bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning tool or potplant stand? Students' opinions of learning from a CAL program in a distance education context
Authors: Lyall Robert , McNamara Suzanne
Published: April 2016

Although teaching institutions are continually moving towards electronic forms of delivering learning material, a study of first year adult distance chemistry students found that they had developed a successful learning profile based on their present printed learning material and were reluctant to consider the use of alternative methods of delivery. The reasons for this reluctance were explored by developing a Computer Aided Learning program, based on the students existing learning strategies, and offering it as an alternative to printed material. Although many volunteered to use the program only a third of these persevered with its use. Reasons for abandoning the program were generally associated with a fear that they may be wasting their time in having to learn a new method of study. However those that did use the computer program considered it to be a more efficient way of learning than from printed material.
Issues involved in developing a project based online unit which enhances teamwork and collaboration
Authors: Phillips Rob , Luca Joe
Published: April 2016

This paper presents the results of developmental research into the design of an online unit on Interactive Multimedia project management. The decision to offer the unit online was based on a requirement for the unit to be available in external mode, and an awareness that the traditional print-based delivery of material was not the most appropriate format considering the characteristics of a project-based unit.
The unit was designed around online collaborative activities, supported by content, in close alignment with Laurillard's (1993) model of the ideal teaching-learning process. An extension of this model was developed to explicitly allow for discussion between students.

Following a requirements analysis, WebCT was chosen as the course management tool by which the unit was made available to the students. The online activities used in the design of the course included: publishing personal web pages, online questionnaires, online seminars, the submission of relevant resources found by students, and general forum participation.

Finally, a framework for evaluating the merit of the online environment has been developed and will be briefly discussed.
When using sound with a text or picture is not beneficial for learning
Authors: Kalyuga Slava
Published: April 2016

Conventional wisdom tells us that two modalities (visual and auditory) are better than one modality in any instructional message. This paper describes two cases where combining audio explanations with visual instructions has had negative rather than positive or neutral effects. The results were explained as a consequence of working memory overload. Some guiding principles in the design of multimedia instruction are suggested.
Factors affecting students' satisfaction on a web course
Authors: Mason Robin , Weller Martin
Published: April 2016

This paper takes the form of a dialogue between the evaluator and the course team chair of a very large web-based course presented by the Technology Faculty of the UK Open University. An extensive evaluation has been conducted following the first pilot presentation of the course, and the two authors discuss the findings as they relate to students' satisfaction with the course. Seven key issues are raised: skills versus academic content, students' previous computing experience, interaction through computer conferencing, online group work, online tutoring, students' lack of time, and revising a course in the light of evaluations. Finally, the results of this course are compared to three other web courses.
Online development using WebCT: A faculty managed process for quality
Authors: Burford Sally , Cooper Lesley
Published: April 2016

In a new initiative, and in response to technological changes, Flinders University is delivering educational programs to distance education students using WebCT as its preferred course tool. With concern for maintaining high quality educational programs, the Faculty of Social Sciences has approached the implementation of this new form of delivery with a management plan that involves and integrates many facets of the Faculty's existing structures with some additional resources. The Faculty promotes a development process that emphasises the use of WebCT as a prototyping tool and a team approach, which values the varied skills of all contributors.
IT skills of university undergraduate students enrolled in a first year unit
Authors: Lim Kieran F. , Lee Jeanne
Published: April 2016

The use of computers is becoming more widespread in education and in the wider workforce. This communication reports the results of a survey of first year undergraduate students at Deakin University, conducted at the beginning of the 2000 academic year. The high penetration of IT usage in this university sample is similar to that of a recent survey of school students conducted by Meredyth et al. [Real Time: Computers, Change and Schooling, DETYA, Canberra, 1999]. The present study indicates that the level of IT skills is variable. There is an urgent need for IT training for university students in order to achieve successful learning outcomes using IT and to satisfy the needs of future employers.
Case studies: Integrating the use of web based learning systems into student learning
Authors: Housego Simon , Freeman Mark
Published: April 2016

