This paper suggests a framework for understanding the roles that children can play in the technology design process, particularly in regards to designing technologies that support learning. Each role, user, tester, informant, and design partner has been defined based upon a review of the literature and my lab’s own research experiences. This discussion does not suggest that any one role is appropriate for all research or development needs. Instead, by understanding this framework the reader may be able to make more informed decisions about the design processes they choose to use with children in creating new technologies. This paper will present for each role a historical overview, research and development methods, as well as the strengths, challenges, and unique contributions associated with children in the design process.

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In this paper, we present a web-based educational setting, referred to as SCALE (Supporting Collaboration and Adaptation in a Learning Environment), which aims to serve leaning and assessment. SCALE enables learners to (i) work on individual and collaborative activities proposed by the environment with respect to learners’ knowledge level, (ii) participate actively in the assessment process in the context of self-, peer- or collaborativeassessment activities, (iii) work with educational environments, embedded or integrated in SCALE, that facilitate the elaboration of the activities and stimulate learners ’ active involvement, (iv) use tools that support the synchronous and asynchronous collaboration/communication and promote learners ’ interaction and reflection, and (v) have access to feedback components tailored to their own preferences. Also, learners have control on the navigation route through the provided activities and feedback components, personalizing in this way the learning process. The results revealed from the formative evaluation of the environment are positive and encouraging regarding the usefulness of the supported capabilities and tools.

This study concerns applying Web-based learning with learner controlled instructional materials in a geometry course. The experimental group learned in a Web-based learning environment, and the control group learned in a classroom. We observed that the learning method accounted for a total variation in learning effect of 19.1 % in the 3 rd grade and 36.5 % in the 6 th grade. The main factor in the difference was attributed to the students ’ ability to apply information technology. We further found that students need more communication with peers, teachers, and lecture materials when learning via the Internet. We are encouraged that progress in the technological advances of the Internet will make it more convenient and more effective for use in Web-based learning. Keywords:

omputer their effects on

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This paper reports the results and insights of an exploratory investigation of the effectiveness of a prototypic virtual problem-based learning (VPBL) exercise delivered via the WWW, that uses Hypermedia Assisted Instructional Technologies (HAIT). The study targeted all first year medical students at a south-central University School of Medicine who were enrolled in the human physiology course during the Spring 2000 (n = 150). A quasiexperimental, post-test only research design compared the VPBL and a text-based version of the same PBL exercise on students ’ achievement, as measured by a set of selected physiology examination items, and their perceptions of the learning environment, as measured by the Teaching and Learning Environment Questionnaire (TLEQ) (Chauvin & Bowdish, 1998). Findings suggest that the VPBL is equally as effective as the text-based version for enhancing students ’ learning and their learning environment in small group, PBL sessions. In this paper, we examine the evidence supporting the VPBL innovation and explore what constitutes necessary and sufficient evidence that an educational innovation should be incorporated appropriately into the medical educational practice of a school. We examine instructional design issues such as learner control, instructional control, and teacher and learner roles as related to instructional development for the WWW, by comparing and contrasting our observations of the VPBL design experiment with the professional literature.

In today’s knowledge economy, technology is utilized more than ever to deliver instructional material to the learner. Nonetheless, information may not always be presented in a manner that maximizes the learning experience, resulting in a negative impact on learning outcomes. Drawing on the Task-Technology Fit model, a research framework was developed to investigate the influence of vividness, interactivity, task complexity, and learning style on performance, satisfaction, interest, and perceived mental effort in the context of learning how to use an office productivity tool via a computer-mediated learning environment. It was hypothesized that vividness and interactivity would increase satisfaction and interest and that the affects of vividness and interactivity on performance and perceived mental effort would vary depending on the complexity of the task. It was also hypothesized that vividness and learning style would interact to influence performance and perceived mental effort when a task was more complex. A laboratory experiment was employed to test the research model. The experiment manipulated two levels of vividness, interactivity, and task complexity, resulting in six unique treatment conditions. In each of these treatment conditions, subjects viewed a computerbased tutorial on how to complete a task using a specific tool in Microsoft Excel. Subjects were

development organization, provides learning opportunities for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working on youth issues at the national, state, and local levels. AYPF’s goal is to provide participants with information, insights, and networks on issues related to the development of healthy and successful young people, productive workers, and participating citizens in a democratic society. Our work focuses on: secondary and postsecondary education, out-of-school and atrisk youth, juvenile justice, national and community service, service-learning, and related forms of youth development, transition to careers and career development, training, and preparation for employment. Since 1993, AYPF has conducted an average of 40 events per year for thousands of policymakers, including lunchtime forums, out-of-town field trips, and foreign study missions with a thematic focus. Forum participants include Congressional staff, officials of various federal agencies, state and local government officials, policymakers from national non-profit and advocacy associations, and members of the media who report on youth issues. AYPF publishes a wide variety of policy reports and material on youth and youth policy issues. Many of these publications may be found on our website at www.aypf.org.

The publication of this report was supported under the Educational Research and Development Center Program (R117G1O036 for the National Center for the Study of Writing) as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed in this report do not reflect the position or policies of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement or the U.S. Department of Education.