This study investigated how a goal intervention influences the learning effects gained from feedback when acquiring concepts and rules pertaining to the topic of descriptive statistics. Three feedback conditions; knowledge of correct response feedback (KCRF), principle-based feedback (PBF), and no-feedback (NF), were crossed with two goal…

Early in the last century, Robert Millikan developed a precise method of determining the electric charge carried by oil droplets. Using a microscope and a small incandescent lamp, he observed the fall of charged droplets under the influence of an electric field inside a small observation chamber. In so doing, Millikan demonstrated the existence of…

We produced case studies of fourteen families based on nine rounds of data collection during the period from June 2008 to October 2009. We focused on fourteen children who were three years old when our visits started and used an ecocultural approach to examine their experiences of learning and playing with technologies at home. The study describes…

In a first experiment, adults were asked to solve one-digit additions, subtractions and multiplications. When the sign appeared 150 ms before the operands, addition and subtraction were solved faster than when the sign and the operands appeared simultaneously on screen. This priming effect was not observed for multiplication problems. A second…

We present an interactive tool for browsing course requisites as a case study of dependency visualization. This tool uses multiple interactive visualizations to allow the user to explore the dependencies between courses. A usability study revealed that the proposed browser provides significant advantages over traditional methods, in terms of…

Australian secondary school systems offer three levels of senior (year 12) mathematics studies, none of them compulsory: elementary, intermediate and advanced. The intermediate and advanced studies prepare students for further mathematics studies at university level. In the state of Victoria, there are two versions of intermediate mathematics: one…

Servomotors are widely used in computerized numerically controlled (CNC) machines, hence motion control is a major topic covered in undergraduate/graduate engineering courses. Despite the fact that several syllabi include the motion dynamics topic in their courses, there are neither suitable tools available for designing and simulating multi-axis…

This paper describes a new educational power electronics laboratory that was developed primarily to reinforce experimentally the fundamental concepts presented in a power electronics course. The developed laboratory combines theoretical design, simulation studies, digital control, fabrication, and verification of power-electronic circuits based on…

Genetic engineering is taught in biology--but as a scientific tool and not as a means to explore engineering design. Yet, given the clever behaviors and patterns that can be found when examining living systems, biology classes seem well positioned to teach foundational engineering design principles (Kuldell 2007). This article examines a new,…

This is a guide to using Maple in teaching fundamental calculus of one, two and three variables (limits, derivatives, integrals, etc.), also suitable for Maple beginners. It outlines one of the ways to effective use of computers in the teaching process. It scans advantages and disadvantages of using Maple in relation to students and teacher. The…

The design and arrangement of appropriate automatic feedback in digital learning environment is a widely recognized issue. In this article, we investigate the effect of feedback on the design and the results of a digital intervention for algebra. Three feedback principles guided the intervention: timing and fading, crises, and feedback variation.…

This paper presents a laboratory exercise that introduces students to the use of video analysis software and the Lenz's law demonstration. Digital techniques have proved to be very useful for the understanding of physical concepts. In particular, the availability of affordable digital video offers students the opportunity to actively engage in…

The invention of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) 30 years ago opened up a visual window to the nano-world and sparked off a bunch of new methods for investigating and controlling matter and its transformations at the atomic and molecular level. However, an adequate theoretical understanding of the method is demanding; STM images can be…

For six years, a college of health professions at a southern medical university has made student computing an integral component of its academic environment by requiring all residential students to own laptops. While most faculty members have acknowledged that access to a computer is necessary for most students to complete coursework, both faculty…

January brings many opportunities for change. The new year also allows district technology leaders and innovators to reflect on how the rapid pace of technological change is impacting what happens in their classrooms. Instructional technologies that were all the rage a year ago (netbooks) can be swept aside by this year's favorite (iPads).…