Hype surrounding the promise that technology has for education began with Thomas Edison in 1913, when he predicted that the motion picture would end the need for textbooks and revolutionize schools. Years later a phase of development was fueled by government funding, and the educational film industry reached a heyday following World War II, which…

The widespread availability of high-quality Web-based tools and content offers new promise and potential for supporting teachers as creators of instructional activities. When coupled with a participatory Web culture and infrastructure, teachers can share their creations as well as leverage from the best that their peers have to offer to support a…

This article describes a network among the Commonwealth's 28 smallest countries created to enhance the professional capacity of educators, developing new course materials, and enabling the transfer of courses and qualifications across borders. The focus is on topics such as entrepreneurship, tourism, professional development of educators, life…

Explores why "learning" and "object" have been combined in the field of instructional technology. Examines why current definitions of these terms are lacking when looked at from a standards and interoperability point of view. Suggests a new definition with a rationale to satisfy needs of technologists for precise, practical software development…

Defines dialogue as a disciplined, consensus-building process of collective communication based on shared values and beliefs. Highlights include the evolutionary history of dialogue; the role of dialogue in building a civil society and in the design of social systems; and the need to develop learning resources in evolutionary inquiry and in the…

Describes "Placemark," an online tool for creating and managing Web pages within a school or district Web site. Topics include interviews with teachers to determine their needs, which centered around creating instructional materials and activities; online newsletters for parents; feedback to test the interface; formative evaluation; and design…

These designers approaches their physics lesson design task from the viewpoint of play. The designs, all having strong gaming influences, aim to be flexible enough to take advantage of the experience and ideas of a teacher working with a standard curriculum, yet interesting enough for students to want to continue exploring resources on their own…

This instructional design blends a structured learning environment (the physics lesson) with an engaging, playful, simulated environment (roller coaster construction), putting into operation ideas from both cognitive and constructivist theories. Two instructional models are used: a general design model for creating instruction and a lesson design…

This instructional design looks at momentum in physics through railroading, to assist students in developing appropriate mental models that will enable them to solve problems relevant to the process or principle being taught. A PEAnet (process, entity, activity network) relationship enables an instructional visualization (simulation) in which…

This instructional design sought to create an easily graspable application of physics principles. It took an engineering slant on the content, asking students to investigate physics by attempting to increase the productivity of a "Splam-canning" plant. Design strategies are outlined for six science principles and eight product utilization…

Discusses how design projects can best be encountered through a designer approach that is inclusive of theoretical and practical knowledge as well as the capacity for pragmatic action. Highlights include design cultures and cultures of design; foundations of design; fundamental activities supported upon the foundations of design; and design…

Illustrates how each of these principles may guide decisions about Web-based design for young children consistent with developmentally appropriate practice: (1) simple, clean and concrete design; (2) adult guidance; (3) progressive and individualized; (4) relevant to children; (5) integrated activities; (6) active and enjoyable; and (7)…

Defines authentic technology and describes how it can be developed and tested. Proposes collaboration among practitioners, technologists, scientists, craftspeople, and artists to develop authentic educational technologies. Offers three examples of current social and educational technologies. (AEF)

Defines a distributed course as one in which instructional events that have traditionally occurred in the classroom are made available to either distant or local learners. Discusses the challenges for distributed course designers and presents a taxonomy for distributed course design. Addresses design, development, and evaluation processes and…

Identifies guidelines from the literature relating to screen design and design of interactive instructional materials. Describes two types of guidelines--those aimed at enhancing motivation and those aimed at preventing loss of motivation--for typography, graphics, color, and animation and audio. Proposes a framework for considering motivation in…