Engineering education can be thought of as a complex design activity where educators create a range of teaching artifacts including course curricula, classroom policies, lecture notes, exams, and timelines for student group projects. In order to design such artifacts, engineering faculty must make a series of teaching decisions, each of which can…

This chapter explains how the Guided Design method of teaching can be used to solve problems, and how this method was used in the development of a new method of teaching. Called the Feedback Lecture, this method is illustrated through an example, and research data on its effectiveness is presented. The Guided Decision-Making Process is also…

This paper addresses the lack of total honesty in communicating about technology in schools. A recent series of meetings in which state delegations focused on technology and discussed ways to collect and use information for decision making is described, in order to set the context for the paper. The discussion then focuses on the following…

This decision tool presents a progression of data collection and decision-making strategies that can increase the effectiveness of distance-based or distributed learning instruction. A narrative and flow chart cover the following steps: (1) basic assumptions, including purpose of instruction, market scan, and financial resources; (2) needs…

Discusses issues of instructional design for information literacy in the distance environment. Examines the selection of technologies for effective distance learning; ways active learning approaches can be incorporated into distance education information literacy classes; and ways of assessing information literacy learning outcomes in a distance…