Competitive pressures on universities to adopt flexible learning are intense. Many academics and managers are responding by incorporating web based learning (WBL) tools into the teaching environment. WBL tools have proliferated in recent years, and some can be used to manage entire courses. The simplicity of WBL systems, like WebCT, TopClass and Blackboard, makes their use in teaching an option for many academics, even those operating without institutional support or encouragement.
Academics are seeking meaningful uses of these WBL systems for teaching and learning. The objective of this paper is to describe some meaningful uses with five fictional case studies based on our experiences in innovation and academic development. Our motivation is that academics and academic managers will identify one or more opportunities from the case studies to apply in their own context. Others including Hara and Kling (1999) have identified the need for this research. The case studies show ways in which teaching, learning and administration can be supported, adapted and extended with web based learning systems. Well understood teaching strategies can be improved with simple and easily implemented uses of WBL systems that can benefit on and off campus students. If underpinned by student centred teaching practices, these tools can make significant contributions to the effectiveness of teaching without also imposing an unsustainable demand for resources.
Designing computer-based cognitive tools to assist learners to interpret graphs and tables
Authors: Ferry Brian , Hedberg John , Harper Barry
Published: April 2016

This paper reports on the development and evaluation of cognitive tools used to interpret graphs and tables. The development of these tools was informed by research about how learners interpreted graphs and tables. A prototype of the cognitive tools was trialed with a small sample of preservice teachers. This prototype was then improved and used again with a larger sample. Data from individual audit trails of software use, journal entries and interviews with a small sample of preservice teachers were used to evaluate the cognitive tools. The findings showed that the simple, context-specific cognitive tools developed helped to reduce the cognitive load associated with the interpretation of graphs and tables.
Multimedia and student activity: An interpretive study using VideoSearch
Authors: Herrington Jan , Knibb Ken
Published: April 2016

The allocation of time to different student activities in formal university settings, has been a subject of interest to researchers in recent years. As part of an interpretive study into how students use interactive multimedia, small groups of students were videotaped using an interactive multimedia program based upon a framework of situated learning. The purpose of the study was to determine whether students spent the major part of their time attending to the program-as some studies suggest this is common in tertiary education settings-or whether they actively participated in the learning process.
The data was analysed using VideoSearch, a software program which facilitates analysis of qualitative data by coding excerpts of videotaped material into user-defined categories. The program enables coding from a digitised video source by selecting a segment of the video and attaching a category to it. The findings of the study suggest that an interactive multimedia program based on a situated learning model is conducive to promoting important student activities such as articulation and reflection.
Teleteaching with large groups: A case study from the Monash experience
Authors: Tennant Judith
Published: April 2016

Teleteaching, though in a relatively early stage at Monash University, has the potential to provide a conduit for high level interaction between students and staff on various campuses in 'real time'. Whilst the technology holds valuable potential, there are unresolved discrepancies between 'what can be done' and the academics' understandings and common practice of 'what is actually being done' with teleteaching. It is only through research into current practices and attitudes that an understanding will be gained of the strategies that need to be adopted to ensure that teleteaching becomes an enriching learning experience for staff and students alike.
This article focuses on the perceptions and practices of staff within the realm of current training and support. It aims to provide an understanding of difficulties experienced in the use of teleteaching, and to suggest solutions emerging from the research. To illustrate current practices and attitudes towards the use of teleteaching, this paper reports on a study conducted by Tennant (1997) into the use of teleteaching at Monash University to deliver lectures between two campuses. The paper concentrates on andragogical, interaction and training issues in teleteaching with large groups of students as seen through the eyes of both academic staff and students.
Exploiting the web for education: An anonymous asynchronous role simulation
Authors: Freeman Mark A. , Capper John M.
Published: April 2016

Whilst not all the possibilities of face to face teaching can be replicated on the World Wide Web, some can be undertaken which are impossible face to face. A role simulation, a hybrid of a role play and a simulation, is one such possibility. Students can engage asynchronously as well as synchronously. Participants in group exercises can be identified or anonymous. Moderation can be direct or with minimal interference. A role simulation, integrated into a flexible learning sequence in a graduate business subject, provides one example of exploiting the unique features of this emerging technology. Factors which would be potentially deleterious in a face to face context, such as those of gender, ethnicity and language proficiency, were ameliorated. A pilot test with a small cohort allowed the gathering of extensive data by means of interviews as well as survey methods. Positive learning outcomes and enthusiastic student and staff reactions suggest that other disciplines would also benefit from a similar innovative use of the web.
Examining how teachers adjust to the availability of portable computers
Authors: Newhouse Paul
Published: April 2016

