ANNUAL EDITIONS: Computers in Education, Twelfth Edition
UNIT 1. Introduction1. Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Marc Prensky, On the Horizon, October 2001
Marc Prensky states that our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people for which our educational system was designed. The traditional age of college students, Generation NeXt, is the product of a very different social reality than the members of the Baby Boom that predominate college faculty and staff. Postmodern influences and sensibilities permeate the expectations of students, and may be at odds with what the schools intend to offer.
2. The Myth about Online Course Development, Diana G. Oblinger and Brian L. Hawkins, EDUCAUSE Review, January/February 2006
Oblinger and Hawkins claim that online instruction is more than a series of readings posted to a Web site; it requires deliberate instructional design that hinges on linking learning objectives to specific learning activities and measurable outcomes. Although the “Lone Ranger” approach to online learning has worked in the past, it does not scale well. Institutions are finding that teams—not individuals—develop and deliver the most effective online courses.
3. Creating Flexible E-Learning Through the Use of Learning Objects, Marie Lasseter and Michael Rogers, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 2004
The university system of Georgia deconstructed their existing online courses to create separate files of reusable content. They rearranged the individual pieces of content and placed them into a hierarchy consisting of learning objects that fall under objectives named by topic. Instead of navigating to a course, faculty would navigate a new course section. What they created was a course that is SCORM compliant. Everything is tied to learning objectives.
4. Meeting Generation NeXt: Today’s Postmodern College Student, Mark L. Taylor, 2005 Collection of Papers on Self Study and Institutional Improvement, April 2005
This paper provides an overview of some of the characteristics of Generation NeXt, their social genesis, and these Postmodern times, with suggestions for assisting Generation NeXt to be successful in higher education.
5. General Education Issues, Distance Education Practices, Jeri L. Childers and R. Thomas Berner, Journal of General Education, vol. 49, no. 1, 2000
Childers and Berner’s approach to designing a distance education course is to learn by doing. They present a discussion of what worked and what didn’t work within the context of general principles outlined by researchers in the area of general education and distance learning. They found that distance learning practices actually enhanced delivery of the content and increased interaction between the students to maximize the goals of general education.
UNIT 2. Curriculum and Instructional Design6. Designing for Learning: The Pursuit of Well-Structured Content, Judith V. Boettcher, Syllabus, January 2003
This essay describes how to make course content really accessible to students. Judith Boettcher takes a look at the characteristics of “well-structured content” as it relates to the design of instructional technology resources. Boettcher describes the meaning of well-structured content and focuses on the principles of designing for learning. In addition she describes each of the three levels that formulate the characteristics of digital learning resources.
7. Integrating Technology into the Instructional Process: Good Practice Guides the Way, Marianne Handler, Learning Point, Winter 2005
Marianne Handler states that the computer is a tool for students and teachers. She describes in detail the ways computers can be integrated into the curriculum by thinking of this resource as another tool available to students rather than thinking of “teaching computers” as a subject itself. One way to think about this is to aim for the use of curriculum-driven software; not software-driven curriculum.
8. On the Right Track: Technology for Organizing and Presenting Digital Information, Sean J. Smith and Steven B. Smith, Intervention in School and Clinic, May 2002
This article describes an online resource (TrackStar) that helps teachers and students organize and annotate Web sties into lessons, presentations, assignments or instructional resources. Structuring Web-based resources is important if teachers are to use these resources in an effective instructional manner.
9. A Brief History of Instructional Design, Douglas Leigh, Performance Improvement Global Network, July 10, 1998
This article describes the discipline of Instructional Systems Design from Aristotle through Seymour Papert. Throughout the article the events of cognition are described from the cognitive basis of learning and memory to the current trends of constructivism. This decade by decade description to the development of Instructional Systems Design’s taxonomy is very informative.
10. Designing Statistics Instruction for Middle School Students, In Brief, Winter 2004
This article capitalizes on the notion of distribution as a key concept in statistics and makes generalization and justification an explicit focus of instruction. Designing instructional sequences that fostered student ability to analyze data and understand statistical inference, as well as developing the ability to design procedures for generating sound data were items of focus.
11. Changes in Brain Function in Children with Dyslexia after Training, Elise Temple, The Phonics Bulletin, May 2003
This article shows that it is possible to study the brain effects of training in human children, opening up the possibility for further research that explores different interventions and educational strategies. This study also shows that a specific remediation program, Fast ForWard Language, resulted in changes in the brain function of children with dyslexia while improving their reading ability.
