Presents suggestions to assist distance educators in making instructional development choices to maximize the effectiveness of available bandwidth. Discusses identification of available bandwidth and describes four variables that can be manipulated to reduce the consumption of bandwidth (time/place, fidelity, degree of realism, level of…

Reviews Moore's book on the strategies for well-planned teaching. Discusses the contents of each of the book's 10 chapters, noting that, although the book's focus is on the basics of teaching, the book does not adequately cover recent findings. (JPB)

Quality indicators for student-support service (SSS) in distance education in India were designed which also exhibit the dual function of standard or norm for measuring quality. The study underpins the role of quality indicators in providing new direction to policymakers and other stakeholders in assessing the performance of distance-learning…

This interview with Jane Healy, an educational psychologist and author, discusses how computers can sometimes negatively affect children's minds. Topics include instructional design in software; the need for objective research; what children will need for success in the future, including critical thinking skills; technology implementation; and…

Provides a framework for developing a workshop or instructional unit using written scenarios to stimulate the discussion of ethical issues related to teaching and learning in higher education. Presents the qualities of a good scenario, along with a description of a sample instruction session that includes introductory material to provide context…

Describes the career of Robert Diamond that has focused on the systematic improvement of instruction in higher education. Highlights include his model of instructional design; educational background; publications; and professional leadership, particularly in the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). (LRW)

The problem of poor learners is due less to missing experiences than to the nature of their learning experiences. Giving these students more hands-on "exposure" is not enough. Instead, teachers can develop critical-thinking skills in students by changing the nature of teacher-student interaction. Focusing on a "main idea" and…

Presents findings from on-site observations of 12 graduate programs in educational technology at 12 universities in the United States and Canada. Highlights include undergraduate requirements; graduate degree programs and organization; markets served; size of programs; and program support. (AEF)

Technology has potential for teaching soft skills--typically those that are culture, gender, and model based. Authoring software for training is still being refined and interactivity is not where it needs to be for many applications.(JOW)

Offers strategies for modifying the regular class curriculum for high-ability students including lesson modifications, assignment modifications, and scheduling modifications. Three case studies illustrate these modifications. (DB)

Considers the possibility of establishing undergraduate degree programs in instructional design and technology. Topics include undergraduate programs in other countries; and how faculty feel about creating undergraduate programs, including lack of resources, perceived extra work involved, lack of jobs for graduates, and fear of failure. (LRW)

Describes the WISE (Web Interface for Statistics Education) that was developed to enhance student learning and understanding of core statistical concepts relevant in higher education. Discusses the use of Web technology; the impact on teaching; barriers to computer-based learning; and impact on student learning. (LRW)

Discusses the following instructional technology issues as they relate to corporate training and development, higher education, and K-12 education: (1) use of technology-based media for delivery of instruction; (2) constraints on acceptance and use of technology; (3) challenges to existing instructional technology paradigms; and (4) core versus…

Describes situated cognition, Vygotskian thought, the Zone of Proximal Development, and learning from the community of practice perspective. Conceptualizes learning principles for instructional design of Web-based electronic learning environments, including situatedness, commonality, interdependency, and infrastructure that includes…

Examines criticisms of educational computer use, considers how society and schools have reacted to previous technological trends, and outlines relationships between diverse approaches to computer use and the outcomes that can be expected. Describes two approaches to media use, representational and generative, to identify instructional approaches…