This quasi-experimental study examined the influences of an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) adoption in the classroom and compared learning achievement, motivation, and perception between two versions of the learning approaches (IVR-based STREAM learning and Desktop Virtual Reality (DVR)-based STREAM learning). Twenty middle school students in the…

One way to help students engage in higher-order thinking is through scaffolding, which can be defined as support that allows students to participate meaningfully in and gain skill at a task that is beyond their unassisted abilities. Most research on computer-based scaffolds assesses the average impact of the tools on learning outcomes. This is…

An assessment was conducted of a web-based formative peer assessment system (WFPAS) emphasizing learners' metacognitive awareness for their performance in ill-structured tasks. Results indicate that the WFPAS group achieved significantly higher scores for metacognitive awareness and performance in ill-structured tasks than the traditional…

This commentary reviews seven papers that study motivation with new media, contained in this special issue of "Educational Technology Research & Development" edited by Ruth Small. For each paper, this commentary summarizes exemplary contributions, offers an assessment of what is exciting, and suggests directions for future research. Some exciting…

This study examines middle school students' learning and motivation as they engaged in a new media enriched problem-based learning (PBL) environment for middle school science. Using a mixed-method design with both quantitative and qualitative data, we investigated the effect of a new media environment on sixth graders' science learning, their…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of motivational and volitional email messages (MVEM) on preservice teachers' motivation, volition, performance, and their attitudes toward technology integration. Each of four sections in an educational technology course for preservice teachers was randomly assigned to one of two groups: one…

This paper identifies the need for developing new ways to study curiosity in the context of today's pervasive technologies and unprecedented information access. Curiosity is defined in this paper in a way which incorporates the concomitant constructs of interest and engagement. A theoretical model for curiosity, interest and engagement in new…

This research seeks to (1) establish a feasible development and implementation model for an inquiry-based learning environment with e-mentoring using videoconference, and (2) apply the model to examine its impact on rural students' learning. To achieve these goals, we developed a model of inquiry-based learning with e-mentoring (IBLE) based on…

This article describes the Quest Atlantis (QA) project, a learning and teaching project that employs a multiuser, virtual environment to immerse children, ages 9-12, in educational tasks. QA combines strategies used in commercial gaming environments with lessons from educational research on learning and motivation. It allows users at participating…

Examines the effects of a prototype of motivationally-adaptive computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Findings indicate CAI can be designed to be motivationally adaptive to respond to changes in learner motivation that may occur over time. Results also illustrate that the ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction) model can be useful and…