This study adopted design and development research methodology (Richey & Klein, "Design and development research: Methods, strategies, and issues," 2007) to systematically investigate the process of applying instructional design principles, human-computer interaction, and software engineering to a performance support system (PSS) for behavior…

The demand for good instructional environments presupposes valid and reliable analytical instruments for educational research. This paper introduces the "SMD Technology" (Surface, Matching, Deep Structure), which measures relational, structural, and semantic levels of graphical representations and concept maps. The reliability and validity of the…

A 2006 ECAR study defined cyberinfrastructure as the coordinated aggregate of "hardware, software, communications, services, facilities, and personnel that enable researchers to conduct advanced computational, collaborative, and data-intensive research." While cyberinfrastructure was initially seen as support for scientific and…

Web 2.0 tools offer new possibilities for teaching and learning. PrimaryAccess is a Web 2.0 tool designed for K-12 history education. PrimaryAccess shares many of the characteristics of other Web 2.0 applications, but its educational focus makes it different from generic Web applications. Our work developing and researching PrimaryAccess has…

Speech technology--especially automatic speech recognition--has now advanced to a level where it can be of great benefit both to able-bodied people and those with various disabilities. In this paper we describe an application "TalkMaths" which, using the output from a commonly-used conventional automatic speech recognition system,…

Drawing on research literature on online discussion and on reading and learning from the text, we argue that research on learning from text has much to offer but has been largely absent in informing the design and study of online learning environments. We propose several key issues to be considered in research and development of online discussion,…

Discusses the peculiarity of information technology transfer in schools as opposed to the transfer of technology in companies. Central problems of educational technology transfer are indicated. A typology of approaches to the transfer of technology from research to school is discussed, and a table shows actors and actions at different stages in…

Describes the rapid progress of computer technologies in China. Details the increased role of computers in business. Presents the problem of Chinese characters in computer usage especially in business. Enumerates computer usage in China at this time. Cites the quantity and quality of computer software as a major limitation. (CW)

Described are aspects of the Computers As Partners Project (CAPP) of the Department of Individual and Family Studies, College of Human Resources, University of Delaware. Originally known as the Computer Active Preschool Project, the CAPP began in January, 1983 as a pilot program designed to determine the best ways to integrate computers into early…

This report summarizes the results of a survey of 29 southern land-grant institutions which elicited information on microcomputer capabilities, programming efforts, and computer awareness education for formers, homemakers, community organizations, planning agencies, and other end users. Five topics were covered by the survey: (1) degree of…

According to the dichotomy popularized by Levy (1995, 1997), computers may be used in language learning in either tutor or tool roles. Recently there has been a waning of interest in tutorial software for language learning in favor of tool-oriented applications. While we do not dispute the value of the computer as a tool, we argue that it is in…

This final report describes the development and evaluation of C-Print, a system for transcription of computer-aided speech to print. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the 3-year federally supported project. Chapter 2 provides background information on current speech-to-print systems. Chapter 3 focuses on needed improvements in C-Print, especially…

Instructional technology is defined as a systematic way of designing, carrying out, and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching in terms of specific objectives, based on research in human learning and communication and employing a combination of human and nonhuman resources to bring about more effective instruction. The main question…

In this paper the authors describe a novel "Virtual Research Environment" (VRE) based on the Sakai Virtual Collaboration Environment and designed to support education research. This VRE has been used for the past two years by projects of the UK Economic and Social Research Council's Teaching and Learning Research Programme, 10 of which…

The William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Washington) is a collaborative user facility with many unique scientific capabilities. The EMSL expects to support many of its remote users and collaborators by electronic means and is creating a collaborative environment for this…