Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching gives you a solid foundation to incorporate transformative technology into your classroom and across the curriculum. Learning theories and research-based practices model how to effectively plan, select and evaluate technology use across 12 content areas. Hands-on exercises, sample lessons and…

Though distance education formats could help address an urgent need for growth in the occupational therapy assistant (OTA) workforce, distance methods are not as accepted in these programs as they are in other professional and clinical programs. This study investigated whether beliefs and levels of experience of OTA program directors shaped their…

The increasing number of special education-related lawsuits has become costly, time-consuming, and a strain on school-community relations--in short, an issue of growing concern to U. S. school systems. To identify factors associated with this type of litigation, this study analyzed data from one state's 10-year experience with due process special…

The introductory article to this series (Roblyer, 2005) outlined four kinds of studies that could move the educational technology field forward and that are lacking in the current published research base: (1) Research to Establish Relative Advantage; (2) Research to Improve Implementation Strategies; (3) Research to Monitor Impact on Important…

Virtual schooling has the potential to offer K-12 students increased access to educational opportunities not available locally, but comparatively high dropout rates continue to be a problem, especially for the underserved students most in need of these opportunities. Creating and using prediction models to identify at-risk virtual learners, long a…

Although dropout rates in virtual school courses are typically quite high, some virtual programs have very low course dropout and failure rates and better passing rates on key criterion tests (e.g., AP tests) than do traditional school programs. Directors of five successful virtual schools agreed to share their "formulas for success" in…

In this article, the author discusses five common strategies for making online high school programs effective in one's school district. These are: (1) Prepare students for success; (2) Prepare teachers for success; (3) Use interactive, flexible course designs; (4) Monitor and support teachers; and (5) Monitor and support students. Despite their…

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) such as Facebook are one of the latest examples of communications technologies that have been widely-adopted by students and, consequently, have the potential to become a valuable resource to support their educational communications and collaborations with faculty. However, faculty members have a track record of…

Anecdotal accounts from teachers have long suggested the possibility that virtual teaching experiences have a positive impact on face-to-face teaching practices, a so-called "reverse impact" phenomenon. Survey and focus group data collected as part of a statewide evaluation of a virtual school offered an opportunity to explore this impact.…

In a field as complex as educational technology, conflict is common; consensus is not. Yet there is widespread agreement on at least one point: A more organized and persuasive body of evidence on technology's benefits to classroom practice is needed. The current climate calling for accountability through evidence-based research has been building…

Recognizing that a solid pre-trial drug intervention program is a vital first step in educating first-time offenders about the seriousness of drug abuse and criminal behavior, staff at the Intervention Program for Substance Abusers in Montgomery County, Maryland's Department of Correction and Rehabilitation decided that better strategies were…

In an effort to provide information about the effect of computer use in schools on student achievement, attitudes, dropout rate, and learning time, a review of instructional computing research analyzed studies done between 1980 and 1987 using statistical summary procedures. Reviewers used a meta analysis procedure to calculate effect size as they…

Presents a rationale for future research relating to educational computing, discusses beneficial studies that have been undertaken, and outlines specific areas where further research is needed, including studies on achievement, retention, and transfer measurement; material characteristics which enhance achievement; implementation variables,…

Discusses some reasons courseware developers have not embraced the systematic approach to microcomputer courseware design and describes ways systematic design could have a positive impact on courseware acceptance in classrooms. Twenty-two references are listed. (MBR)

This article outlines computer courseware evaluation reviews. Summarizing the criteria and procedures used in the five major review efforts, it discusses ways evaluations can be more useful. Six areas of review concern are delineated: instructional design, content, student use, teacher use, presentation, and technical aspects. (MD)