This article describes an action research in a graduate educational technology class. The study employed the Online Top-Down Modeling Model (Li & Liu, 2005) as a case in which the students used the learning resources from the course website to perform various learning activities. The findings of this research identify the students' eight…

This study focused on the potential for building 25 high-school students' word knowledge by using a mobile learning device and gaming app. Using a game as an instructional tool is a portable way for students to engage with content. The amount of vocabulary mastered after using the app on the mobile device was examined in relation to a pre-test and…

This article surveys research in the areas of aesthetics and design, usability, visual aesthetics in education, and recent statistics related to online education. The focus of the article is on defining the role of visual content and aesthetics in the user interface and exploring what importance aesthetics and visual content have to education.…

The Chinese writing system has traditionally organized the typographic text vertically, with one square-shaped character placed on top of another. With the influence of globalization, an increasing number of reading materials have been presented in the Western horizontal format, including school textbooks for children in Taiwan. This study looked…

In this article, the author discusses the proliferation of one-to-one programs. For educators, the key to one-to-one success is in a well-managed and thoughtfully approached classroom program. Despite a good body of anecdotal evidence on the success of one-to-one programs--increased student attendance and motivation, more collaborative…

In recent years, the application of virtual reality (VR) technology in education is rapidly gaining momentum. The educational benefits offered by such technology have prompted many educators as well as instructional designers to investigate ways to create effective and engaging VR learning. Instructional designers have examined widely the…

Instructional design (ID) in its short life has been dominated by behaviourist approaches despite critique focusing on issues of practice as well as theory. Nonetheless, little research has addressed two fundamental questions: "What constitutes good instructional design?" and "How do instructional designers create good design?"…

This article describes the premises, principles, and processes for integrating TECH into instruction. TECH is an acronym designed for educators to more smoothly integrate technology into instructional activities. It includes four steps: (1) Target the students' needs and the learning outcome; (2) Examine the technology choices, then decide what to…

Computer aided assessment is a common approach used by educational institutions. The benefits range into the design of teaching, learning, and instructional materials. While some such systems implement fully automated marking for multiple choice questions and fill-in-the-blanks, they are insufficient when human critiquing is required. Current…

This article presents a schematic application of computer vision technologies to e-learning that is synchronous, peer-to-peer-based, and supports an instructor's interaction with non-computer teaching equipments. The article first discusses the importance of these focused e-learning areas, where the properties include accurate bidirectional…

This proposed study is to investigate the design and development process of electronic performance support systems (EPSSs). The primary purpose of this study is to help the EPSS designers by proposing a more effective and productive EPSS design and developmental model. By analyzing EPSS products and observing EPSS design projects, the research…

Because the complex link and node structure awaiting users can lead them into becoming lost in hyperspace and cause them cognitive overload, navigating the hypertext system is often not an easy task, especially for novices. They may have difficulty perceiving a structure of an entire system, locating specific information, or using a navigational…

This article examines distance learning from a gender perspective. In any new area of enterprise, expectations have an important effect on planning, implementation, and evaluation. When it comes to distance learning, a variety of images of what this exciting new technology will look like and what it can empower us to achieve will determine how we…

In 1986, the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI) published the first edition of "Instructional Design [ID] Competencies: The Standards." It was the culmination of work that began in 1978. In this third edition, IBSTPI presents its latest view of the competencies of instructional designers. It is a…

The rapid changes in the field of technology are redefining the process of developing technology-enhanced educational materials as well as the roles of developers involved in the process.The purpose of this study was to learn from practitioners the roles and responsibilities of an instructional designer in developing new media enhanced…