Defines activity theory as a socio-cultural and socio-historical lens through which the interaction of human activity and consciousness within its relevant environmental context can be analyzed. Describes how activity theory can be used as a framework for analyzing activities and settings for the purpose of designing constructivist learning…

Describes a university/elementary school partnership where elementary school teachers were provided with professional support through monthly meetings, instructional support through two inservice workshops, and technical support in part by students (third to fifth grade) trained to serve as technology "experts." Findings indicate increases in…

Investigates the effects of implementing individual and small-group learning structures with a computer simulation in college accounting. Results indicate students working alone expressed significantly more continuing motivation for their learning structure than did partnered students; students using extensive small-group structure exhibited…

Describes a study of undergraduates at Bolton Institute (England) that investigated biological sex, psychological masculinity and femininity, computer comfort, computer engagement, and computer over-use. Discusses the role of applications in determining sex differences, and explains findings that imply that some reduction of sex asymmetries in…

Discussion of learning environments for distance education based on the World Wide Web (WWW) focuses on how academic institutions can collect and analyze data in order to determine the effectiveness of computer mediated distance learning. Describes three models that use analyses of computerized log files, and presents a case study. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study that examined high school students' ethical reasoning in the context of their participation in a computer simulation of a workplace environment. Includes opportunities for ethical decision-making, classroom observation of participating students, and responses to hypothetical ethical dilemmas. (Author/LRW)

Describes research conducted with students in grades three, four, and five to determine if providing teachers with a wider variety of computer-based resources to integrate with instructional activities would have a positive effect on student achievement and attitudes. Explains the use of two variations of Integrated Learning System software.…

Reports results from a study of the effects of multimedia learning environments in geography in a Dutch secondary school. Discusses information and communication technology and learning behavior, and examines the impact of multimedia environments on students' time on task, on student-student and student-teacher interaction, and on students'…

This first issue of the new "Pacific Educational Research Journal" offers articles covering diverse subjects and using diverse research methods. The new journal represents a rejuvenation of a previous publication to address educational issues specific to the Pacific region. Ethnic groups specifically addressed include Hawaiians, second-generation…

The study of four community-based organizations (CBOs) participating in the Attendance Improvement Dropout Prevention program in New York City illustrates that it is important to distinguish among the characteristics of CBOs when schools think about forming collaboratives with them. CBOs may serve very different purposes for school needs. (SLD)

A sample of 333 8th, 10th, and 12th graders completed a questionnaire measuring their academic motivational orientations through items investigating perceptions of causal attributions and actual causal attributions. Results show a number of gender differences, with girls more likely to attribute failure to lack of ability and lack of effort. (SLD)

A model projecting school enrollment by using births lagged an appropriate number of years and a model using lagged births and the previous year's enrollment were applied to two school grade levels and state and county levels in Kentucky. The model using lagged births and earlier figures provided better predictions. (SLD)

Internal life goals and ego identity statuses of 50 traditional and 49 nontraditional (aged over 25) college students were measured. Internal life goals were similar for both groups, but more nontraditional students had an achieved ego status. Implications for instruction of nontraditional students are discussed. (SLD)

School transfers were traced through the first five years of elementary school for 767 Baltimore (Maryland) children. Data on transfers, grade level progression, special education placements, achievement, family circumstances, and race indicated that school transfers were frequent, and patterned along racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines.…

This study examined 26 third-grade teachers' use and evaluation of cooperative learning (CL) groups and 38 students' reactions to and verbal interactive behaviors during CL in two classes. Surveys indicated that both groups reported using CL almost daily, with many positive academic, social, and attitude outcomes. Most student interactions were…