This three-part paper discusses how the contemporary use of computers in distance education is helping to connect students from our rural communities, whether they are located at pastoral stations, remote community schools or are on the road, travelling with parents or carers. The paper is in a sense organised like a sandwich, with technical…

This article examines the common genre of the usability study in technical communication courses and proposes the incorporation of computer and video games to ensure a rhetorical focus to this genre. As games are both entertaining and educational, their use in the technical communication classroom provides a new perspective on multimodal…

This exploratory study tests the assertion that instructional strategies that match field-dependence status of students are most effective. The study conducted with 12 graduate students registered in a graduate level online course. An online version of the Psychological Differentiation Inventory was used to measure the field-dependence status of…

The effects of accompanying lectures with computer-mediated PowerPoint presentations or PowerPoint generated overheads on students' self-efficacy, attitudes, course performance, and class-related behaviors were examined. Two Introduction to Developmental Psychology sections were initially taught with lectures accompanied by either overheads or…

Educators are increasingly using educational technologies at the postsecondary level although little research has investigated the effects of such technologies on learning. Our research explored the effects of traditional lecture, slide-show-supplemented lecture, and virtual learning environment (VLE) on learning and frustration among college…

The purpose of this case study is to better understand the relationships between Web usability and students' perceived learning in the design and implementation of Web-based multimedia (WBMM) tutorials in blended courses. Much of the current research in this area focuses on the use of multimedia as a replacement for classroom instruction rather…

We explain certain learning difficulties in computer science education as resulting from a clash between the students' culture as computer users and the professional computing culture. We propose the concept of fertile zones of cultural encounter as a way of overcoming these learning difficulties. This pedagogical approach aims to bridge the gap…

This study replicated a 1999 survey study of classroom Internet use by social studies teachers (6-12) in Indiana. The 1999 study indicated that although 80% wished to be using it more often, respondents' Internet use was little more than "glorified information gathering." The present study modified the same instrument to survey a random…

Macro scripts structure collaborative learning and foster the emergence of knowledge-productive interactions such as argumentation, explanations and mutual regulation. We propose a pedagogical model for the designing of scripts and illustrate this model using three scripts. In brief, a script disturbs the natural convergence of a team and in doing…

Educational technology integration in higher education consumes enormous resources but with little evidence of efficacy, due in large measure to lack of vision and a cohesive strategy. Instructors perceive formidable technical skills in undergraduate students, untapped in an instructional role, but this may be unfounded. This article proposes a…

Issues associated with the preparation of engineering faculty to teach online courses are examined. This includes: the nature of online teaching, engineering course materials, training faculty to teach online, use of online resources, course development, and evaluation of online courses. Selection of faculty and providing adequate support are…

A novel approach to the Chemical Engineering curriculum sequence of courses at West Point enabled our students to experience a much more realistic design process, which more closely replicated a real world scenario. Students conduct the synthesis in the organic chemistry lab, then conduct computer modeling of the reaction with ChemCad and…

Over the past three decades, computer-based technologies have influenced all aspects of chemistry, including chemical education. Pen-based computing applications, such as the tablet PC, have reemerged in the past few years and are providing new ways for educators to deliver content and engage students inside and outside the classroom and…

Research findings indicate that teachers' beliefs play an important role in their deciding how they will integrate technology into the classroom. The author used qualitative research methods to explore the relations between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and technology integration. Participants were 12 Taiwanese high school teachers, and findings…

The present study examined continuity of learning between face-to-face and online environments in a "blended" professional development program designed for 16 physics teachers. The program had nine face-to-face meetings as well as continuous online exchanges between them through a website. The program focused on "knowledge…