This paper attempts to merge specific psychological theories of knowledge acquisition, the impact of pictures on cognitive processes, and theories of effective pedagogical approaches to foreign language learning, in order to assess commercially available software for its effectiveness, specific impact on learning, and classroom uses. The first…

A music teacher used the Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation (MECC) study guide to implement a 10-week practicum intervention designed to increase sixth graders' retention of musical terminology. A total of 12 beginning band students used a computer-aided instruction program to review questions drawn from workbook materials they had…

A new computer-based approach for teaching counselors about predictive validity and how to use tests in clinical decision making was developed and tested. The approach is based on concepts similar to those used in inferential statistics, particularly statistical hypothesis testing. To implement this model, the counselor must: (1) determine the…

While a great deal has been written on the advantage and benefits of online teaching, little is known on how assessment is implemented in online classrooms to monitor and inform performance and progress. The purpose of this study is to investigate the dynamics of WebCT classroom assessment by analyzing the perceptions and experience of the…

This first phase of a content analysis of online, asynchronous, educational discussions is designed to generate a method for automatically categorizing messages into cognitive categories using neural network software. This phase of research answers two questions regarding the method of automatically analyzing discussion messages: Can a neural…

The specific characteristics of the World Wide Web mean that publishing documents using this medium has a number of unique requirements and presents a different challenge to anyone wishing to put documents on the Web. Key issues which have to be resolved include determining the nature of the documents to be published, identifying whether documents…

"Journey Home," an interactive CD-ROM program about Homer's "Odyssey," was produced at North Shore Community College (Massachusetts) to create an innovative method for teaching literature. Based on a prototype developed on an Apple II, the program incorporates video, text, graphics, music, and artwork related to the Odyssey and…

A science classroom was used to study the effects of a shared intranet environment on students' problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection skills through shared contextualization. Subjects were first-time 9th- and 10th-grade biology students from three public high schools. An evaluative analysis of the CourseInfo software (Blackboard,…

Proposes new ways to get students involved in the classroom by using new information technology such as CD-ROM atlases. Maintains that using technology in the classroom allows students to learn at different rates, promotes critical thinking and problem solving, and encourages global awareness. Includes an evaluation of several CD-ROM atlases. (MJP)

As part of the EFFECTS award (Effective Framework for Embedding Communications and Information Technology using Targeted Support), the necessity of evaluating the use of Information and Communications Technology (I&CT) in teaching and learning was reinforced and, as a result, the following study has been produced. This formative evaluation…

Thirty-two families were given six market-leading, educational CD-ROMs each, and usage of them was logged over 11 weeks. These children and their parents were also interviewed on three occasions. Although parents and children were enthusiastic upon receipt of the software and envisaged that it would be a useful learning tool, children's use of…

Rather than learning and then applying theory to the solution of problems, learners can be provided with stories about others' experiences while designing classroom instruction. However, the usability of case-libraries has not been documented with teachers. In this study, students accessed a case-library of technology integration stories…

This paper assesses the impact of using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in three American University undergraduate classes, a General Education survey course on Latin America (taught in English), and two Spanish language courses. The courses utilized both commercial software programs and software programs authored by faculty using Macintosh…

This paper presents findings of an exploratory study undertaken at Marist Sisters' College in Woolwich, Sydney (Australia) to examine student use of multimedia software packages. Students (n=70) in years 7-12 were randomly selected to complete an evaluation of a popular multimedia package, "Encarta," on the following factors: ease of…

An evaluation of a CD-ROM multimedia component of a first grade science curriculum, the IBM/CTW "Through the Woods," is presented. The presentation offers hands-on activities related to forest ecology, such as virtual nature walks. Children participating in the study (n=95) displayed ability to use the technology, a high degree of affect…