Nigel Ford and Sherry Y. Chen
University of SheffieldRegent Court, 211 PortobelloSheffield S1 4DP, UKn.ford@sheffield.ac.uk
lip96yc@sheffield.ac.uk
The learning behaviour and performance of 65 postgraduate studentsusing a hypermedia-based tutorial were measured. Data were alsoobtained on cognitive style, levels of prior experience, motivation,age, and gender. A number of statistically significant interactionswere found. Field-dependent/independent cognitive styles were linkedto strategic differences in navigation. Levels of prior experiencewere linked to quantitative differences in both navigation behaviourand learning performance. The implications of these findings arediscussed.
Sherman R. Alpert and Keith Grueneberg
IBM T.J. Watson Research CenterP.O. Box 218Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USAalpert@watson.ibm.com, kgruen@us.ibm.com
Concept maps™ have been used in the educational community fordecades. A concept map is a visual representation of a person’sknowledge of a domain. Many authors have reported on computer-basedimplementations of interactive concept map-building tools. However,existing concept map tools are rooted in a propositional, primarilytextual, knowledge representation scheme. Further, existingcomputer-based versions do not fully capitalize on the potentialfunctionality offered by the computational medium. We describe anextension to computer-based concept mapping tools that providesrepresentational capabilities that allow students to express theirknowledge more fully by incorporating dynamic media—sound,video, and animated images. Our concept map tool is also accessiblevia any standard web browser.
Jocelyn Wishart
Department of EducationLoughborough UniversityLeicestershire, UK LE11 3TUj.m.wishart@lboro.ac.uk
This article is the result of interviews with teachers, students,and school librarians in eight UK secondary schools regarding theiruse of multimedia encyclopaedias on CD-ROM. It focuses on a contentanalysis of their comments on how having access to multimediaencyclopaedias changes the way students work and learn in school, howthey perceive it enhances their learning, and how it hinders it.
Teachers reported that they used multimedia encyclopaedias as anadditional information resource, or because their use was motivatingto the students. Some said that having multimedia encyclopaedias hadno effect on their teaching. However, they were not so much usingmultimedia resources within their teaching, but sending students outof their lessons to the library to use them.
The most important factor, by far, in the students’motivation to use multimedia encyclopaedias in school was that theyfound them quick and easy to use. There was also strong support formotivation through the graphics, video, and sound on the CD-ROM.There was some support for the students being motivated because theywere allowed to be in control of their learning.
To make the most of the potential of multimedia encyclopaedias forenhancing students’ learning in schools, it is recommended thata large and early emphasis needs to be placed on the teaching ofinformation handling and research skills. Students prepared in thisway will be better equipped to enjoy the more open, independentlearning tasks to which multimedia encyclopaedias so readily lendthemselves.
Gary A. Berg
Chapman UniversityDepartment of Extended Education333 N. Glassell StreetOrange, CA 92866gberg@chapman.edu
This article is a review of the literature in the field of HumanComputer Interaction (HCI) as it may apply specifically toeducational environments. The origin of HCI and its relationship toother areas of study such as human factors, usability, and computerinterface design are examined. Additionally, the notion of computersas a medium was investigated in order to understand the uniqueproperties of HCI as opposed to other forms of man-machineinteraction. The article seeks to answer questions about current HCIissues, its relevance to education, and to sketch out a researchagenda for the future.
Designing for the little screen on the desktop has the most incommon with designing for the Big Screen. Interactive software needsthe talents of a Disney, a Griffith, a Welles, a Hitchcock, aCapra... (Nelson, 1995, p. 243)
Drew Tiene
Kent State UniversityWhite Hall 405Kent, OH 44242dtiene@kent.edu
Class listservs are widely used at the university level tosupplement inclass discussion. What are the inherent advantages anddisadvantages in the online discussion experience? How favorably dothese online experiences compare to their face-to-face counterparts?Survey data from graduate students involved in online discussionsindicates positive reactions to most aspects of the experience, eventhose elements that clearly differ from the face-to-face experience.However, when given a choice, students still indicated a preferencefor face-to-face experiences. Online discussions were perceived as avaluable addition to in-class discussions, rather than as anacceptable substitution for them.