Journal of Educational Technology Systems

This article reports on ongoing research being undertaken by the Technology and Literate Thinking group of the national Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA) and concerned with how people make sense of WWW-based information. It discusses researchers' preliminary observations based on the think aloud protocols of fifteen adult students, the model of WWW “reading” they are developing, and directions for future research. Of particular interest is the absence of the linking by association predicted by many media scholars.

The Web has been used in teaching in a number of ways. For example, it can be used as a meeting place for students, where they can share their ideas, questions, answers, and, most importantly, where they can compete. We explore the possibilities offered by the Web in a project based learning environment, where students work on team projects and display them on the Web. In particular, the continuous Web display of work in progress during the semester stimulates the students toward greater competition and toward achieving higher goals. Students also directly participate in the assessment as members of the jury judging the projects. We present our experiences in using this learning environment in several undergraduate mathematics and physics classes.

The growth of the Internet as a viable research tool has created an unprecedented need to provide instruction. When Nassau Community College received access, the presenters were asked to gain Internet expertise and train faculty and students. Active-learning environments were developed, utilizing presentation software, team teaching, interactive exercises, and extensive handouts. These situations, which required an innovative approach to teaching, included a variety of settings from traditional student-centered classes and faculty training workshops to continuing education sessions for the general public. This article presents a case study of one such faculty Internet workshop which successfully incorporated these new instructional modes. Behavioral objectives are defined, course design described, and use of technology in teaching highlighted. The authors offer this example as a model for future sessions.

There is evidence that the context for learning is undergoing a metamorphosis, that this metamorphosis brings with it a new relationship between the teacher and the student, and that distance learning is becoming a viable option for furthering one's higher education. Advances in technology, academic research, pedagogical innovation, the increase in the chronological age, maturity level and personal commitments of the average college student, and geography and demography have led to a substantial alteration in the structure of the learning environment. The use of distance learning technologies for instruction is growing rapidly and institutions of higher education are adopting interactive technologies. For those of us with knowledge and experience using innovative media, it is our obligation to encourage our colleagues to become familiar with the technology and the redesign of academics that will be prevalent in the new millennium. It is imperative that we assure the integration and success of the new media and formats into our learning environments. This article describes a workshop supported by the NSF for distance learning educators. The focus of the workshop is to aid its participants and their institutions to deliver better online courses from the points of view of the institutions, the professor, and the students. Among the goals of the workshop is the formation of a network for future research for its participants. Follow-through activities, including a reconnoitering of the participants to share results of how they integrated the information provided into their courses and their institutions, a videotape, and the formation of a repository of information regarding the teaching of online courses will be addressed.

Students from five educational foundations classes were tested using an identical pretest and posttest which contained questions designed to ascertain their knowledge and skill in utilizing library technology to obtain research information. The purpose of the study was to determine if the present bibliographic instruction methods used by instructor librarians in the library's computer classroom were effective by using the t-test to determine the results of the mean difference between the pretest and posttest scores of those students who attended the bibliographic instruction session and those who did not attend.

Many educators believe that adding computers and other technology to their teaching repertoire is useful. But as they add technology they often decide to continue that staple of higher education: lecturing. This article describes an evaluation of lectures in a computer-based, personalized system of instruction introductory psychology class. Students' instructor evaluations, student characteristics, and performance provided data on whether students come to lectures if not forced, whether lectures benefit student learning, and whether students appreciate instructors who create and deliver lectures. Results from this study question the use of lectures as a general teaching method or as a supplement to technological teaching. We urge instructors to examine the body of research on alternatives to lecturing as they plan to integrate technology into their teaching.

Two lines of empirical evidence have led me to include computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in two of four components in my college classes. The “Question Mark” software program is designed to develop mastery of basic concepts, facts and information in the course while the other software program, called “Think Fast,” is used to develop fluency with basic concepts. This article presents a brief rationale for using these two software programs, outlines the structure of the course, and highlights some of the features of both programs. I close with some personal observations about using computer-assisted instruction.

Laboratory, workshop, and cooperative learning approaches are some pedagogical methods that raise student interest and involvement in their course work. The present article describes an experiment in applying such methods to teaching a general statistics course to non-mathematics majors, and its statistical assessment. A voluntary, one-hour weekly lab was offered to the general statistics course students. It was developed using computers, e-mail, and Minitab, in conjunction with learning groups, and with the utilization of a Lab Assistant. The results of such experience was then assessed through several instruments, including a student survey that collected their reactions, comments, and suggestions for improvements. Then, a preliminary statistical analysis of some of the course data collected, comparing grade results of students who attended the workshop with those who did not, is presented. Finally, some general conclusions regarding this workshop's effectiveness, its recruitment and retention efforts and directions for future work, are also discussed.

Faculty at the University at Stony Brook are transforming passive students in large introductory economics and chemistry classes and biology laboratories into active learners in that discipline. These classes are integrating the development of process learning skills into their course content. Important thinking and communicating skills are developed through cooperative group activities and projects, peer and self-assessment. Improving student skills essential to success in a discipline becomes a goal as explicit as the expectations for learning the conceptual content of the discipline. This article presents the specific projects in each of the three disciplines and some of the faculty development needed to effect change.