Zambia faces many challenges common to low- and middle-income countries as it seeks to improve its education system, including low literacy rates for young Zambians and low public expenditure on education. In the past 20 years, Zambia's school system has expanded to reach more children in rural areas, primarily through community schools, which are…

A problematic, yet common, assumption among educational researchers is that when teachers provide authentic, problem-based experiences, students will automatically be engaged. Evidence indicates that this is often not the case. In this article, we discuss (a) problems with ignoring motivation in the design of learning environments, (b)…

This investigation examines experiences with and perceptions of information reported by first-year college students whose level of information literacy skill is known. Participants were identified as having either proficient or below-proficient information literacy skills based on an objective test of their abilities. Interviews were performed…

Within only a few years, the use of e-learning has increased rapidly in Austria. In certain subjects, up to 60% of university students report using e-learning platforms at least "sometimes" or "frequently" (Unger & Wroblewski, 2006). Yet, which aspects of e-learning do students consider important for their learning…

The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional effects of a computer-generated agent in providing verbal and visual prompts as needed to facilitate student achievement of educational objectives. Sixty-seven college students were randomly selected into two instructional treatment groups and a control group. Significant differences in…

PLATO and TICCIT, two systems of computer-assisted instruction, are analyzed with a view to determining their educational effectiveness. This report presents an overview of how this will be accomplished, in full awareness that the concept of "effectiveness" has been subject to diverse interpretation. To avoid misunderstandings, the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of behavioral and cognitive organizing strategies and varied processing intervals on factual and inferential learning. A total of 49 upper-division undergraduate and graduate students, who were randomly assigned to either a cognitive, behavioral, or individual orienting strategy group, received…

Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) uses the computer to collect and process information to meet an increasing demand for individualized instruction. Learning goals are expressed in terms of behavioral objectives for a given curriculum. Student performance is monitored through computer input and feedback; this allows an accurate and frequent check…

The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional effectiveness of computer animated instruction, complemented by varied types of instructional strategies (advance organizers and adjunct questions and feedback) on learner achievement of different types of educational objectives. Ninety-three undergraduate students were randomly assigned…

Discussion of technology assessment in schools focuses on how three school districts developed and carried out their own technology assessment rather than contracting it out. Highlights include computers in classrooms versus labs; computer trainers and teachers' needs; effects on student achievement; evaluation based on goals; authentic…

This study examined the effects of instructional elements (objectives, information, practice with feedback, and review) on achievement, attitude, and time in a computer-based, multimedia program. Undergraduate college students used the multimedia lesson to learn about artists and their painting styles. Results indicated that practice had a…

Investigates the effect of implementing cooperative versus individual learning and orienting activities during computer-based instruction (CBI). Results indicated that students who received instructional objectives performed significantly better on posttests than students who received either advance organizers or no orienting activities. Learning…

Considers the relevance of human-computer interaction (HCI) guidelines for educational interface design, including why educational software is different from other products; differences in goal focus; performance and learning; and experiments that investigated transfer of learning, including implications for the design of educational technologies.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if individualized instruction structured by a teaching model which utilized student selected objectives and an instructional guide produced by a computer would change student achievement in physics measured by two methods and affect positively the students' attitudes toward the course of physics. (Editor)

District programs developed in 1980-83 to address improvement priorities of the Pittsburgh Board of Education include Monitoring Achievement in Pittsburgh (MAP), Pittsburgh's Research-Based Instructional Supervisory Model (PRISM), and the School Improvement Project (SIP). MAP programs in math, writing, reading, and critical thinking bring together…