Many popular mathematical software products including Maple, Mathematica, Derive, Mathcad, Matlab, and some of the TI calculators produce incorrect graphs because they use complex arithmetic instead of "real" arithmetic. This article expounds on this issue, provides possible remedies for instructors to share with their students, and demonstrates…

There is a lot of educational software on the market, but little of it can be said to be revolutionary. Despite all the talk about education and computers, the educational software revolution has yet to begin. All educational software can be placed in categories of games (edutainment), simulations, reference software, and tutorials. Choosing…

A widely recognized concern in elementary school mathematics education is that teachers' understanding of the mathematical curricular content generally appears quite fragmented, sparsely connected, and procedurally oriented. This pilot study applies methods of educational neuroscience to investigate and improve preservice teachers' learning and…

The level of learners' expertise has been used as a metric and diagnostic mechanism of instruction. This metric influences mental effort directly according to the applications of cognitive load theory. Cognitive efficiency, an optimal measurement technique of expertise, was developed by Kalyuga and Sweller to replace instructional efficiency in…

This research describes preservice teachers' perceptions of the use of applets in solving mathematical problems. It examines such perceptions regarding the role and functions that applets have in the problem solving context, the difficulties they encounter when using applets in this context and the necessity or need of their use. I attempt to…

Purpose: The content, provided in learning management systems (LMS), is often text oriented as in a usual textbook, extended by some animations and links. Hands on activities and experiments are not possible. The paper aims to give an overview about the concept to couple smart simulation and assessment tools with an LMS to provide a more…

Starting from difficulties that students display when they deal with correlation analysis, an e-learning environment ("Koralle") was developed. The design was inspired by principles of situated and example-based learning. In order to facilitate reflective processes and thus enhance learning outcomes, reflection prompts were integrated into the…

This study reports on the development of ESP (English for specific purposes) courseware for semiconductor technology and its integration as a "silent partner" into instruction. This kind of team-teaching could help overcome current problems encountered in developing ESP in Taiwan. The content of the material under discussion includes…

Writing is a highly valued skill that is often neglected in the classroom; one reason is that teachers often do not receive adequate training in writing assessment and instruction. Teachers, particularly preservice teachers, need practice making detailed assessments of student writing and to build their confidence for assessing student writing,…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the design and first results of the integration of a web-based system person-centred group-activity support system (PEGASUS) in university instruction, as a means for advancing person-centred learning by supporting group activity. The PEGASUS is expected to help students and teachers in two distinct…

Using emotion detection technologies from biophysical signals, this study explored how emotion evolves during learning process and how emotion feedback could be used to improve learning experiences. This article also described a cutting-edge pervasive e-Learning platform used in a Shanghai online college and proposed an affective e-Learning model,…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose and demonstrate an evidence-based scenario design framework for assessment-based computer games. Design/methodology/approach: The evidence-based scenario design framework is presented and demonstrated by using BELLA, a new assessment-based gaming environment aimed at supporting student learning of…

This monograph presents articles on interactive videodisc technology in language learning, ranging from the importance of a theoretical framework, the transition from theory to practice, getting started, design considerations, hypermedia, discovery environments, authoring software, workstation environments, and a look at the future of optical disc…

The INVEST learning system is a computer-based program offering developmental courses in reading, mathematics, writing, life skills, and learning skills. As part of a joint project sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College (LICC), the American College Testing Program, and the INVEST Corporation, California's San Diego Miramar…

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) found an increasing need to provide computer-aided instruction (CAI) as a component of its curriculum, in particular to help staff and volunteers become computer literate. GPLC staff designed and taught two 12-week introductory computer courses for up to 20 (10 each) literacy staff and volunteers.…