In the 1990s, a significant development in computer technology has been the emergence of low-cost, high-powered portable computers which some schools have introduced into classrooms. A three year study was conducted at a school to address issues concerning the impacts of student-owned, portable computers on students, teachers, the curriculum, and the classroom learning environment. One of the findings of the study was that very few teachers implemented substantial computer use and many of those who did supported only a very limited role for the computers. This paper presents short case studies of two of the teachers who did implement substantial use of the computers. Their facilitation of use of the computers is related to their experience and knowledge in using computers in the classroom, and to their preferred pedagogy for their curriculum.
Internet based teaching in geography at Macquarie University: An analysis of student use
Authors: Pitman A. J. , Gosper M. , Rich D. C.
Published: April 2016

The design of a first year course with enrolments of about 400 students which is delivered using information technology via the Internet or Intranet is reviewed. The course is composed of a variety of information technology based applications including course materials, bulletin boards, email, quizzes, access to the World Wide Web and multimedia packages linked together using a single Internet browser interface. Access statistics through the entire course were collected hourly over the sixteen weeks of semester and separated on the basis of gender and final grade. Statistical analysis is presented which shows that different groups of students access the course in different ways. Performance in the course is statistically related to the number of times the student accesses the package. We find no evidence that males are advantaged or disadvantaged compared to females through the use of information technology although females appear to use the communications part of the course more than males. Based on the access statistics, we make recommendations on the components which seem to be well received by students and we note some components which will require more careful integration into a teaching program. Overall, the delivery of a first year course via information technology works well provided the components are carefully integrated into the course framework.
V-Lab: A virtual laboratory for teaching introductory concepts and methods of physical fitness and function
Authors: Rice Mary , Owies David , Campbell Adrienne , Snow Rod , Owen Neville , Holt Dale
Published: April 2016

The delivery of higher education courses is changing significantly with the rapid growth of new technologies which offer possibilities for learners that have previously not been available. In particular, the potential benefits of interactive multimedia (IMM) in educational environments have been well documented (see for example, Latchem et al, 1993; Laurillard, 1993; Halal and Liebowitz, 1994; Bates, 1995; Brookes, 1997; Reeves and Reeves, 1997). Web based interactive multimedia can provide many opportunities to enhance student learning and solve particular educational problems. Applications of this technology can increase the consistency, reliability and quality of what is delivered to students, and can provide immediate points of access to large bodies of relevant information through hypertext and selected links to related web sites. Furthermore, the technology allows students to work at their own pace and at a time of their choosing, thereby optimising conditions for learning and increasing the flexibility of the learning experience.
In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of a "virtual laboratory" (V-Lab) for introductory practical studies of human structure and function in the movement sciences. Our purpose is to identify what we found to be some of the key elements of the development process for our first V-Lab and to introduce some of the technology used. Student and staff responses to its initial implementation are presented, based on a systematic evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods.
A decision making simulation using computer mediated communication
Authors: McLaughlan Robert , Kirkpatrick Denise
Published: April 2016

Simulations can be used to familiarise participants with the complexities of decision making and negotiation. The infusion of computer mediated communication strategies with simulation offers the potential for creating educationally rewarding learning experiences in a cost effective, flexible and realistic manner. A simulation using electronic dialogue about decision making processes at a hypothetical contaminated site has been developed and evaluated. The simulation was found to be an effective tool for supporting learning about the social, political, economic and scientific dimensions involved in managing contaminated sites. The participants particularly valued the opportunity for negotiation and communication skill development within the simulation. The use of a facilitated group reflection process improved learning outcomes. This was evidenced by higher order learning assessed from a SOLO analysis of reflective essays. While electronic dialogue using group discussion software was an extremely useful communication strategy, face to face meetings were required at critical points in the simulation. These were in the introductory part of the simulation and the debriefing phase.
Interactivity on stage: Strategies for learner-designer communication
Authors: Sims Rod
Published: April 2016