UNIT 3. Classroom Application and Software Evaluations12. Implementing PDAs in a College Course: One Professor’s Perspective, Doug Peterson, Syllabus, November 2002
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) have been a mainstay in the business world for several years, but their adoption in higher education is relatively recent. This article discusses how PDAs are likely to become an integral part of the educational landscape.
13. Digital Game-Based Learning, Richard Van Eck, EDUCAUSE Review, March/April 2006
This article asks the questions, “Will we continue to learn from the past? Will we realize the potential that DGBL has to revolutionize how students learn?” The author believes that this has much less to do with attitude and learner preferences than it does with a technology that supports some of the most effective learning principles identified during the last hundred years.
14. Podcasting and VODcasting: A White Paper, Peter Meng, University of Missouri IAT Services, March 2005
This paper describes why the rapid evolution of audio-photo-video recording capabilities through phones and inexpensive hand-held devices will create a flood of multimedia content. Ultimately from this flood of content there will be a growing need for a centralized content management and monetization infrastructure, as well as an education support architecture to assist faculty in the integration.
15. Type II Technology Applications in Teacher Education: Using Instant Messenger to Implement Structured Online Class Discussions, Lih-Ching Chen Wang and William Beasley, Computers in the Schools, vol. 22, no. 1, 2005
In this article, the use of the Instant Messenger (IM) environment to carry out structured online class discussions in graduate teacher education courses is described. Properties of IM are delineated, and specific procedures in using IM as a vehicle for class discussions are discussed. In closing, the authors draw a clear distinction between casual IM use in a class setting and planned, structured implementation of IM as an example of a Type II technology application.
UNIT 4. Teacher Training16. Student Teachers' Perceptions of Instructional Technology: Developing Materials Based on a Constructivist Approach, Tugba Yanpar Sahin, British Journal of Educational Technology, January 2003
The author presents a new course for elementary student teachers that has been developed at the Zonguldak Karaelmas University in Turkey. This article reports on a study of the course during the academic year 2000–2001 and concludes that a constructivist approach should be adopted.
17. Assessing and Monitoring Student Progress in an E-Learning Personnel Preparation Environment, Edward L. Meyen et al., Teacher Education and Special Education, vol. 25, no. 3, 2002
The authors draw upon their personal online teaching experiences in addressing strategies for assessing student performance and using electronic portfolios in e-learning environments, both presented as integral aspects of the e-learning instructional process.
18. Assessing the Technology Training Needs of Elementary School Teachers, Melinda McCannon and Tena B. Crews, Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, vol. 8, no. 2, 2000
This study found that computers are prevalent in the elementary schools and that teachers are using them. However, they are using them for administrative tasks instead of part of the student learning process. The article recommends that teacher educators offer staff development courses in curriculum integration—presentation software and research—using the World Wide Web and CD-ROMs.
19. An Investment in Tomorrow’s University Students: Enhancing the Multimedia Skills of Today’s K-12 Teachers, John Minor Ross, Journal of Computing in Small Colleges, March 1999
Teaching multimedia to computing majors is no longer new. What this article focuses on is the need to understand problems in K-12 before offering technology solutions.
UNIT 5. Multimedia and Technology20. The Value of Teaching and Learning Technology: Beyond ROI, Jonathan D. Mott and Garin Granata, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 2, 2006
Just as it is difficult to demonstrate ROI for broad IT initiatives, it is difficult to show ROI for money and time spent building, implementing, and supporting a teaching and learning infrastructure. This article provides what the authors believe is a more realistic and helpful approach in terms of prioritizing and assigning scarce resources to maximize institutional effectiveness.
21. Boomers and Gen-Xers Millenials: Understanding the New Students, Diana G. Oblinger, EDUCAUSE Review, July/August 2003
Diana Oblinger states that an essential component of facilitating learning is understanding learners. The learning styles, attitudes, and approaches of high school students differ from those of eighteen to twenty-two-year-old college students. How well do faculty, administrators, and staff understand these differences? How often do they take the differences into account when designing programs or courses?
22. Science & Technology: It’s A Perfect Match!, Lucille Renwick, Instructor, March 2003
Many teachers are using technologies such as computers, scanners, and digital cameras to motivate and excite their students. Whether studying ecosystems or the solar system, teachers have found super and simple ways to embed technology in their science lessons. This article provides examples of these exciting uses of multimedia.
