In the accessible e-learning community there are very few original metaphors, theories and models that have been developed to try and describe, explain and develop "best" practice. This paper will explore the extent to which existing accessibility models can help to develop our conceptualisations of accessible e-learning practice, and outline a…

Distance Educational Practice is today supported by a range of information systems (IS) design theories. Still, there are surprisingly few strong pedagogical ideas and constructs that are communicated across distance educational institutions. Instead it is often the technology, the software and the medium that is at the centre of attention as we…

This paper presents a specific bottom-up implementation method for getting started with multimedia for instructional support at the personal level. Some minimal top-down design considerations for an institutional multimedia system include: (1) the instructor should be able to take work from/to the desktop to/from the classroom; (2) the capability…

The first phase of the process of developing a plan to promote increased use of educational technology by the instructors and students of the U.S. Navy's Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) in Newport, Rhode Island, began with a needs assessment which focused on the mission and organization of the school; the SWOS curriculum and the teaching…

Before 14 new lecture halls and 25 classrooms were designed, faculty at the University of Hong Kong were surveyed to determine their needs and preferences. Discusses results of the survey, design specifications for a "smart" classroom, computerized theater control systems, problems in the implementation of design requirements, and…

Examines methods of lecturing in the past, including blackboards, whiteboards, flip charts, and overhead transparencies; discusses the increasing use of computer technology and specifications for future systems; and describes possible scenarios for future lecturing technologies, including the generation of computer-assisted instructional materials…

Existing educational systems built for cooperative and collaborative activities are most often based on the client/server paradigm of distributed computing. This article shows that a new model for distributed computing, Peer-to-Peer (P2P), provides new opportunities for building distributed educational applications. It begins by reviewing general…

Advanced approaches to the construction of software systems can present difficulties to learners. This is true for multi-agent systems (MAS) which exhibit concurrency, non-determinacy of structure and composition and sometimes emergent behavior characteristics. Additional barriers exist for learners because mainstream MAS technology is young and…

Topic Maps, ISO/IEC 13250 standard, are designed to facilitate the organization and navigation of large collections of information objects by creating meta-level perspectives of their underlying concepts and relationships. The underlying structure of concepts and relations is expressed by domain ontologies. The Topics Maps technology can become…

This symposium includes the following papers: "Software for the Classroom: Issues in the Design of Effective Software Tools" (D. Midian Kurland); "Computers for Composing" (Janet H. Kane); "LOGO Programming and Problem Solving" (Roy D. Pea); "The Computer as Sandcastle" (Jeanne Bamberger); "Learning…

The report of an international seminar on educational technology emphasized the distinction between learning and being taught. A change to active learning associated with the provision of resources to which the learner has direct access is seen as the new goal of education. These resources can take the form of "packages" consisting of texts,…

Describes a mobile classroom presentation cart for multimedia technology that was designed and constructed at the University of Delaware's Instructional Technology Center. Design goals are discussed; the physical layout is explained; equipment choices are described, including computer, audio system, and projection system; and future development is…

Discusses the features of virtual textbooks and characteristics that Web-based systems offer. Describes the four stages in developing virtual textbooks: design, development, delivery, and maintenance. Examines the five considerations that should be addressed when developing a virtual textbook in Web systems: pedagogy, instructional structure,…

Presenting specifications for the design and construction of a new campus for Arizona's Coconino Community College (CCC), this report reviews requirements related to the layout of the physical plant, the quality of building materials, and the incorporation of educational technology. The first section describes the mission of the new Flagstaff…

Designed by California's Los Rios Community College District for use in instructional workshops, this guide is intended to help institutional researchers create World Wide Web sites using Microsoft FrontPage (MF) software. The first part of the guide presents practical suggestions for working with the software to create a site, covering the…