What is known about the cost effectiveness of interactive courseware (ICW) is reviewed, and issues that remain are summarized. Effect size is used for reporting the effectiveness of ICW programs. Two ICW media are considered: computer-based instruction and interactive videodisc instruction. Effect sizes for computer-based instruction have been…

A study was conducted for the Cumberland Campus of Nova Scotia Community College to determine whether a heterogeneous group of adult learners could make significant gains in academic achievement using a computer-based learning system, and how such gains compared to those associated with more traditional learning approaches. A sample of 15…

The current and future role of educational technology in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in the United States is examined, drawing on practice, literature, and the experiences of an Arlington, Virginia program. Throughout, policy implications are drawn from the discussion. First, the ESL service delivery system is examined and…

These four newsletter issues for 1992 provide information about the use of (CD-ROM) technology in the school. Each issue contains one or more feature articles, along with program descriptions, examples of CD-ROM applications, and reviews of CD-ROM products and technology support. Volume 4, Number 2, focuses on the use of satellite information in…

This paper describes a World Wide Web-based introductory course titled "Hypermedia Structures and Systems," offered as an optional part of the curriculum in computing science at the Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands). The technical environment for the current (1996) edition of the course is presented, which features…

This paper presents a set of guidelines for the design of computer-supported distance multimedia that enables collaborative distance learning. The first section provides an overview of distance learning and discusses teacher and student roles in a collaborative distance learning environment. Conditions for effective collaborative learning are…

This book demonstrates, for teachers at all levels, applications of technology tools for the effective learning and teaching of mathematical skills and concepts as suggested by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). It focuses on the use of general-purpose computer tools in the mathematics classroom, with an emphasis on problem…

Educators working with elementary school children need to consider the impact of unstructured and structured hypermedia on the learning occurring in computer-assisted instruction. This paper discusses a case study of a collaborative group of four boys during a summer science camp. Their interactions with two different examples of hypermedia are…

This paper examines improving learning outcomes through redesigning information landscapes. The concept of information landscapes has been a constant theme in the development of interactive multimedia packages. For the user interface to this information to be effective and efficient, consideration must be given to the cognitive load placed on the…

Implications of using authentic activity as a model for appropriate learning activity are discussed, particularly in regard to the design of computer-based simulations and project-based learning activities. Mere provision of computer-based simulations and reality-centered projects does not ensure that a student will derive the benefits of…

The research project "Feedback Processes in Computer Managed Spelling Instruction" is aimed at developing and testing an instructional software program for teaching the orthography of Dutch verbs. The main focus of this paper is on how to design an optimal educational environment. The design of the man-computer interaction is highlighted…

One of the problems that teachers face in a knowledge-based social studies curriculum is the diversity of academic levels in a given class. The low level learner gets lost in the rush to cover the material and keep the interest of the other students. This project implemented a computer drill and practice program for those students who consistently…

The problems and prospects of the field of foreign language computing are profiled through a survey of typical implementation, development, and research projects that language teachers may undertake. Basic concepts in instructional design, hardware, and software are first clarified. Implementation projects involving courseware evaluation, textbook…

The fifth in a series of selected ERIC bibliographies on computer-based education begun in 1973, Computer-Based Education: The Best of ERIC, 1983-1985 provides citations and abstracts for over 250 documents selected from the more than 500 that were entered in the ERIC files over the three-year period. The emphasis in selection was on documents…

This guide lists 19 software packages considered to be worthy of further consideration by other reviewing agencies and schools by a group of 17 computer coordinators from educational software preview centers and evaluation agencies. The following software is listed: (1) ASK-IT, an authoring tool; (2) Balance of the Planet, an environmental…