Computer simulation and animation (CSA) is educational technology in which computer programs are employed to simulate and animate real-world physical phenomena and processes. CSA has attracted growing attention and received an increasing number of applications in the international science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education…

Game-Based Learning (GBL) is increasingly widespread as a learning technique in the engineering studies. However, this innovative methodology may be difficult to incorporate in some subjects due to their complex contents. This paper aims at combining traditional learning methodologies with game mechanics by using an ad-hoc gaming web environment…

The purpose of this study was to develop a framework for analyzing and evaluating student-constructed models of physical phenomena and monitoring the progress of these models. Moreover, we aimed to examine whether this framework could capture differences between models created using different computer-based modeling tools; namely, computer-based…

Scholars have argued that imprecise data graphics, specifically those displaying decorative dimensionality of data, may lead to inaccurate interpretations. Empirical tests of decorative dimensionality have produced mixed results. The literature also suggests that the effects of decorative dimensionality may depend on the cognitive demand of a…

This article examines three important facets of the incorporation of new technologies into educational practice, focusing on emergent usages of the mathematical tools of computer algebra and dynamic geometry. First, it illustrates the interpretative flexibility of these tools, highlighting important differences in ways of conceptualizing and…

When visualization tools utilized in computer programming education have been evaluated empirically, the results have remained controversial. To address this problem, we have developed a model of short-term effects of program animation, and used it in a series of experiments. In the current experiment, we varied visual representation of an…

Examines the effects of group gender composition and the use of nonverbal computer mediated communication on performance and motivation following a biology lesson which used a computer image of a human face. Subjects were boys and girls ages 10 to 15. Findings indicate that anxiety had opposite effects for boys and girls when the computer-animated…

Investigates the effects of audio and text density on the achievement, time-in-program, and attitudes of 134 undergraduate students. Data concerning pre-existing computer skills/experience and demographic information were also collected. Findings have implications for the use of audio, text and graphics in the design of computer-based instruction.…

Discussion of graphing software for educational purposes focuses on a study in which three versions of an original computer graphing program were used by inner-city high school students to solve scientific data analysis problems. Variations in degrees of flexibility and feedback in the software are explored. (Contains 37 references.) (LRW)

Analyzes, as a function of grade level, the representation of gender, competition, and violence in 17 top-selling software programs designed for mathematics education. Results indicate that mean percentages of violence, competition against the program and competition against a peer increase across grade level; mean percentages of female characters…

Discussion of classes delivered via the World Wide Web and the need for timely feedback focuses on peer evaluations and computer-generated reports. Graphical methods of data presentation are described, including histograms with Bloom's taxonomy, based on experiences at Washington State University. (LRW)

Describes the design of the Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE), a database that allows the storage and retrieval of information in several media, e.g., text and drawings. Research on cognitive abilities and learning strategies is reviewed, learner control is discussed, and the implementation of CSILE in grades five and six…

Describes a study of undergraduates that compared navigational study strategies, the extent of lesson coverage, and attitudes about learning with three types of hypermedia lessons to examine how learners use different types of graphical browsers in a learner-controlled hypertext system to construct personalized representations of the content…

To determine if different levels of graphic presentation affected understanding, 131 middle school science students with high and low spatial ability were shown programs teaching concepts of molecular diffusion with no graphics, static graphics, or animated graphics. Students with low spatial ability benefited from animated presentations. Spatial…

Discussion of multicultural classrooms and English-as-a-Second-Language focuses on a study that investigated the relationship of learners' language backgrounds and different computer graphics display strategies. Four versions of hypertext instruction with identical text and different levels of computer graphics displays were tested on graduate…