Outlines a course at the University of Glamorgan in the United Kingdom in which a computer algebra system (CAS) teaches mathematical modeling. The format is based on continual assessment of group and individual work stating the problem, a feature list, and formulation of the models. No additional mathematical word processing package is necessary.…

Describes the AstraZeneca-Exeter Science through Telematics (AZEST) project and reports that the Internet has much potential as a communication channel for the provision and discussion of INSET materials for primary science in the UK. Evaluates websites dedicated to primary science at the local level, concept mapping for stimulating discussion,…

In a remote Aboriginal Australian (Kunibidji) community, three touch-screen computers containing 96 Ndjebbana-language talking books were made available to children in informal settings. The computers' popularity is explained by the touch screens' form and the talking books' intertextual and hybrid nature. The Kunibidji are transforming their…

Examines the impact of computer animations that illustrate chemical reactions occurring inside a battery on students enrolled in a college introductory chemistry course. Implies that instructor-guided animations may help students acquire a better understanding of targeted chemistry concepts, and that the relationship between narration, spatial…

Discussion of the role of teachers' confidence in using computers in the successful implementation of information technology in education focuses on a study that investigated common factors that could be used as indicators of computing confidence among a group of teachers who work in schools that use computers in their educational programs in…

Investigates the comparative efficiency of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and traditional teaching methods on 10th grade students' learning of earth science in Taiwan. Involves a total of 151 students enrolled in four earth science classes and conducts a pretest/posttest control group experiment. (Contains 26 references.) (Author/YDS)

Explains the design and development of an educational virtual environment to support the teaching of planetary phenomena, particularly the movements of Earth and the sun, day and night cycle, and change of seasons. Uses an interactive, three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment. Initial results show that the majority of students enthused about…

Studied how 29 Canadian junior high school students aged 11 to 14 used technology to design and produce toys. Findings show that the project-based unit allowed students to use technology in meaningful ways, and that computer use allowed some shifts in traditional gender-technology relations. (SLD)

Examines teachers' working identities, highlighting gender inequities among teachers, within school systems, and in society, especially in relation to computers. Highlights tensions central to teaching in relation to new technologies, emphasizing gender inequities that structure understandings of teaching. Documents how, for the teachers studied,…

An innovative program in Montreal (Quebec) that equips high school students with networked laptop computers aims to increase the ability of students to update their information, solve problems, self-evaluate, cooperate, and progressively take ownership of their learning. It is a collaborative approach that should serve them well throughout their…

Examines exchanges in an Internet newsgroup that emphasizes issues pertinent to Canadian native, Indian, or Aboriginal people. Results find cyberspace a place where colonial misunderstandings are evident and resistance to dominant discourses is possible. Provides examples of resistance to colonial discourses about Aboriginal peoples, noting risks…

Investigates gender-related effects on the Western Australian Calculus Tertiary Entrance Examinations for the period 1995-2000, three years before and three years after graphics calculators were introduced. Considers students' total examination scores, scores on questions grouped by curriculum components, and students' use of graphics calculators…

Presents an anthropological approach used in French research and the theory of instrumentation developed in cognitive ergonomics. Shows how these frameworks allow an approach to the educational use of CAS technology, focusing on the unexpected complexity of instrumental genesis, mathematical needs of instrumentation, status of instrumented…

Describes the development of an educational decision support system (EDSS) in Israeli schools. The Israeli educational system is described, the integration of computers into school administration is discussed, the use of management information systems (MIS) is explained, and a structural framework for the implementation of an EDSS is presented.…

Two sets of secondary students (n=26) were interviewed about attitudes toward writing after using laptop word processors. Handwriting remained popular and quicker for most writing tasks; neither planning nor constructive reflection on language were enhanced; typing speeds remained very slow; and the connotations of "writing" were…