The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different levels of visual elaborations and practice on application learning of adults in a computer-based science lesson. A total of 141 university students participated in an introductory lesson covering Newtonian mechanics. Three levels of visual elaboration (static graphic, animated…

An overview of the NovaNET Computer System, a time-sharing networking computer system for the delivery of computer-based education, is followed by a description of the SYS IV system, which is used for management and record keeping in mathematics, reading, language arts, and spelling curricula. A description of lesson design features follows, along…

This 2-year study, which took a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of discovering principles for designing effective multimedia instruction, focused on the effects on instructional effectiveness of the discourse structure of instructional materials and the coordination of multiple instructional media. The task domain was a logic box said to…

To examine the role of elaborations in learning a procedural skill (i.e., using a personal computer) from an instructional text, 88 members of the Carnegie-Mellon University community (students, faculty, and staff members) participated in two experiments. Experimental sessions consisted of a reading period followed by a task performance period in…

A great variety and amount of teaching materials and methods related to water quality and other Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerns have been developed. Program developers/trainers responsible for instructional programs will find in ERIC and the Instructional Resources Information System (IRIS) enough material to organize dozens of…

A strategy for assessing the skill needs of principals and for training them to assume effective instructional leadership is outlined in this paper. A school production model of instructional leadership, supported by research, is presented; the model emphasizes orientation toward specific goals of school productivity and suggests ways to analyze…

This report of the Conference on Electronic Text for Higher Education presents summaries of the principal presentations and discussions at each of eight sessions. Those sessions, with their presenters, include: (1) "Perspective: Electronic Text in Higher Education" (John Witherspoon, Mara Mayor); (2) "Theme and Variations: What Is…

The main purpose of this report is to help improve the management, development, and implementation of one of the major innovations in the field of education in the last few decades, namely the use of computer facilities in education. Based on an investigation of relevant literature and upon the answers to an international questionnaire, it has…

This is a collection of four papers presented at a symposium examining ways in which needs data might be used in decisions about materials development, instructional strategies, assessment strategies, and administrative practices. The issues raised are based on some preliminary experience at the University of Mid-America (UMA) in conducting and…

This report contains the results of the second year (1975-76) of a five year longitudinal study to determine the effectiveness of Title I programs for disadvantaged students in Seattle, Washington's Public Schools. The report attempts to identify Title I student characteristics and determine which educational variables affect academic performance.…

Three interrelated pedagogical elements--approach, design, and procedure--are basic in a discussion of language teaching. Approach defines those foundational assumptions, beliefs, and theories about the nature of language and language learning. Design specifies the relationships of theories to both the form and use of instructional materials.…

A series of helpful tips for planning and teaching an adult course is contained in this guide. Section 1 studies the creation of a climate for learning. It includes such elements as the uniqueness of teaching adults, the characteristics of successful adult instructors, the importance of the first class meeting, getting to know the students, and…

This report provides a description of a Computer Aided Training System Development and Management (CATSDM) environment based on state-of-the-art hardware and software technology, and including recommendations for off the shelf systems to be utilized as a starting point in addressing the particular systematic training and instruction design and…

Contract learning is particularly suitable for teaching both the content and methodology of history in a college level, learner-centered, individualized format. Typically, a learning contract has three components. The first deals with the student's goals and objectives. The second component involves identification of the learning resources and…

The 15 papers in this collection are based on a conference held in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1976, focusing on the reality of mainstreaming and the need for an increased knowledge base about the issues and concerns related to instructional technology in the implementation of the provisions of Public Law 94-142, the new Education for All Handicapped…