Vol. 16, No. 1, March 2000

SpaceALIVE!: a multimedia-enhanced collaborative learning environment

C-K. Looi & D. Ang

Kent Ridge Digital Labs and School of Education, Nanyang Technological University,Singapore

Email: cheekit@iss.nus.edu.sg

The proliferation of the Internet has brought about the notion of online virtual communities. One enabling technology for online communities is multi-user environments such as Multi-User Dimensions (MUDs) and MUDS Object-Oriented (MOOs). These text-based collaborative learning environments have recently have been integrated with the World Wide Web, thus harnessing the graphics and multimedia-rich environments available therein. Learners can directly experience, manipulate, and create objects in their rich multimedia form. MUDs and MOOs are augmented with synchronous collaboration technology that provided simultaneous control and viewing of shared documents and applications. This paper describes a multimedia-enhanced MOO system called SpaceALIVE! and experiences from a pilot project involving Singapore students who use SpaceALIVE! as a collaborative learning environment are reported.

Keywords: Action research; Collaboration; Communication; MUDs; Secondary; Science

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 2-13. Accepted: 12 March 1999

Simulation - a bridge between theory and reality: the case of electric circuits

M. Ronen & M. Eliahu

Center for Technological Education, Holon, Israel

Email: ronen@barley.cteh.ac.il

This study aimed to examine the role of a simulation as a potential aid that may help students bridge the gap between theory and reality, in the case of electric circuits. Sixty three pairs of students aged about 15 years were presented with two tasks involving real circuits. An open simulation environment was available as an optional aid for the experimental group. Significant differences were found between the achievements of the groups. The use of the simulation contributed to students' confidence and enhanced their motivation to stay on-task. The detailed analysis revealed the role of the simulation as a source of constructive feedback, helping students identify and correct their misconceptions and cope with the common difficulties of relating formal representations to real circuits and vice versa.

Keywords: Constructivist; Control group; Electric circuits; Secondary; Simulations

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 14-26. Accepted: 23 March 1999

Evaluation of CAL in Higher Education Geography

G. Spellman

Nene University College

Email: greg.spellman@nene.ac.uk

In recent years the promotion and incorporation of Computer Assisted learning courseware has been a feature of many Geography Departments in Higher Education in the UK. There is little disagreement that this development needs to be thoroughly evaluated to ensure quality and effectiveness. However there has been a lack of rigorous evaluation in practice. A detailed illuminative evaluation of 120 Geography students using focus group interviews and an attitude survey reveals that CAL packages remain unpopular with most learners. This can be attributed to the content and presentation of packages but it is also suggested that contexts of use and perhaps staff disinterest are explanatory factors. Some gender-based and age-based attitude differences are noted. This type of evaluation is of greater use to curriculum developers than objective-led approaches.

Keywords: Computer; Courseware; Geography; Illuminative evaluation; Mediated; Questionnaire; Undergraduate

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 72-82. Accepted: 8 April 1999

Gender differences of favoured multimedia learning interfaces

D. Passig & H. Levin

School of Education, Bar-Ilan University

E-Mail: passig@ashur.cc.biu.ac.il

This study examined the gender differences in the preferences to varying designs of multimedia learning interfaces. In the study it was assumed that design characteristics add to the interest in learning and a taxonomy of design of efficient user interfaces for both boys and girls was developed. The research included 90 children from three kindergarten classes who used interactive multimedia stories. The research subjects responded to questions which elicited their level of satisfaction with the various interfaces. The research findings indicate that there is a significant difference in the level of satisfaction between boys and girls depending on the design of the learning interfaces. This paper reports on the findings which were statistically significant.

