Discusses information technology criteria for preservice teacher education in the United Kingdom. Topics include government's role; functionalist and constructivist epistemologies; a process model of curriculum; an enquiry-based model of teacher professional development; and two project examples, the Pupil Autonomy in Learning with Microcomputer…

Analyzes the construction of mathematical concepts and techniques developed by high school algebra students in computer-assisted instruction; examines learning styles of the most inventive students; and discusses the use of student-generated mathematical techniques in the development of new software intended to cultivate mathematical inventiveness…

Outlines steps instructors must undertake to prepare for constructivist activities. Presents two categories of constructivist activity supported by the Web. Students may construct advanced mental models by: cooperating with peers, and/or connecting personal conceptions with expert conceptions. Online environments that allow learners to perform…

Reminiscence of a graduate education class that shifted students' focus from right answers to understanding illustrates how Foxfire teachers are never finished constructing their knowledge about teaching. Similarly, there is no single correct way to implement the Foxfire approach. Success is measured by the applications and interpretations of…

Outlines features of constructivism and collaborative learning as they underpin a proposed model of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) support for learning. Evaluates the model in three projects involving ICT in primary, secondary, and higher education learning environments in the United Kingdom and considers the effectiveness of…

Shows teachers who self-reported they were developing constructivist approaches to classroom instruction had contradictory beliefs about dealing with reading and writing errors, and about addressing errors with more- and less-able readers and writers. Shows the teachers were convinced that students' inaccurate constructions of knowledge should be…

Provides suggestions for teachers working with the constructivist approach to learning. Teachers must pose problems that have relevance to students. Thought must be given to the level of the conceptual material being covered. Students' perspective on matters of educational relevance must be considered. Assessments must be done to inform students…

Describes development of an Experimental Astronomy Curriculum or Thinking Journey, based on a combination of Constructivism and Mediated Learning Experience. Results indicated the effectiveness of the Thinking Journey in promoting a process of positive change in the students' conceptualization of Earth, improving their knowledge of astronomy,…

Discusses design principles derived from the socio-cognitive theoretical framework for developing Web-based environments to support the construction of scientific knowledge through situated action. (Author/MM)

Argues that new educational technologies change the meaning of words common to teacher vocabulary, especially words such as "classroom community,""knowing," and "coming to know." Points out that human senses used in learning are nullified if not assaulted by educational technologies. (DDR)

Describes three approaches (folk festivals, origin learning centers, and local/global inquiry) that help elementary students address issues of diversity, global studies, and social constructivism; these approaches grew out of a collaborative project between a local school district and a university called the Children's Center for Global…

Describes a virtual project designed at the 1996 Virtual Geography Project Workshop in order to determine if geographically distant students could work collaboratively on an assignment requiring asynchronous communication, joint library research, and hypermedia skills. Explains that the project was initiated and completed during a six-week period…

Attempting to capture the complexity of learning on standardized state assessments severely limits student knowledge and expression. Inevitably, schools reduce the curriculum to what is covered on tests. Students control their learning. Constructivist teachers structure lessons around big ideas, value relevance, and strive to challenge students'…

Investigated access to didactic and constructivist instruction in U.S. high school science classrooms. Data from a national sample of 3,660 students and their science teachers (from the National Educational Longitudinal Study) indicated that access to the two types of instruction varied by gender, socioeconomic status, academic ability, and course…

Illustrates how the Dick and Carey systems approach model (1990) can still be used as part of the instructional design and developmental process in an inquiry-based online constructivist learning environment. Focuses on the Shell Island Dilemma, a scientific inquiry simulation on the Carolina Coastal Science Web site. (AEF)