The word interactive, when used to described computer based learning resources, has tended to imply better experiences, more active learning, enhanced interest and motivation. But despite the investment in productions to date, this interactive condition has not been consistently realised. Although the surge in internet based communications and collaborative learning activities has extended the opportunities for human-human communication, the complexity of learner-computer interactivity has yet to be fully unravelled.
This paper examines the relationship between the independent learner and computer based learning resources, which continue to be integral to educational delivery, especially in the training sector. To place interactivity in context, the first part of the discussion focuses on the major dimensions of interactivity and the different ways they have been characterised in computer based learning environments. These dimensions demonstrate the many ways that interactivity can be interpreted and the critical role that design and development plays in creating effective interactive encounters. The second part of the paper reviews the way storytelling structures and narrative have been promoted as effective strategies for enhancing comprehension and engagement in computer based learning applications. The way in which the interactivity and narrative are linked becomes critical to achieving this outcome.

Extending the use of a narrative within interactive media to include elements of performance and theatre, the third part of the discussion proposes that by conceptualising the learner as actor, a form of learner-designer communication can be established. Integrating this approach with elements of conversational and communication theory provides a context in which the learner-computer interface is transcended by that of learner and designer. Enabling this form of communication with the independent learner is suggested as a means to enhance computer based learning environments.
Exploring the factors that affect the intention to use collaborative technologies: The differing perspectives of sequential/global learners
Authors: Huang Yong-Ming
Published: April 2016

The use of collaborative technologies in learning has received considerable attention in recent years, but few studies to date have examined the factors that affect sequential and global learners’ intention to use such technologies. Previous studies have shown that the learners of different learning styles have different needs for educational technologies. Accordingly, understanding the factors that affect the different types of learners’ intention to use collaborative technologies is an important issue. To this end, we add two external variables, facilitating conditions and social influence, to the technology acceptance model and then testing a number of hypotheses. Our results show that most of the hypotheses are supported, and further reveal that (1) attitude towards using is the most important determinant of students’ intention to use a collaborative technology, followed by social influence and facilitating conditions; (2) sequential learners are more concerned about perceived usefulness; (3) global learners are more concerned about perceived ease of use.
Understanding how students perceive the role of ideas for their knowledge work in a knowledge-building environment
Authors: Hong Huang-Yao , Chiu Chieh-Hsin
Published: April 2016

This study explored how students viewed the role of ideas for knowledge work and how such view was related to their inquiry activities. Data mainly came from students’ online interaction logs, group discussion and inquiry, and a survey concerning the role of ideas for knowledge work. The findings suggest that knowledge building was conducive to developing among students a more informed view of ideas that sees ideas as improvable, real-world objects for collaborative and creative knowledge work, rather than merely as abstract thoughts for achieving an individual’s own knowledge acquisition. Moreover, it was found that how a group views the role of ideas was associated with how they improve the quality of the ideas during their group inquiry.
Video-based feedback on student assessment: scarily personal
Authors: Henderson Michael , Phillips Michael
Published: April 2016

Assessment feedback is an important part of students’ learning experiences; however, text-based feedback has limitations. This article proposes an alternative in the form of individualised video recordings of the lecturer discussing each assignment. This research reports on 126 undergraduate and postgraduate students’ reactions to 5-minute videos recorded by their teachers. The findings confirm that the majority of students valued the video feedback over text-based forms. In particular, video-based feedback was reported by students as being individualised (specific) and personalised (valorising identity and effort); supportive, caring and motivating; clear, detailed and unambiguous; prompting reflection; and constructive, which led to future strategising. Several potential weaknesses were also identified, including an initial anxiety about watching the videos, and the difficulty in matching the comments in the video-based feedback to the text-based assignment. Like the students, the teachers also reported that they valued the video feedback process, particularly in terms of being more time-efficient, facilitating quality especially in the form of feed forward comments, and rejuvenating teacher enthusiasm. The article concludes with implications for future research.

 
Interaction online: Above and beyond requirements of assessment
Authors: O'Reilly Meg , Newton Diane
Published: April 2016

Today's literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students' perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.
Speaking under gum trees with palmtops
Authors: Nelson Larry
Published: April 2016

Late in 1989 an article in Australian Personal Computer magazine detailed the imminent release of an all solid-state laptop computer which would run for hours on ordinary pen-light cells (AA batteries).

The computer, a PSION MC-400, was to support digital audio, and, to this end, came with a microphone and speaker built in. The digital audio unit itself was to be made available at a later date, and would be designed to install in the MC-400 much as today's PCMCIA cards slip into current notepad computers. It was claimed that the unit would allow up to eight minutes of audio to be compressed and stored in 64 kilobytes of memory.

