Comparison of 8 toddlers and 14 preschool special needs children who participated in teacher-facilitated computer play activities and 15 similar children whose curriculum did not incorporate computer activities found statistically significant differences favoring the experimental group for amount of simple and cooperative social play and positive…

Education and entertainment both seek to create memorable events. This article explores memory enhancement techniques in each field, the potential role of multimedia in these techniques, determining appropriate and inappropriate merging of education with the emotionalism of entertainment, and assessing one's options for edutainment purchases.…

Describes the use of computers for grading assignments in beginning and intermediate reporting and writing programs at Texas A&M University. Indicates that students store assignments on a computer network, where the instructor can access them to grade them. Describes techniques for making electronic corrections clear and provides sample…

Includes four sections that present information on doctoral programs in instructional technology; master's degree and six-year programs in instructional technology; graduate programs in educational computing; and scholarships, fellowships, and awards in related fields. (LRW)

Presents The Learning Web, a web site dedicated to K-12 earth science education that is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. Includes earth science activities and information presented in three categories: (1) Global Change; (2) Working With Maps; and (3) Earth Science. Also features other educational sections such as Ask-A-Geologist, Dynamic…

Describes a project where students use the Internet as a research tool. Discusses using e-mail to access molecular biology databases and identify proteins using amino acid sequences, obtaining complete amino acid sequences using the world wide web, using telnet to access library resources on the Internet, and various stages of protein analysis…

Studied effects of social relationships, writing media, and microgenetic development on written narratives with 20 first graders in a within-subjects design. Results show that narratives composed with a word processor are lexically denser and more cohesive than those written in pencil. The facilitative effects of computer-supported writing are…

Examines the view that computer technology is a tool that will, in and of itself, improve education and ultimately ameliorate social ills, arguing that it is important to think of how social relations are encoded in technologies and technologies encoded in social relations and how the two are mutually constituted. (SM)

Provides details of a study that examined interactions and questioning patterns in the electronic communication exchanges of students (N=21) enrolled in a course designed to provide direction in using an electronic network as an instructional medium. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

Examines technopositivism as a marketed ideology and follows the marketing strategies that appropriate and redefine educational goals and problems, exploring the alleged link between constructivism and technology, considering how teacher education and standard-setting bodies perpetuate this contestable association, and suggesting some deliberately…

Surveyed Massachusetts teachers regarding the extent to which they used technology within and outside of the classroom for instructional purposes. Results highlighted six categories of instructional technology use (preparation, e-mail, teacher- directed student use, recording grades, delivery, and special education and accommodation). New teachers…

Asserts that while prospective distance educators are flocking to certification programs, some academics question their value. Although certification programs, which can differ significantly in nature and intensity, go well beyond simple technology training, many newly certified distance educators have found that the certification does not…

Suggests that the Internet plays an important role in socialization and that children need to be recognized as active participants rather than passive recipients of multimedia texts and messages. Argues that there needs to be a shift away from the current emphasis on restriction to a focus on communication between adults and children. (LRW)

Examines the implementation of Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), which can incorporate modeling tools and hand-held devices. Describes WISE design team practices, features of the WISE learning environment, and patterns of feature use in WISE library projects. (SOE)

To investigate student and class characteristics associated with electronic bulletin board use, this study analyzed 3,125 messages posted by students in 15 classes. Electronic postings were analyzed for intended audience, form, and content of the messages. Most messages included new information and did not specify a specific audience or recipient.…