tools and processes. Students are already sophisticated users of these tools and processes, but outside of the mainstream instructional practices in higher education. In this reflection, the educational potential…

Thirty-four papers from a 1983 conference on the use of microcomputers in special education focus on specific applications of the new technology. An overview section, section 1, includes papers on computer literacy and daily living skills, considerations for marketing software, and the role of special educators in the information age. Section 2…

The paper examines the application of IMS--Instruction Management Systems--on classroom instruction with exceptional students. IMS, a computer-based material generation and record management software program which has been field tested in secondary school resource rooms in Utah and Idaho, is a unique model in that it includes aspects of both…

Discusses issues related to the use of classroom management software. Also discusses the components of an ideal program: (1) instructions; (2) planning (criteria generator, lesson goals, and lesson plans/editor); (3) evaluation and feedback utility (student profiles and group/class profiles); (4) graphics utility; and (5) report generator. (JN)

The article describes how computer-managed learning (CML) for both on-campus and off-campus students was successfully introduced into a tertiary educational institution in conjunction with an organizational development (OD) strategy. (Author)