I bought an MC-400 as part of a research project looking into the use of computers in vocabulary building, and accepted delivery of the unit, learning how to program its structured BASIC language, "OPL", whilst waiting for its audio digitising plug-in to arrive.

It never did. I consequently abandoned the MC-400 in favour of an Amiga, and then, when Microsoft released Windows 3.0, got support from the DEET ILOTES [1] Project to develop my vocabulary-building and pronunciation-practice exercises on a stock 386-level machine with a sound card (see Nelson, 1993).

Using Visual Basic, I was able to produce prototype lessons in three languages, with each lesson fitting onto a single 1.44MB floppy diskette. The lessons featured a set of fixed vocabulary items, ranging from lessons with 40 single words, to lessons with 20 simple phrases. Audio files in Window's WAV format came on each diskette; these featured the voices of female and male native speakers. Lesson users were challenged to learn the vocabulary items via one of three game modes, and could compare their own pronunciation with that of the native speakers, if they so wanted, by using record and playback buttons built into the software.

The "DEET Talk" ten Indonesian prototype lessons have proved to be popular with a variety of Western Australian users, including a few large senior high schools. DEET have given permission for the lessons to be freely copied, and some high school students have taken copies home.
Meeting the needs of gifted and talented students through technology supported distance teaching
Authors: McLoughlin Catherine , Oliver Ron
Published: April 2016

In 1997 an initiative by the Education Department of Western Australia extended the use of audiographic conferencing to provide for talented and gifted students in rural Western Australia. In addition to increasing the access and participation of rural and isolated students to a special curriculum designed to extend and enrich their learning, the initiative also aimed to extend and develop the applications of technology for gifted students. For these students, the goal of higher order thinking was sought as a learning outcome. Based on observations and research on the actual classrooms where audiographic conferencing was used to mediate learning, this paper suggests that higher order thinking among students can be fostered by utilising audiographic conferencing to create a classroom milieu of peer discourse, investigation and visual display of ideas. Teachers were encouraged to support the skills of negotiation, verbal elaboration and peer revision of ideas and to utilise the two-way audio and video elements of the technology to maximise learning. The initial evaluation of the project for gifted and talented students indicated that the interactive features of the technology provided the possibilities for task-related collaboration and gave students the opportunity to interpret, discuss and evaluate concepts, thereby leading to higher order thinking.
Using interactive multimedia to improve operator training at Queensland Alumina Limited
Authors: Bennet Sue , Reilly Peter
Published: April 2016

Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) and the Interactive Multimedia Unit (IMU) at Central Queensland University (CQU) have recently completed a joint project involving the design, development and implementation of a multimedia training package. The multimedia tutorial forms an integral part of the training curriculum for alumina production workers at QAL's Fluid Bed Calciner facility. This paper describes the progress of the project to date and the current and future strategies for evaluation of the training program. An initial evaluation of learner attitudes shows a high degree of acceptance and enthusiasm for the new package. The quality of the multimedia training materials was recently recognised at 1997 Queensland IT&T awards for excellence.
Challenges of multisite video conferencing: The development of an alternative teaching/learning model
Authors: Andrews Trish , Klease Greg
Published: April 2016

The current trend of globalisation is one that is having a marked impact on society and the area of education in particular is feeling the impact. The dramatic changes that are taking place as a result of globalisation means that the demand for education is increasing significantly. There is growing recognition of not only the need for skills development but also reskilling and a requirement for lifelong learning (Duguet, 1995). Additionally, the increasing availability and stability of communications technologies along with the economic rationalisation that is characteristic of the nineties, means that educational institutions are rethinking the ways in which they deliver teaching and learning activities to an increasingly diverse and dispersed clientele.
This article describes a video conferencing project at Central Queensland University which was implemented to deliver simultaneous interactive instruction in first year chemistry to three campuses - Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg. The article discusses some of the issues of implementing video conferencing as a tool for teaching in a distributed, multi-campus institution and the challenges in developing an interactive teaching and learning model. This includes the need for intensive ongoing staff development and the recognition that staff development for teaching with technology is a long term process of skills acquisition. It also recognises the importance of appropriate student preparation and the part this plays in successfully adopting technologically mediated teaching and learning programs.
A socio-cognitive framework for researching learning with IMM
Authors: Fetherson Tony
Published: April 2016

