Discusses the benefits of using multimedia Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) as an alternative teaching method. CAL packages may provide more flexibility in course design, encourage student-centered learning, and help students of differing abilities and academic backgrounds. Also examines problems associated with the use of multimedia CAL such as…

Explains the function of formative evaluation and the evaluation techniques that can be used in the various stages of educational computing research and development. Topics include computer software design; selecting evaluation standards; and a framework for formative evaluation, including theoretical models, expert consultation, and field…

Reviews specific ways in which computers can support the basic transcription processes involved in writing, focusing on computer applications that go beyond word processing, including spelling and grammar checkers, speech synthesis, word prediction, and speech recognition. Focuses only on writing mechanics, and clarifies the extent to which…

Describes Web sites for special-needs students, parents, and teachers: The Bridge School, servicing students with severe speech and physical impairments; Overbrook School for the Blind; and Bruce Street School for the Deaf. Lists Web sites of special schools, resources on accessible Web design, and resources for special needs. Highlights…

The seminal work by Ericsson and Simon established verbal reports as a genuine way to get a glimpse into the "black box" of the workings of the human mind, and it is now recognised as a method of value in the pursuit of new knowledge relating to, for instance, learner strategies, cognitive strategies, human-computer interaction, and functionality…

Anchored instruction is designed to present problems in a meaningful context to allow for investigations into real life environments. The Jasper Project was created to allow students to investigate mathematical dilemmas using anchored instruction techniques. This study uses case study methods to examine the perceptions that preservice teachers…

This paper describes a CALL approach which integrates software for speaker independent continuous speech recognition with embodied virtual agents and virtual worlds to create an immersive environment in which learners can converse in the target language in contextualised scenarios. The result is a self-access learning package: SPELL (Spoken…

A pilot study at a local school explores a virtual world during English lessons. The objective of applying a Vygotskian experimental design to the study is to investigate the potential of software, interaction and integration related to problem-solving defined as text composition in a foreign language. Focus of research and practices is on the…

The basic tenet of constructivism is that learners construct their knowledge on their own by associating new with prior information. The significance of the learner's interaction with his/her social and physical environment is here of great importance; the learner is at the center of the learning process while the tutor is seen as a facilitator, a…

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has made no secret of its desire for teachers to introduce more creativity into UK classrooms. Imaginatively minded teachers have found a number of ways to introduce creativity into the classroom. Dance, music, problem solving and role-play exercises are all well trodden routes, but it was the…

In Dubai, traffic accidents kill one person every 37 hours and injure one person every 3 hours. Novice traffic accident investigators in the Dubai police force are expected to "learn by doing" in this intense environment. Currently, they use no alternative to the real world in order to practice. This paper argues for the use of an…

In the first 24 months of the project, KP-Lab members were highly dedicated to dissemination and were engaged in various dissemination activities that contributed to the prime objective of the KP-Lab dissemination efforts which is "to make the project widely known to a variety of prospective users and, at a later stage, to promote the…

Goal: The use of an online game for learning in higher education aims to make complex theoretical knowledge more approachable. Permanent repetition will lead to a more in-depth learning. Objective: To gain insight into whether and to what extent, online games have the potential to contribute to student learning in higher education. Experimental…

Five eighth grade science classes of students in at a middle school were assigned to three treatment groups: those who individually concept mapped, those who collaboratively concept mapped, and those who independently used their study time. The findings revealed that individually generating concept maps on computers during study time positively…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model into an educational technology Web-based course for pre-service primary through secondary teacher education. Specifically, this study presents an overview of methods, tools and media used to foster the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model,…