Keywords: Gender; Interface; Multimedia; Pre-school; Qualitative; Satisfaction

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 64-71. Accepted: 15 April 1999

The learning value of computer-based instruction of early reading skills

D. Mioduser, H. Tur-Kaspa & I. Leitner

School of Education, Tel-Aviv University

Email: miodu@post.tau.ac.il

This study examined the unique contribution of computer-based instruction compared with more conventional modes of instruction (i.e. teacher instruction with textbooks) to early reading skills acquisition, as well as the effects of specific features of computer technology on early reading skills performance. Forty-six pre-school children (aged 5-6), at high risk for learning disabilities, participated in the study. They were assigned to one of three study groups which received different treatments. Three dependent variables were defined, i.e. children's phonological awareness, word recognition and letter recognition skills measured prior and after the treatment. Results clearly indicated that children at high risk for learning disabilities who received the reading intervention program with computer materials improved significantly in their phonological awareness, word recognition, and letter naming skills relative to their peers who received a reading intervention program with printed-only materials (without a computer) and those who receive no formal reading intervention program. The results are discussed in detail, with reference to the features of the computer-based materials that contributed to the acquisition of critical early reading skills.

Keywords: Computer; Control group; Instruction; Literacy; Pre-school; Reading; Special education

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 54-63. Accepted: 1 August 1999

Training teachers in computer-based management information systems

R.F.J. North, D.M. Strain & L. Abbott

School of Education, University of Ulster

Email: rfj.north@ulst.ac.uk

This paper presents an evaluation of a multimedia training programme, supported by a video-conference link, for senior school staff in the use of a computer-based Management Information System and the subsequent impact on the school organisation. The training took place as a part of the Education Departments' Superhighways Initiative. Two years later the impact of this initiative on school management practice was examined and the implications of subsequent patterns of staff use of ICT in management assessed. Results indicate that change strategies should involve attention to the totality of the relevant school system and should provide for professional dialogue and participation in the process.

Keywords: Change; Illuminative evaluation; Information Systems; IT-use; Multimedia; Teachers; Training

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 27-40. Accepted: 10 June 1999

Computer support for peer-based methodology tutorials.

A. Anderson, W. Cheyne, H. Foot, C. Howe, J. Low & A. Tolmie

Department of Psychology, University of Strathclyde,

Email: Tony.Anderson@ccsun.strath.ac.uk

This paper reports on a study that was designed to explore computer support for peer-based learning in methodology tutorials. In particular, software was developed to organise group discussion, with the aim of leaving students free to concentrate on the more productive elements of group dialogue, and in particular discussing their ideas. Forty-three undergraduate psychology students in groups of 3-4 were given a series of computer-supported methodology tutorials designed to structure their discussion around issues concerning the design of their Honours dissertation. Students gave individual ratings of their reactions to both the software and the tutorial sessions more generally. A sample of their discussions was videotaped and the dialogues analysed. The written assignments in which they detailed their proposed empirical work (the 'Design Exercise') were blind marked and compared to a sample of similar assignments from the previous year. The results demonstrated that the computer-supported tutorials resulted in better quality Design Exercises, that the students' dialogues were overwhelmingly task-focussed and substantially transactive, and that their expressed satisfaction was generally high but with a desire for more preparation time before and between tutorials. The implications of the study for the use of computers to support groupwork are discussed.

Keywords: Communication; Dialogue analysis; Peer; Psychology; Satisfaction; Tutorial; Undergraduate

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 41-53. Accepted: 5 August 1999

Programming by discovery

H. A. Ramadhan, Department of Computer Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman

Email: haider@squ.edu.om

The concept of Programming by Discovery refers to the process of designing programming environments and systems which use various visualisation, programming and interaction technologies in an effective way to help users, especially beginner programmers, in writing computer programs, understanding their dynamic behaviour, detecting any misconceptions and bugs associated with them, and seeing the effect of these programs on the underlying machine. A system for programming by discovery encourages a user to become an active learner by allowing him to form his own hypotheses, explore his own questions, and draw his own conclusions. This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a system for programming by discovery which embodies the principles outlined above. To assess the usefulness of the design framework presented in this paper, a pilot empirical evaluation was conducted. The results provided a number of interesting insights into the implication of incorporating visualisation and immediacy features along with graphical notional machine and algorithm-like language into the design of programming systems.

Keywords: Discovery learning; Empirical evaluations; Intelligent program diagnosis; Programming environments: Software; Visualisation

Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2000) 16, 83-94. Accepted: 8 August 1999