Focuses on software for distance education. Discusses the cost of course development and highlights three classes of distance education tools: communication tools, course development tools, and digital imaging and video production software. Presents three scenarios that reflect the most likely approaches to course development and presentation.…

Examines current trends in educational telematics and presents frameworks, models, and guidelines for the design and evaluation of courses for remote learning delivery. Topics include technology-supported learning; the design of communication systems; student-centered learning; distributed methodologies; technology in curriculum development;…

Presents data management issues faced during the design and development of an open distance learning (ODL) system for the University of Patras, Greece. Outlines the architecture, design, and services of a network-based information system that supports ODL activities. The Web-based open and distance learning information system offers synchronous…

Illustrates the possibilities and educational benefits of virtual learning environments (VLEs), based on experiences with "Thirst for Knowledge," a VLE that simulates the workplace of a major company. While working in this virtual office world, students walk through the building, attend meetings, read reports, receive e-mail, answer the telephone,…

This article describes a recent collaborative project (PASS-IT) which investigated the use of online assessment in secondary education in Scotland. The aim of PASS-IT was to explore the potential of formative and summative assessment in secondary education, and to build on previous research into the applicability and validity of online…

Future CSCL technologies are described by the community as flexible, tailorable, negotiable, and appropriate for various collaborative settings, conditions and contexts. This paper describes the key design issues of a generic synchronous collaborative learning environment, called Omega+. In this approach, model-based genericity is applied to the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the design of a context-aware service for synchronous support in web-based educational systems. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed service supports synchronous interaction among tutors and students, based on their current context, thus increasing the communication channels, the reasoning and…

In this paper we report the results of our on-going activities regarding the use of smart phones and mobile services in university classrooms. The purpose of these trials was to explore and identify which content and services could be delivered to the smart phones in order to support learning and communication in the context of university studies.…

In our recent research we have explored possibilities to scaffold collaborative learning in higher education with wireless networks and mobile tools. The pedagogical ideas are grounded on concepts of collaborative learning, including the socially shared origin of cognition, as well as self-regulated learning theory. This paper presents our three…

A computer system, IconiCase, is currently being developed to assist users in the task of classifying and memorizing medical cases. The system uses assemblies of icons, called Concept Graphics (CG), as pointers to medical cases, leading to a form of electronic document delivery in which information is accessed at various levels, with a gradual…

Some of the elements instructional designers must consider when designing screens for computer based instruction (CBI) include legibility, readability, and particularly font size. The purpose of this study was to determine which size font is most effective for CBI. Participants were 163 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an…

This paper describes the intelligent advisor system, named CODAMA, used in teaching a university-level systems analysis and design course. The paper discusses: (1) the use of CODAMA to assist students to transfer theoretical knowledge to the practical; (2) details of how CODAMA is applied in conjunction with a computer-aided software engineering…

This paper presents a model of an intelligent computer network that provides real-time evaluation of students' performance by incorporating intelligence into the application layer protocol. Specially designed drills allow students to independently solve a number of problems based on current lecture material; students are switched to the most…

This paper describes IRI (Interactive Remote Instruction), a computer-based system built at Old Dominion University (Virginia) in order to support distance education. The system is based on the concept of a virtual classroom where students at different locations have the same synchronous class experience, using networked computers to communicate…

The program for City Technical Colleges (CTCs) draws on ideas and resources from government, private industry, and education to focus on the educational needs of inner city and urban children. Mathematics, science, and technology are at the center of the CTCs' mission, in a context which includes economic awareness and a commitment to enterprise…