In this paper, an instructor at Miami University Middletown (Ohio) describes how Authorware (by Macromedia) proved to be a valuable tool in developing interactive computer tutorials for physics instruction. Obstacles to improved instruction that had presented themselves were as follows: (1) some of the students' learning styles were not being…

This paper presents and discusses the results of a project in which seven teams of elementary school students were involved in designing and implementing interactive multimedia resources in science for younger children. During a period of 3 months, students in grades 5 and 6 were divided into teams and met regularly to program the multimedia…

Focuses on the way new technologies are shifting page-based notions of literature. Argues hyperlinking and animation allow for new kinds of textual structure and linguistic mobility. Suggests the merging of words, sound, and visual image within the domain of the computer can create new types of meaning through semiotic juxtaposition and exchange.…

Discusses a project developed using HyperCard to teach geography and history. Describes research of weather patterns and corresponding historical accounts; HyperCard's capabilities for producing animated maps to display information; and the effectiveness of HyperCard as a teaching tool, including its flexible use as a lecture display tool or in a…

Presents a multimedia component kit for digital electronics authoring and learning. Components available on the Internet facilitate sharing and reuse of educational software and provide authoring support. Emphasis is put on the implementation of a number of components based on simulation and animation that provide a high level of interactivity and…

When planning her social studies unit on world exploration, this teacher offered the opportunity for her fifth-grade students to create a claymation video of a New World explorer. Students learn about exploration; practice research skills; and write, revise and edit a script. Finally, they incorporate both the acquired content and skills while…

In this online exploration of sound energy and the human ear, students carry out an inquiry-based activity, which leads them to websites featuring a diagram of a human ear, an interactive demonstration of the Doppler effect, a model of longitudinal waves, and an animation of human hearing. In the activity, students formulate, justify, and evaluate…

Educators often struggle when teaching cellular and molecular processes because typically they have only two-dimensional tools to teach something that plays out in four dimensions. Learning research has demonstrated that visualizing processes in three dimensions aids learning, and animations are effective visualization tools for novice learners…

Present engineering has to deal with increasingly complex systems. In particular, this is the case in electrical engineering. Though this is obvious in microelectronics, also in the field of power systems engineers have to design, operate and maintain highly complex systems such as power grids, energy converters and electrical drives. This is…

A Mathematica[TM] package is described that uses simulations and animations to illustrate key concepts in harmonic oscillation and electric circuits for students not majoring in physics or mathematics. Students are not required to know the Mathematica[TM] environment: a user-friendly interface with buttons functionalities and on-line help allows…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

The first section of this paper on World Wide Web applications related to dynamic geometry addresses dynamic geometry and teaching, including the relationship between dynamic geometry and direct manipulation, key features of dynamic geometry environments, the importance of direct engagement of the learner using construction software for…

Since their introduction into schools, educators have tried to utilize computers in classes in order to make difficult topics more comprehensible. Chemistry educators, when faced with the task of teaching a topic that cannot be taught through experiments in a laboratory, resort to computers to help students visualize difficult concepts and…

Provides examples from elementary mathematics principles which illustrate some of the advantages of an interactive mouse-driven animation. Explains the effectiveness of this approach with exercises dealing with a plane of waves and quadratic formulas. (ML)

Focuses on how three-dimensional graphical and interactive features of computer-based instruction can enhance learning and support human cognition during technical training of equipment procedures. Presents guidelines for using three-dimensional interactive graphics to teach equipment procedures based on studies of the effects of graphics, motion,…