The "quantum efficiency" (QE) is an important property of a light detector. This quantity can be determined in the undergraduate physics laboratory. The experimentally determined QE of a silicon photodiode appeared to be in reasonable agreement with expected values. The experiment confirms the quantum properties of light and seems to be a useful…

The aim of this paper and the one which follows is to explore how the potential of computer games may be taken up in schools to support learning engagement among students. It is not the intention of the papers to dismiss existing classroom practices or overlook accounts of innovative practices in schools; the papers' aim is to provide educators…

For decades, training has been one of the most common interventions used by organizations to improve the performance of their employees and teach them new ideas and skills. But owing to the cost of developing and delivering training, organizations have adopted alternative ways to enable employee performance while reducing the cost and minimizing…

Web-based sites such as WebCT/Blackboard are useful for faculty and generally appreciated by students. This article describes the results in a hybrid course of the addition of specialized Web-based software. The intent was to enhance student skills in analysis and critique. Highly structured assignments were graded with Waypoint software,…

Two experimental studies test the effect of group mirrors upon quantitative and qualitative aspects of participation in collaborative problem solving. Mirroring tools consist of a graphical representation of the group's actions which is dynamically updated and displayed to the collaborators. In addition, metacognitive tools display a standard for…

Using the film "Journey to the Centre of a Triangle" with a group of 15-year-old pupils, the author describes how they had done some work on constructions such as angle bisector and perpendicular bisector. The pupils were given A3 papers, rulers, compasses and pencils and they were asked to recreate their favourite scence from the film. The film…

A new paradigm is proposed for thinking about educational software, based on a the mutual interaction of the perspectives of those concerned in the use of educational software: the student, the teacher, and the software designer. This rejects the usual checklist approach and leads instead to an approach to software selection closely associated…

This publication provides information on implementation of an integrated learning system for computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in adult learning environments. The first of the document's nine chapters is an introduction to computer-delivered instruction that addresses the appropriateness of computers in instruction and types of CAI activities.…

Under current federal copyright law (17 U.S.C. 105), federal agencies cannot copyright and license their computer software. Officials at the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institutes of Health state that a significant…

Education continues to move on-line through the World Wide Web. Classrooms of students and teachers are no longer restricted by time or distance. ClassNet is a tool that manages these virtual classrooms; it automates many of the administrative tasks associated with global Internet classes. Through a simple interface of Web forms, students can…

This book provides an overview of the potential of multimedia budget proposals. The text reviews the fundamentals of multimedia, emphasizing how it improves communication by using multiple levels of input. A process for analyzing many of the budget decisions that must be made, as adapted from Robert Finney's five-step process of "Gap…

This report describes a study conducted to provide information that could be used as a basis for program decision making when adult basic education (ABE) program personnel in Washington purchase an integrated computerized learning system. During the project, the following activities were carried out: (1) programs and systems in use in ABE programs…

To help teachers cope with the proliferation of software and software sources, a number of resources are available to aid in the evaluation and selection of educational software. For instance, both the "Educator's Handbook and Software Directory" and "Swift's Directory of Educational Software, Apple II Edition" provide listings…

Intended to provide guidance in the selection of the best computer software available to support instruction and to make optimal use of schools' financial resources, this publication provides a listing of computer software programs that have been evaluated according to their currency, relevance, and value to Hawaii's educational programs. The…

The role of computing in enhancing scholarly writing and in building student writing skills is examined, with particular reference to the social scientist's needs at the college level. Word processing, outlining, and hypertext software types are appraised in terms of their impact on writing processes, and, while strengths of each are noted, each…