23. Technologies for Teaching Science and Mathematics in K-12 Schools, Richard B. Speaker, Jr., Proceedings of Computer-Based Learning in Sciences, 2003
This article discusses the issues and practices in using technologies for teaching and learning science and mathematics in the K-12 schools in the Southern United States where the digital divide between technology rich schools and technology poor schools is growing wider despite attempts to provide funds and standards.
24. SmartTutor: Combining SmartBooks and Peer Tutors for Multi-Media On-Line Instruction, Danny Kopec, Paul Whitlock, and Myra Kogen, Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Education, August 18–21, 2002
This article discusses SmartTutor, a comprehensive web-based peer-tutoring service geared to the needs of urban commuter college students. This technology has provided a user-friendly, self-paced, easy to modify, software environment intended to serve the user’s learning needs.
UNIT 6. Learning Management Systems and Learning Objects25. Changing Course Management Systems: Lessons Learned, Kathy A. Smart and Katrina A. Meyer, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 2, 2005
The authors describe the process of converting a Blackboard course to Desire2Learn. The task of moving all of the learning management systems to one CMS was difficult and costly. The article describes how they did it and the benefits of their efforts.
26. Classroom Assessment in Web-Based Instructional Environment: Instructors’ Experience, Xin Liang and Kim Creasy, Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, March 2004
This article uses the perceptions and experiences of instructors to investigate the dynamics of WebCT. The findings from this study indicate that performance-based assessment, writing skills, interactive-assessment, and learner autonomy are major assessment aspects to inform teaching and enhance learning.
27. MISESS: Web-Based Examination, Evaluation, and Guidance, Zuhal Tanrikulu, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 1, 2006
Tanrikulu describes the development of an electronic support system that was developed specifically to provide Web-based support for students and instructors in the Management Information Systems (MIS) Department at Bogazici University in Turkey. The resulting system, called MISESS, is so flexible that it could easily support other departments and other universities wanting to offer course materials, exams, and tutorial services online.
UNIT 7. The Internet and Computer Networks28. The Myth about Student Competency, Diana G. Oblinger and Brian L. Hawkins, EDUCAUSE Review, March/April 2006
The authors analyze the real IT competence of today’s college and university students who seem to be technologically competent. Whereas colleges and universities often focus on technology skills, it is actually information literacy that should be the concern. This article puts the focus on what information literate people need to know.
29. Promoting Academic Literacy with Technology: Successful Laptop Programs in K-12 Schools , Mark Warschauer et al., System, vol. 32, 2004
This paper presents case studies of two K-12 schools that successfully employ high-technology environments. In both schools, technology is used to engage students in cognitively demanding activity, motivate independent reading, and provide scaffolding for language development.
30. Probing for Plagiarism in the Virtual Classroom, Lindsey S. Hamlin and William T. Ryan, Syllabus, July 2003
The authors believe that educators are skeptical about preservation of academic integrity in the virtual classroom. They believe that Web sites and software now available to educators have the ability to detect and battle plagiarism and cheating. They also believe that the various types of online assessment tools, assignments, and activities available with a virtual course are a deterrent for cheating.
31. The Web's Impact On Student Learning, Katrina A. Meyer, T.H.E. Journal, May 2003
Katrina Meyer provides a good start on the research that is needed to ensure that the Web is used effectively for student learning.
UNIT 8. Distributed Learning32. Software Agents to Assist in Distance Learning Environments, Sheung-On Choy, Sin-Chun Ng, and Yiu-Chung Tsang, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 2, 2005
The authors investigated employing a software agent to act as a teaching assistant to the course coordinator by monitoring and managing course activities. The study showed that such a method may provide timely and meaningful feedback to students as well as early detection of problems in both the teaching and learning processes.
33. The Virtual Revolution, Randall Greenway and Gregg Vanourek, Education Next, Spring 2006
The authors’ work with virtual schools has led them to a number of observations about their current practice that they believe can guide policymakers. Without good curriculum, instruction, tracking, resources, support, and leadership, virtual schools will flounder. Read this article to get the history and details of how to create a good virtual school.
34. Learner Support Services for Online Students: Scaffolding for Success, Stacey Ludwig-Hardman and Joanna C. Dunlap, International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL), April 2003
The authors describe a critical component of an effective retention program for online students—learner support services for online learning.< The authors describe the strategies that can address the retention challenges. Examples from Western Governors University describe these strategies in action.
