A prescription favored in this article calls for the joint use of "learning maps" and "instructional maps." Why then the "Vs." in the title? Simply put, it is a rhetorical device. It calls attention to a key difference between the two. This article explicates the difference. It also informs how alone and in…

Psychological testing can serve as a prototype on which to base a data-generated approach to instructional design. In "testing batteries" tests are used to predict achievement. In the proposed approach batteries of prescriptions would be used to produce achievement. In creating "test batteries" tests are selected for their…

While successful instructional innovation is the result of efforts of individual faculty and instructional support staff, it is also influenced by institutional and contextual factors that include personal characteristics, pedagogies, curricula, and other tangible and intangible dynamics. These same forces can also work in concert to assure…

Instructional design can be more effective if it is as fixedly dedicated to the accommodation of individual differences as it currently is to the accommodation of subject matters. That is the hypothesis. A menu of accommodation options is provided that is applicable at each of three stages of instructional development or administration: before,…

The widespread availability of high-quality Web-based tools and content offers new promise and potential for supporting teachers as creators of instructional activities. When coupled with a participatory Web culture and infrastructure, teachers can share their creations as well as leverage from the best that their peers have to offer to support a…

This article is the third in a series of four articles that present a new outlook on the methods of instructional design. The authors examine the nature of the process of instructional design, with the goal of stimulating discussion about designer roles. In this article, the authors consider the realization of scientific and educational theory…

The aim of this article is to present a concept of digital content emphasizing its new shape and ways to be developed and shared on Web 2.0 principles. Due to recent EU initiatives, a great number of digital materials, resources, and services for education have been designed and produced in recent years. Digital content from materials such as…

Critical and creative thinking skills are essential for students who plan to work and excel in the 21st-century workforce. This goal of the project reported in this article was to define critical and creative thinking in a way that would be useful for classroom teachers charged with developing such skills in their students. To accomplish their…

E-learning promises to reach a more heterogeneous student body comprised of non-traditional learners. As educational institutions reach out to new students, serious concern must be paid to cultural concerns and individual differences. Learning objects provide a framework to think about localizing educational content. The authors provide an…

Evidence collected on the effectiveness of four educational technologies is briefly reviewed. The authors conclude that there is reasonable evidence that computer-assisted instruction can have at least a modest effect on improving learning and probably more when its instructional approaches are properly matched to instructional objectives, that…

One of the most explosive areas of growth in the field of higher education is currently in emerging international markets. In developing nations, lack of access to high-quality teachers and educational materials is often the key obstacle preventing students from gaining the skills and knowledge they need to pursue new opportunities and advance in…

This article introduces two contrasting ways of using highly mobile information technology for educational purposes. The first example uses mobile devices and scientific probes to gather information; the second uses a combination of mobile and desktop computers to disseminate it by way of podcasts. The examples also show that mobile devices…

Issues associated with the preparation of engineering faculty to teach online courses are examined. This includes: the nature of online teaching, engineering course materials, training faculty to teach online, use of online resources, course development, and evaluation of online courses. Selection of faculty and providing adequate support are…