Argues that by examining which concepts of a particular area of physics are fundamental and which are defined, teachers can choose concepts for investigation that progress logically and should minimize students' misconceptions and confusion. (Author)

This study examined the theoretical, personal, and instructional assumptions about students with learning disabilities of 29 general elementary-level educators using a design-of-instruction and instructional efficacy framework. Teachers emphasized within-learner variables, questioned the adequacy of commercial curricular programs for these…

Pursuing design and development through collegial partnerships will improve the quality of teaching and learning at a distance. This article argues that the concept of what excellence in teaching and learning is determines what should be done to achieve it and discusses how distance education practitioners can act as in-house change agents for…

Examines the role of educational technology from a constructivist perspective. Discusses the subset of computer-based technologies, especially the Internet, that are changing the way interactivity is defined, and examines how these technologies interface with constructivist approaches to pedagogy. Explores the place of constructivism as a…

Reviews reasons why chemical information instruction is important in academic libraries, offers suggestions for developing partnerships with faculty and computing staff, and provides tips for overcoming barriers to teaching effectively. Tips on designing effective class sessions are offered, along with a list of general and chemistry teaching…

Disciplinary didactics describes and designs the actualized/virtual learning and teaching relationships among disciplinary content, learner(s), and teacher. This article adopts a semiotic perspective to outline eight shared features of the various disciplinary didactics. The goal is to situate them within an integrated vision that helps shape a…

Sketches the development of didactic research in France in the field of language and literature over the past two decades. Proposes answers to these questions: What is the status of the notions taught by the discipline? How are these notions constituted? What is the role of values and knowledge in school exercises and school goals? What is to be…

Discusses three evolving paradigms for supporting learning and work performance: instructional design, performance support, and network systems. Describes an overall trend toward greater flexibility and empowerment, and shows how each paradigm reflects the technologies available at the time of its initial development. (AEF)

Defines digital storytelling, the application of multimedia techniques to the telling of stories. Describes how digital-storytelling assignments, designed to use an online conferencing facility, were developed for a college class. Provides examples of students' approaches to the personal narrative assignment. Discusses how to evaluate the…

Relates Carol Gilligan's two perspectives on moral reasoning (care and justice) to discussions in service learning circles concerning the relationship between charity and social change as orientations of service and service-learning and to the nature of "self." The discussion informs the questions of what constitutes "mature"…

Describes a four-tier model for designing and developing practice and assessment in computer-based training. Topics include teaching versus assessing; levels of knowledge; taxonomy levels and intended learning outcomes; and time and cost constraints that result in criterion-referenced tests being most widely used. (Author/LRW)

Investigates the supportive side of current technology in the visual process of learning and the issues instructional designers must address to utilize these capabilities and maximize their effects. Provides an overview of visual memory and discusses information processing and analogic reasoning, cognition and visual information processing, visual…

Discusses delivery systems in distance education and suggests that too much time is spent on choosing a delivery system rather than analyzing distance education as a whole. Presents a distance-education hierarchy that includes hardware systems, software systems, telecommunications systems, instructional systems, educational systems, societal…

Illustrates how each of these principles may guide decisions about Web-based design for young children consistent with developmentally appropriate practice: (1) simple, clean and concrete design; (2) adult guidance; (3) progressive and individualized; (4) relevant to children; (5) integrated activities; (6) active and enjoyable; and (7)…

Describes how science education partnerships composed of educational researchers, technologists, classroom teachers, natural scientists, and pedagogy experts can create effective instructional innovations using Internet technologies. Illustrates how the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) framework gives partnerships a head start on effective…