This study of community college students investigated predictors of student dropout in distance education courses. Considered locus of control, gender, number of distance education courses completed, age, financial assistance, and number of hours employed, and used correlation and discriminant analysis to show locus of control and financial aid…

Examined influences of elementary and secondary school teachers' beliefs about curriculum and instruction on their intent to use educational technology in their classrooms for science education. Describes use of the Theory of Planned Behavior to examine the influences of attitudes, subjective norm (social support), and perceived behavioral control…

Presents the results of an analysis of more than 800 articles associated with technology to determine whether valid research results exist to support the growing use of technology in education. Argues that the support given to technology in education is largely based on unfounded and anecdotal evidence. (Author/AEF)

Explores three different views of epistemology: Naive View (senses/mind), Piagetean (constructivist), and Wittgensteinian (culture). Examines the relationship between technology, learning, and knowing. Argues that technology will succeed in schools to the extent that it can stimulate the learner to construct relevant stories. (Author/AEF)

This survey of the research into user interface design and its impact on the development of hypermedia users' mental models discusses various design issues including the functionality of the system, system purpose, differences in user background, and system usability. (Author/AEF)

Integrated distributed learning environments (IDLEs) have emerged with the Internet and the World Wide Web. They are primarily based on a collaborative learning instructional paradigm rather than the self-instructional model of multimedia authoring systems. As such, they make extensive use of the asynchronous and synchronous collaborative tools…

Argues that technological skills and self-efficacy with computers are as fundamental to education as are English, math, and science. Examines the debate over educational technology, concluding that researchers stressing the short-term learning outcomes and cost effectiveness of technology are overlooking its long-term consequences. (PEN)

Compares reasons cited in 1970 and 1990 for faculty resistance to instructional technology (IT), reviews the literature, and presents data collected from an Internet survey. Concludes that simply providing access to technology is not enough, that faculty need training. (PEN)

Reviews problems with educational software and presents a framework for educational software design, focusing on topic selection, knowledge presentation (simplicity, presentation, program control, structure versus exploration, navigation), knowledge construction (multiple choice, tasks, case studies) and evaluation. (PEN)

Argues that the emergence of digital marketplaces for learning has broad implications for the standardization and commercialization of education. Defines the concept of the virtual university and discusses how traditional institutions could be reconceived by adopting an alternative model. (PEN)

Contains five articles covering general trends and issues in instructional technology, including: developments in corporate training, higher education, and K-12 education; women's contributions to the leading instructional technology journals; developing science education materials via computer-based support; learning in the Information Age; and…

Contains four articles covering trends and issues on ethics and privacy in instructional technology, including: considerations for assessing ethical issues; what schools must do to develop ethical behaviors in students; a privacy primer for educators; and manufacturing technophopia. Each article contains references. (MES)

Contains four articles covering trends and issues on distance learning including: the experience of two learners learning via the Internet; a systematic approach to determining the scalability of a distance education program; identifying factors that affect learning community development and performance in asynchronous distance education; and…

Contains six articles covering trends and issues in instructional technology related to PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology) grant reports, including: the blending of multiple strategies to achieve the goal; innovative technologies employed to achieve the goal; and the faculty perspective. Each article contains references. (MES)

Contains six articles that cover topics related to instructional technology in school library media centers, including: impact on student achievement; data collection for program evaluation; integrating national and state standards; library media specialist collaboration with educational technologists; a professional development model; and online…