This letter to the editor favorably comments on an article by Jerry Willis and Kristen Wright, "A General Set of Procedures for Constructivist Instructional Design: The New R2D2 Model" ("Educational Technology, March-April 2000). The writer notes that though the article's purpose is to describe an alternative to the conventional ISD model, it also…

In a recent attempt to infuse her instructional design course at Penn State with the problem-based approach, the author began using real-world cases as the centerpiece for the class. This article describes the course requirements, how cases work, and probably pitfalls to this approach. Two sidebars include an Occupational Hearing Conservation…

Discusses the development of various technologies up through the Internet, and notes that the means have been confused with the ends. Argues that educators and users should first focus on the learning material's content and on performance design that delivers useful results, before selecting the means of delivery (the Internet). (AEF)

Describes ways to develop interactive, web-based training programs for a minimal cost. Discusses partnerships, the use of video, low-budget alternatives, and the versatility of the Web. (JOW)

Examines the design and development of online courses and identifies significant issues surrounding the creation of interactivity among and between students and the instructor. Topics include a reconceptualization of the design and evaluation process and a new role for educators. (Author/LRW)

Explains the development of a research perspective in pedagogy and information and communication technologies (ICT) in the context of visual education and the digital arts. Highlights include the Brighton Media Arts Project; media arts and ICT literacy; influences of culture, subject knowledge, and pedagogy; and teachers' perspectives and…

Proposes a framework for thinking about how metacognition research might apply to design activities. Examines two basic approaches to supporting metacognition: strategy training, and creation of a supportive social environment for metacognition. Identifies two kinds of content that are taught using these two approaches: knowledge about a specific…

Discusses trilingual primary education, a growing trend in Europe. Develops a typology of trilingual primary education based on three dimensions: (1) the linguistic context in which trilingual education takes place; (2) the linguistic distance between the three language varieties at issue; and (3) the organizational design of the teaching of the…

Provides an overview of issues relating to practice and research regarding collaborative online learning in distance education. Topics include traditional problems of distance education; instructional design issues, including course preparation, social climate and sense of community, instructor's role, and the effective use of technology; and…

Discussion of learning materials and the acquisition of skills in the Dutch Open University focuses on the instructional design of an advanced course on expert systems that includes a practical element for acquiring required skills via CD-audio. Situated learning is also discussed. (LRW)

Focuses on decisionmaking about delivery media, and introduces CADDI's Performance-based, Accelerated, Customer-Stakeholder-driven Training & Development(SM) (PACT) Processes for training and development (T&D). Describes the media decisions that correspond with the design three levels of PACT: Curriculum Architecture Design, Modular Curriculum…

Considers the learning theories that support work-based learning and how these have been used to develop an MA in Management. The mode of the study for this Masters is wholly by work-based learning. The course was offered for the first time in September 1998 and to date 50 students have enrolled. This article outlines the course and considers some…

Discusses the plan for building an incremental, multi-year information literacy program at the University of Rhode Island. Reviews the current library instruction program and reasons for and methods of change. Discusses the development of credit courses in information literacy, creation of information literacy modules for specific disciplines, and…

A study of 335 undergraduates enrolled in introductory psychology courses at two universities found that learner initial attitudes were predictors of academic achievement and that prior academic achievement was the single predictor variable in a logistic regression analysis of whether students earned satisfactory grades. These results support the…

Discusses how to design effective learning environments for continuing education that maximize learning, transfer of training, and motivation. Focuses on the process of changing traditional continuing education from lecture-based, on-site instruction to Web-based instruction and considers challenges of distance education. (Author/LRW)