In this article the author explores the seamlessness between children's online and offline worlds. For children, there is no dichotomy of online and offline, or virtual and real; the digital is so much intertwined into their lives and psyche that the one is entirely enmeshed with the other. Despite early research pointing to the differences that…

Virtual environments are more and more used in primary schools. One of the most interesting potentialities of these environments is to foster cross-national applications. Yet, this specific feature is not fully exploited. This paper presents a successful virtual learning environment for primary education involving two European countries and…

This book brings together leading experts to offer an in-depth examination of how computer technology can play an invaluable part in educational efforts through its unique capacities to support the development of students' understanding of difficult concepts. Focusing on three broad themes-the nature of understanding, the potential of technology…

The goal of the research reported here was to examine how teachers perceived their role as coach, as well as how they actually interacted with students in a computer simulation environment. Simulations like "The Chelsea Bank" significantly impact the role of the teacher in the learning environment. The learner is placed in the role of…

Growing interest in adult literacy has encouraged research and innovative programming in the field. This paper examines several pieces of software created by the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at Pennsylvania State University and explains their underlying conceptual foundations and the integration of visual materials. The Penn State…

This paper presents a model for designing computer-based simulation environments within a constructivist framework for the K-12 school setting. The following primary criteria for the development of simulations are proposed: (1) the problem needs to be authentic; (2) the cognitive demand in learning should be authentic; (3) scaffolding supports a…

Instructional feedback given to the learners during computer simulation sessions may be greatly improved by integrating educational computer simulation programs with hypermedia-based computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials. A prototype of a learning environment of this type called BRINE PURIFICATION was developed for use in corporate training…

From 1960 to 1980, school enrollment and educational expenditures in developing countries experienced significant expansion. By the late 1980s, however, this trend had slowed. This report examines the impact of education upon welfare and productivity. A unified global data set is used to address the question from a macroeconomic, gender-specific,…

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of a HyperCard simulation upon student's concepts, opinions, and option-rankings on solid waste management, and to investigate what cognitive activities of the students were involved in the decision-making processes. One hundred eighth-grade students in Taiwan participated in this…

Arguing that the development of a notion of sense-making is of critical importance to improving science learning, this paper examines science teaching in four Boston (Massachusetts)-area classrooms that participated in an experiment on ways of integrating technology into a sixth-grade science curriculum on the earth's seasons. The task of the…

This booklet outlines the use of computers in elementary and secondary science classrooms. Chapters and their topics are: (1) "A Computer-Enriched Science Learning Environment" (an introduction); (2) "Computer-Assisted Learning" (lesson formats for drill and practice programs and tutorial programs, and several example programs); (4)…

The seventh in a series and the third annual update, this annotated bibliography provides an overview of the literature entered in the ERIC database in 1987 on computer use in elementary and secondary education, adult education, and special education. The first of four sections provides a list of overview documents on computer assisted…

With creativity and innovation, environmental educators have begun wielding the ever increasing power of computers to promote and enhance environmental education. These pioneering programs and applications are the focus of this publication. This monograph is a sampling of the potential, problems and promises of this field. The four major content…

This volume is divided into full formal paper manuscripts and 200-word abstracts of presentations that were made without submitting formal papers. The 73 papers presented in full represent recent research and applications in the field of computer-based instruction. They are organized into 13 sections by special interest group: (1) Computer-Based…

Many feel that an advantage to using computer simulations in science teaching is that they give students the opportunity to witness or perform experiments which might otherwise be too expensive, time consuming, or dangerous for them to do. Simulations attempt to mimic the kind of experience students get in a laboratory and help students learn new…