Focuses on various technological tools that support online learning: e-mail (voice mail); online discussion groups; online resources; CD-ROM; online courseware; asynchronous communication; synchronous communication; and World Wide Web. Analyzes the attributes of online delivery systems, addressing interactivity and feedback; media features;…

Reports on an experiment in which a course in psychology was replaced by a mixed formula consisting of a CD-ROM complemented by seminars and workshops. The CD-ROM was conceived as a collection of documents linked together with Netscape facilities. Students searched through these documents for information to answer questions (challenges) on the…

Adaptive Hypermedia Systems (AHS) can be developed to accommodate a variety of individual differences, including learning style and cognitive style. The current research is an attempt to examine some of the critical variables, which may be important in the design of an Adaptive Educational System (AES) based on student's cognitive style. Moreover,…

The Nielsen/Net report Ratings 2000, reported that in 2002, online usage at work jumped 17 percent year-over-year, driven by female office workers. Nearly 46 million American office workers logged onto the Web, the highest peak since January 2000. It was also predicted that the number of students using the Internet was expected to reach 13.5…

The last decade has brought about a major change in higher education. Course design has developed from a craftsmanship-like process to a structured production, which involves interdisciplinary teams and requires more complex communication skills. This conceptual article introduces E[superscript 2]ML--Educational Environment Modeling Language--a…

This paper presents and discusses the results of a project in which seven teams of fifth and sixth grade students were involved in designing and implementing interactive multimedia resources in science for younger children, using the Microworlds(TM) Logo programming environment. It was found that students improved significantly in their science…

Recently, platform independent software components, like JavaBeans, have appeared that allow writing reusable components and composing them in a visual builder tool into new applications. This paper describes the use of such models to transform an existing course into a modular construction kit consisting of components of teaching text and program…

This paper describes technical and educational issues related to the development of SIMMPATICO, a multimedia tool for the teaching of Portuguese as a foreign language. The first section presents an overview of the motivation for the project. Package organization is discussed in the second section, including the linguistic approach and its…

This paper discusses the development of computer-based business simulations designed to prepare high school students for entry-level jobs in business, and explores the implementation of feedback mechanisms in simulations. Reasons why simulations are an appropriate type of media for this application, the nature of feedback, and research on feedback…

This paper discusses four areas in the psychology literature that have important implications for the instructional design of microcomputer-based simulations. The first one examined is cognitive structures, and the following suggestions for instructional design are offered: simulations should be appropriate for students' level of understanding;…

Screen design, as an inherent part of the interface within computer-based instructional programs, is a critical component to the communication potential of the medium. This paper establishes aesthetics as an essential and necessary component of screen design and of instructional design. Current screen design guidelines tend to overlook the…

Many writers suggest the use of metaphors in creating hypermedia and multimedia products. However, it is unclear how to choose an appropriate metaphor and how to avoid an inappropriate metaphor that will cause confusion and conceptual difficulties for users. A metaphor compares one thing to another without directly stating the comparison,…

Based on experience and research findings, this paper discusses the advantages of using an integrated computer based teaching unit consisting of a textbook, educational software, and applications software. It is suggested that the textbook should provide basic background material on the topic, the courseware should be used for simulation, and the…

Based on the premise that the production strategy and the production approach have a strong impact on quality courseware development, a survey was conducted in 1987 to evaluate the development processes used for computer-assisted instruction curriculum materials. Questionnaires were sent to 64 institutions of higher education in England, the…

Discusses the use of computer assisted instruction to enhance learning basic skills within the traditional language arts curriculum. The Teaching for Transfer approach to software evaluation that is described is designed to provide teachers with information about how well a given piece of software can be integrated into the existing curriculum.…