Interactive Multimedia (IMM), with its rich blend of graphics, sound and movies, is often difficult to conceptualise by researchers. In order to study IMM either in its own right or to examine the effects of the use of IMM in fields like education, researchers need to choose a well described theoretical framework to guide their study. A choice often facing researchers is whether to view IMM as a new media in its own right? requiring its own unique underlying theoretical framework or to rely on existing frameworks from other fields to underpin their studies.
In this paper, Gardner's (1993) idea of multiple intelligences is proposed as a suitable candidate for consideration as at least part of a theoretical framework. Initially the role of a theoretical framework in research is described and this is followed by a brief description of Gardner's ideas. The paper concludes with an example of the utility of using multiple intelligences in a theoretical framework to underpin the study of learning with IMM.
Web-based conferencing: Pedagogical asset or constraint?
Authors: Foley Gerry , Schuck Sandy
Published: April 2016

Educators are increasingly engaging in innovative practices which use the World Wide Web as a pedagogical tool. One aspect of Web usage which shows promise of enhancing learning is that of Web-based conferencing. This paper describes an intervention in which the authors used a Web-based conferencing tool to promote dialogue within an international community of mathematics educators and prospective school teachers on the nature of mathematics and mathematics learning. Results of the intervention suggested that while benefits of new understandings about mathematics, improved writing, and collaboration did occur, affective outcomes of using a web based tool were often negative. The need to critically assess the pedagogical benefits of web based conferencing, both cognitive and affective, is discussed, and implications for practice are outlined.
iArchi[tech]ture: Developing a mobile social media framework for pedagogical transformation
Authors: Cochrane Thomas , Rhodes David
Published: April 2016

This paper critiques the journey of pedagogical change over three mobile learning (mlearning) project iterations (2009 to 2011) within the context of a Bachelor of Architecture degree. The three projects were supported by an intentional community of practice model involving a partnership of an educational researcher/technologist, course lecturers, and course students. The pedagogical changes achieved over three years of sustained collaborative participatory action research illustrate the potential for using a community of practice model for supporting pedagogical transformation in broader educational contexts. The Architecture case study thus serves as an example of the ethical, sustained, and collaborative educational technology research called for by Reeves, Herrington, and Oliver (2005) and reiterated by others. We use the concept of the pedagogy-andragogy-heutagogy continuum as a measure of the pedagogical change achieved by the integration of mobile social media within the Architecture curriculum. From our experiences of utilizing mobile social media to support a pedagogical change towards heutagogy we develop a framework for scaffolding a move along the PAH continuum and explore the application of this framework to the establishment of a wider global community of practice (icollab11).
Design elements for interactive multimedia
Authors: Kennedy David M. , McNaught Carmel
Published: April 2016

An educator involved in interactive multimedia (IMM) development faces two significant problems. The first is how to transform what is already known about what constitutes good teaching practice into IMM. The second involves understanding one's own personal theoretical perspective on learning, a perspective which influences everything one does as an educator, both in the classroom and during activities such as designing IMM. We need a framework which links pedagogical perspectives on teaching and learning to strategies for designing specific interactive multimedia elements related to particular desired educational outcomes. In this paper we develop such a framework. It is our hope that IMM developers will be able to use this framework, both in reflecting on their current teaching practice and IMM designs, and in considering future directions for their work.
Interactive learning as an "emerging" technology: A reassessment of interactive and instructional design strategies
Authors: Sims Roderick C.H.
Published: April 2016

This paper challenges the assumptions and accepted practices used in the design and development of interactive learning resources. Through an assessment of accepted assumptions and the pitfalls inherent in instructional design it is debated whether technology can effectively replicate the adaptability and flexibility of human communication. It is proposed that interactive technology is only now emerging as a viable alternative, requiring not only a new approach to the presentation of interactive materials but also an integrated methodology which is relevant to the tools and practices of today.
Multicampus video on demand at Monash University
Authors: Branch Phillip , Tonkin Bruce
Published: April 2016

