Examines virtual-learning communities in higher education from a student's perspective. Discusses student-centered learning, cooperative learning, e-mail, listservs, bulletin boards, discussion groups, newsgroups, real-time discussion and the appropriate software, the World Wide Web, levels of effort needed for online learning, and a sense of…

Focuses on various technological tools that support online learning: e-mail (voice mail); online discussion groups; online resources; CD-ROM; online courseware; asynchronous communication; synchronous communication; and World Wide Web. Analyzes the attributes of online delivery systems, addressing interactivity and feedback; media features;…

Presents an exploratory case study with preservice teacher education students of an experience in collaborative discourse mediated through an educationally designed network-based application. Topics include computer mediated communication; text-based communication; small group discussion; and software design, including the design of IdeaWeb that…

Reviews the use of one type of computer software, virtual environments, for its potential in the education and rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. Topics include virtual environments in special education; transfer of learning; adult learning; the role of the tutor; and future directions, including availability, accessibility,…

Analyzes the construction of mathematical concepts and techniques developed by high school algebra students in computer-assisted instruction; examines learning styles of the most inventive students; and discusses the use of student-generated mathematical techniques in the development of new software intended to cultivate mathematical inventiveness…

Provides a background to the development of the Internet; discusses Web sites as foreign-language-learning tools; and describes the Nicenet Internet Classroom Assistant that can be used as a software template for teachers to create their own Internet pages for foreign-language instruction. (Author/LRW)

Discusses TopClass, a Web-based tool and delivery system used for online courses, and its use at Schoolcraft College in Michigan. TopClass offers many benefits, including a self-contained management system, secured access, user-friendly instructions for coursework area creation, e-mail, bulletin boards, a secured testing mechanism and student…

Discusses ways to integrate software-based programs and other new technologies into art education. Provides examples of student activities that are cross-curricular in nature, including computer-based publishing for artwork and writing; and suggests incorporating new technology with traditional methods. (LRW)

Describes the development of a computer-based learning courseware that presented associative learning between abstract and concrete domains and discusses results of a study of college students that determined whether various audio-visual combinations and differences in IQ levels influenced learning and long-term retention using the courseware.…

PLATO Learning, Inc., a developer of computer-based instruction, recently released "Math Problem Solving." This product was designed to teach strategies for solving math problems, and consists of 19 problem-solving activities, ranging from basic math to algebra. Each activity includes tools to help find a solution and rule-based coaching to…

Provides a history of the Instructional Technology Center at Iowa State University and describes its present operations. Highlights include an organizational chart; classroom services; instructional development services, related to faculty development and courseware creation; creative services that support multimedia, graphics, and television…

Addresses the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning in a classroom environment. Discusses classroom setups, including networks and Internet connections; utilizing resources, including lecture notes, software demonstrations, and simulations; the use of laptop computers; and examples of technology use where students don't have access to…

Discussion of educational software focuses on a model of educational software that was derived from a case study of two elementary school teachers participating in a software design process. Considers human-computer interface, interaction, software browsing strategies, and implications for teacher training. (Author/LRW)

Whereas existing learning environments on the Web lack high level interactivity, we have developed a human tutor-like tutorial conversation system for the Web that enhances educational courseware through mixed-initiative dialog with natural language processing. The conversational tutoring agent is composed of an animated tutor, a Latent Semantic…

Guest lectures are a valuable resource in higher education. However, shrinking budgets make it difficult to bring in experts from remote areas of the globe. Videoconferencing, Michael Luck and Gerard Laurence believe, may be a cost-effective way to bring experts to the classroom. Luck and Laurence describe their 2003 study that formally evaluated…