Interviews with high school seniors and teachers explored perceptions of technology's role in schooling. Most preferred to adapt technology to traditional, teacher-centered instruction. A minority valued technology as a facilitator of student-centered inquiry and differed in beliefs about schooling and in dispositional tolerance for uncertainty.…

A study of 38 fifth-grade students investigated the effectiveness of two interactive multimedia instructional spelling programs, one offering behaviorist-visual learning options and the other offering cognitivist-phonological learning options. Both groups showed increased spelling ability, though neither program outperformed the other, suggesting…

A study of four seventh-graders using an open-ended learning environment (OELE) on mechanical physics combining computer-generated graphics, computer simulations, video, and print-based materials indicated that while learners built and formalized scientific theories, in some cases, they assimilated new data into existing theories, ignored…

A study of four stakeholder groups identified 23 instructional design and development (ID) project success factors and grouped them into four categories: tangible resources, curriculum development, training strategies, and implementation support. Data analysis revealed differences in the importance attached to the factors by the stakeholder groups…

Although context is a potent force in learning, instructional design models contain little guidance in accommodating contextual elements to improve learning and transfer. Defines context, outlines levels and types, specifies contextual factors within the types, suggests methods for conducting contextual analysis for instructional design, and…

To identify opinions of key policymakers about present and future uses of information technology (IT), 15 interviews were conducted in the Ministry of National Education in Turkey. Most expressed the view that the Turkish education system is not ready to incorporate IT, the biggest obstacle being the lack of teacher preparation. (PEN)

One of the most important initiatives of Turkish higher education is the Open Education Faculty (OEF), which uses telecommunication technologies to deliver distance education. Discusses Turkish distance education and limitations of the Turkish OEF: lack of up-to-date technology, perception that graduates of the OEF are not as qualified as those of…

Examined the behavior of 203 secondary school business education teachers with reference to selected social system factors, relative to their adoption of microcomputers for delivering instruction. Findings suggest that the individual's attitude, the characteristics of the innovation, and the critical threshold mark influence microcomputer adoption…

Reviews instructional design issues for electronic performance support systems and outlines strategies for developing an effective system for a given work setting. Discusses overall design, the information database, the advisory and instructional components, and access to applications software. (AEF)

Examines the methodological common denominator among several models for courseware development and discusses in detail both the design and the validation phases. Emphasizes the need for a systematic approach in which multiple authors' skills are exploited and the cost-benefit ratio is kept at an acceptable level. (AEF)

An interactive version of an educational radio program can be developed quickly and easily with a main menu interface that takes into account physical classroom conditions; interactive learning interfaces that accommodate eye and vision requirements of children; and a story interface design informed by the "container" metaphor and the 2-D…

Despite criticism, lecture continues to be a major instructional method in higher education. Discusses characteristics of effective lectures and variations of lecture presentation using electronic mail, multimedia, the World Wide Web, and CD-ROMs. Argues that lectures provide a sense of place and community and that technology can mediate human…

Describes the planning and implementation of an online writing center for adult students of SUNY Empire State College, a non-residential, independent-study distance-learning institution. Highlights informational and facilitative properties of hypertext and the need for a personalized instructor "voice." Components of the program included a "file…

Collaborating with an Internet provider and a school-to-work program at the State University of New York at Albany, the Center for Urban Youth and Technology developed a design model for introducing inner-city teachers and students to hypermedia. Their CyberHood Cooperative Learning Project teaches HTML, and the CyberHood Construction Program…

Computer conferencing in distance education programs provides increased flexibility and more student interaction. The Center for Distance Learning of SUNY Empire State College has developed workshops and materials for faculty development in online course delivery. Describes a model for online tutor development using periodic reviews and workshops…