This paper describes research into multi-campus, video-on-demand at Monash University and its application to education. In education, video is used in a highly interactive way, for which traditional analog video tape is poorly equipped. During 1995, the Advanced Network System Performance Application Group and Monash's Department of Visual Arts recognised the potential of interactive video-on-demand and began a series of trials. The first used a small system located in the Visual Arts Library at Monash's Clayton campus. Academics, librarians and students were involved in evaluating the technology for teaching, research and study. This was followed by a larger, multi-campus trial, where video-on-demand was distributed from a central point on the Clayton campus to the main libraries at Monash's Clayton and Caulfield campuses using a high speed network. The trial is being extended to Monash's Berwick campus where interactive video-on-demand is being used as a research tool and to allow experimentation with more complex systems. This paper describes the outcomes, the difficulties, the potential for video-on-demand, and the factors that may affect its eventual uptake.
A knowledge-based computer instruction system
Authors: Fan Joshua Poh-Onn , Mak Tina Kwai-Lan , Shue Li-Yen
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the features of the Knowledge-Based Computer Instruction System (KBCIS), which was designed to assist and enhance the teaching-learning function for basic accounting classes with large number of students. The most important feature of this system is the incorporation of the knowledge-based approach in the development of the system. This approach makes it possible to store problem solution knowledge in the system, and use it to mark problems which are of the same nature but with different settings. This approach also makes it possible to implement the flexible marking scheme for providing partial credit for partially answered questions. More importantly, this approach allows the system to provide advice on wrongly answered questions.
A case study of communication technology within the elementary school
Authors: Wyld Seryn , Eklund John
Published: April 2016

Communication technologies, specifically the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW), are rapidly expanding into both the educational and non-educational sectors. This advancement is providing new ways for people to communicate on a global scale and access vast amounts of information, in the case of the WWW, in a visually appealing and interactive manner.
The Internet is providing educators with the opportunity to implement a range of new teaching and learning practices. Opportunities for global communication and access to information are redefining classroom learning experiences, as this technology is providing students and teachers a medium through which the development of information handling skills and the use of student-centred learning may be utilised.

The use of the Internet and the WWW in the classroom is not only changing the design of the learning experiences, it is also redefining the emphasis on more traditional content-based curricula. Although this is essentially new to the majority of schools, a number of pioneering schools have proceeded to incorporate the Internet and the WWW into their existing teaching and learning practices.

It is the investigation of these exemplar schools that forms the focus of this article. We explore the application of the Internet and the WWW in the Australian elementary classroom. Through the review of current academic writing and the investigation into the efforts of a number of individual schools, the research identifies how many schools are presently utilising this technology, and reports on a range of consequences that are affiliated with the integration of information technology into education.
Virtual reality: What is the state of play in education?
Authors: Macpherson Colin , Keppell Mike
Published: April 2016

The term 'virtual reality' (VR) is currently used to describe a range of computer-based systems in which a user can explore a hardware and software generated 'microworld' that bears some resemblance to reality. An early application of such systems was the flight simulator used to train pilots. However, it is in the area of hi-tech games that many of the more recent developments in this field have occurred. Typically, a user will wear a helmet containing either a small video screen positioned in front of each eye, or a device that projects images directly onto the user's retinas. She might also wear an elaborately wired glove that provides tactile feedback as she attempts to physically interact with the computer-generated visual environment. It was on devices and systems of this nature that our proposed investigation was to concentrate. Although this has remained the case, we have expanded our work to also include VR that mainly uses screen-based graphics - thus reflecting the expanded definition of VR (more of which later).

Our overall aim was to determine the nature and capabilities of VR devices and systems that have already been developed, and of those that are under development; and to investigate the educational and instructional uses to which these devices and systems are already being put and to which they may be put in the near future. In this regard it was not our intention to argue the case for VR in education - indeed, in some cases we would do quite the contrary - but to provide relevant information, and what we hoped would be enlightened discussion, so that educators in different situations could make up their own minds on the issues.
Determinants of presence in 3D virtual worlds: A structural equation modelling analysis
Authors: Chow Meyrick
Published: April 2016

