Journal of Educational Technology Systems

This article investigates the use of 11 refined Gestalt laws as the layout rules for instructional multimedia screen design by way of the redesign of the interface of a multimedia computer application and the subsequent evaluation of this redesigned interface. These layout rules are suitable for designing interfaces for complex learning materials in order to achieve more effective learning environments. To test the usefulness of these layout methodologies in visual screen design, they were applied to the redesign of an instructional multimedia application. Three different user groups evaluated the new screen design by comparing the designs. The evaluation results were overwhelmingly positive. Overall, 85% of the evaluators rated positively both the new design and the value of applying the 11 layout rules to improve the learning. This set of layout rules may also be successfully applied to design many different instructional multimedia applications.

Previous research on the attitudes of girls and women toward information technology indicates that they hold negative perceptions about their own computer use capabilities. These beliefs, combined with media influences predominantly portraying men in technology roles, often persuade women to choose non-technology related careers. This study looks at the presence and role of women in school technology support roles by surveying technology coordinators (n = 129) from the upper plains region of the United States. Data on job responsibilities, professional training, training quality, and task proficiency are gathered. Analysis shows that women are disproportionately underrepresented in school technology support roles. Where equivalent training, experience, and job expectations exist, women are also under-compensated. A discussion follows suggesting that more women in the very visible school technology support role can be extremely influential in building beliefs among school-age girls that information technology careers are within their reach.

The intent of this study was to locate a school that used computers within the curriculum rather than as an ancillary supplement to instruction. It is a study of best practices at one middle school. A case study method was used in order to create an account of how teachers used multimedia computer technology. Six different teachers were observed in the computer lab. Interviews were conducted with the teachers, the computer lab coordinator, and middle school principal. Documents were collected, with the majority of the documents being student projects such as Web pages, PowerPoint presentations, brochures, and newsletters. Member checks, peer debriefing, data and researcher triangulation, and an audit trial were used to enhance the trustworthiness of the data. According to teachers and evidence of student work, it seemed that students who do not normally perform well in class, performed better in the computer lab.

In this study we investigated whether the “Teaching Techniques” component of a computerized simulation influenced choice of anticipated strategies for implementation before four weeks of field experience; and what methods appeared to have sustaining effects for future use. Chi-square, Somers'd, Gamma, Correlation, and Regression were used to analyze the data. As a result, significant differences were found with Somers'd test (d = .343, p < .071), Gamma (.509, p < .071), Pearson's R (.501, p < .018), Spearman (.399. p < .066), and regression analysis (b = .468, p < .018). The regression model explained 25.1% of overall variation in the dependent variable (R² = .251). Results indicate that preservice early childhood teachers who were exposed to a computerized simulation about teaching techniques before field experience tend to have a more positive perception relative to choice of appropriate techniques within actual classroom settings; and make decisions for potential techniques appropriate to employ in their future teaching practice. Qualitative analysis showed how these subjects used the computer simulation to change their self-perceptions and how the field experience influenced their perceptions on teaching techniques.

With the widespread adoption of the Web in tertiary education, students often work in electronic environments away from the direct observation of their educators. It is therefore of critical importance to develop techniques that will inform educators about how their students are using these new environments. A useful metric for gaining an understanding of student use of a Website is the time they spend using the site. This may be determined from captured and recorded student interactions with the Website. However, Website interactions present a large collection of data in a format that is difficult to handle. Using this data to determine access times is not a trivial task and several stages of preprocessing need to be performed. This article presents a method to prepare and analyse Website interaction data to determine site access times. Interactions captured from a courseware Website are used to illustrate this technique. This study has provided valuable information about student use of the site to the educators, informing future enhancements and developments to the Website.

Having students write programs is the best method to test students programming ability. Most of the time these tests are administered via paper and pencil whereas the homework is completed using a computer and compiler. So why not use a computer and compiler to administer programming tests? This article describes an experiment done in a Java Programming class where both methods of testing were compared. There was no significant difference in students' scores between the two types of testing, but there was a significant difference in the time it took students to complete the test. It took them much longer to complete the test using a computer and compiler. Students were surveyed and they unanimously preferred the computer and compiler method of testing even though it took them longer to complete the test.