There is a growing body of evidence that feeling present in virtual environments contributes to effective learning. Presence is a psychological state of the user; hence, it is generally agreed that individual differences in user characteristics can lead to different experiences of presence. Despite the fact that user characteristics can play a significant role in research on presence, most studies on the determinants of presence focus on immersive, interactive, and perceptually realistic aspects within the technology. Research into user characteristics and how they affect presence has received little attention thus far. The purpose of this study is to explore how user variables combine and interact to predict the level of presence in a 3D virtual learning environment. One hundred and eighty-five nursing students participated in this study and completed a questionnaire measuring user variables. Structural equation modelling was employed as the main technique for data analysis to ensure methodological rigor. The findings indicate that subjective norm, perceived ease of use, computer self-efficacy, and perceived usefulness account for 52% of the total variance of the sense of presence. This study makes a significant contribution by developing and validating an initial model of the determinants of presence in a 3D virtual world.
Effects of online procedural scaffolds and the timing of scaffolding provision on elementary Taiwanese students' question-generation in a science class
Authors: Yu Fu-Yun , Tsai Han-Chang , Wu Hui-Ling
Published: April 2016

This study examined the effects of online procedural scaffolds (in the form of generic question-stems with context-specific examples) and the timing of scaffolding provision (immediate versus delayed) on supporting the online student question-generation learning process in a science class. A total of 78 fifth-grade Taiwanese students participated in eight online question-generation sessions. An online learning system equipped with a customizable scaffolding design in terms of content and timing of access was used. The results of ANOVAs on the students' week-by-week question-generation performance showed the immediate positive effects of immediate procedural scaffolding. However, the delayed procedural scaffolds group did not statistically distinguish themselves from the no-scaffolds group in any of the eight question-generation performances, nor did the delayed approach engender productive failure, as postulated by some researchers. The significance of this study is discussed, along with suggestions for related instructional implementations, online systems and future research.
The changing landscape of ePortfolios: A case study in one Australian university
Authors: Coffey Urszula , Ashford-Rowe Kevin
Published: April 2016

The potential of ePortfolios for both students and staff has generated considerable interest and investment by universities over the past ten years or so within Australia. Despite funded projects, ePortfolio specific conferences and a range of commercial and open software, there is not wide spread uptake of ePortfolios, although many universities continue to try and test a range of different options. This paper reports upon the experience of an Australian university when considering implementation and uptake of ePortfolio technology between 2008 and 2011. It describes the technological and sectoral factors that have to some extent shaped Australian ePortfolio context and affected the institutional ePortfolio initiative at Griffith University.
Tracks for learning: Metacognition and learning technologies
Authors: Gordon Julie
Published: April 2016

Research into metacognition suggests that learners need to become aware of the processes of their learning as distinct from the content of learning to improve their learning outcomes. Information technologists have the opportunity to take theoretical views of learning and develop design models to investigate and demonstrate these theoretical views. One way of doing this is by providing interactive multimedia programs that support student centred learning.There are too many examples of educational multimedia that fail to exploit its capability to offer interactive practice of a subject (Laurillard, 1993).This paper outlines an investigation into the nature of metacognition and its relation to the learning process in a constructivist interactive multimedia learning environment.
End user bandwidth conservation: What can Internet end users do?
Authors: Jackling Noel
Published: April 2016

Bandwidth conservation by personal computer end users appears to be a concept that has received little attention. The focus of bandwidth conservation activity has been on items such as the establishment of mirror sites, proxy servers and institutional caching, or on techniques to be employed by Web page developers to reduce network traffic caused by icons and other graphic objects. This paper explains bandwidth in non-technical terms and why its conservation is important. It lists actions that can be taken by computer end users on the Internet in the interest of conserving bandwidth.
Malaysian students face the age of information technology
Authors: Hunt Nancy , Kuiper Alison
Published: April 2016

Malaysia is a developing country with a fully articulated vision of itself being a country which is fully developed economically, politically, socially and spiritually by the year 2020. A dominant feature of national policy is the emphasis placed on information technology while remaining a moral and ethical society. It is within this societal context that Malaysian students learn about information technology and experience the Internet. As indicated by the findings of this research, Malaysian students share some of the same complaints students in fully developed countries express - too few campus connections, server breakdowns, and inadequate bandwidth for multimedia data transmission. Their favourite activities - making new friends and exploring romantic relationships - are typical adolescent behaviour across cultures. However, their oft stated concerns about user addiction and the availability of pornographic material is perhaps unique to this group of young adults.