Journal of Technology and Teacher Education

Volume 6, Number 1 1998

Contents

Technology-Enhanced Instruction: APerspective From Experience

Computer-Based Teaching andAssessment of Computer and Information Literacy

Meeting the Future: A TeacherEducation Program Joins the Information Age

Technology and Teachers: AnInvestigation of Attitudes and Beliefs

of Introductory Use by PreserviceTeachers

Best Practice: PreserviceTeachers’ Perceptions of Videodisc Versus Videotape of Classroom Practices in aMethods Course

Results and Experiences From theApplication of a Common Methodology for Users' Requirements Specification in DistanceEducation Using Telematics

Meeting the Demands of ADA, IDEA,and Other Disability Legislation in the Design, Development, and Delivery of Instruction

Abstracts

Technology-Enhanced Instruction: APerspective From Experience

Janice E.J. Woodrow

woodrow@unixg.ubc.ca

This paper introduces the realities of the nature and types of appliedtechnology-enhanced instruction (TEI) as developed from 4 years of actual schoolexperience. This paper clarifies the necessities of TEI at all levels of instruction,university to high school. An extensive reference list for specific articulation of theissues discussed is included.

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Computer-Based Teaching and Assessment of Computer and Information Literacy

Donald H. Cooley and Jianping Zhang

jianping@zhang.cs.usu.edu

In 1995 under the direction of the provost, a university faculty committee developed anew university studies curriculum. An integral element of this new curriculum is arequirement that all students be computer and information literate. This requirementdiffers from the traditional college course requirement in that it is viewed as a skillthat should be acquired by the end of the first year of a student’s schooling.Furthermore, since it is viewed as a skill, there are no college credits associated withit. No single department at Utah State University (USU) has or will ever hope to have theresources to meet the instructional needs of such a requirement. In order to implementthis requirement with the resources available, the USU Computer Science Department hasdeveloped a set of interactive computer-based computer and information literacy (CIL)teaching modules and an associated set of assessment tools. This paper describes threeitems: USU’s CIL requirement, the development of the computer-based courseware, andthe assessment tool and associated tests for computer and information literacy. The CILcourseware consists of seven self-contained modules: Public Access Computer Labs &Electronic Mail, Computer Basics, Operating System Basics, Computers and Information: TheEthics of Access and Use, Information Resources, Document Preparation, and DataVisualization and Spreadsheets.

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Meeting the Future: A Teacher Education Program

Joins the Information Age

Lynne Schrum and Joanne Dehoney

lschrum@coe.uga.edu

This article provides a description of one teacher education program’s efforts toincorporate technology as part of an ongoing project to improve teacher education. Thegoal was to foster substantive changes within the curriculum, facilities, and faculty, andprovide new educators with broad perspectives on the ways technology might enhanceteaching and learning. Twenty-seven preservice teachers were given a Macintosh Powerbookfor use throughout their professional development year. They were also given extensivetraining, support, and opportunities to use the technologies. Data were gathered throughpre- and post-surveys and open-ended questions. The majority of students report increasedcomfort and more positive attitude toward using technology, an expanded idea of thepotential for using technology with students and for themselves, and improved confidencein their abilities to solve technological problems. The results have incited us to improvethe process in the next iteration of the project.

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Technology and Teachers: AnInvestigation of Attitudes and Beliefs of Introductory Use by Preservice Teachers

Sally Blake

sblake@mail.utep.edu

Lee Holcombe

lholcomb@mail.utep.edu

Dawn Foster

dfoster@mail.utep.edu

At the campus level there is a growing demand for teachers with a basic level oftechnology literacy. The responsibility of training teachers in technology is thought tobe that of teacher education programs. This describes a two-phase study exploringattitudes of upper level undergraduate teacher education majors enrolled in a field-basedBlock program that requires use of electronic mail (email) in coursework and at theprofessional development sites. Variables were adjusted between phases I and II todetermine influence on preservice teachers’ attitudes and use of email for classassignments. Initial training and use influence attitudes toward email and the plans forfuture use in the classroom. Negative attitudes developed from problems encountered withprogram efficiency may be circumvented through personal positive training, professorinvolvement, and responses.

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Best Practice: Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Videodisc Versus Videotape ofClassroom Practices in a Methods Course

Sandra L. Atkins

satkins@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu

This study was conducted to determine preservice teachers’ perceptions ofmultimedia lessons using the videodisc version of a videotape which they previouslyviewed. The purpose was to involve preservice teachers in developing the lessons tostrengthen the interactive nature of the materials. The preservice teachers overwhelminglystated that both the videotape and the multimedia versions of the materials should beused. The respondents were concerned that the ability to gain a sense of the lesson flowand classroom atmosphere would be reduced by only using the multimedia version.

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Results and Experiences From the Application of a Common Methodology for Users'Requirements Specification in Distance Education Using Telematics¹

Konstantinos Antonis, Christos Bouras, John Garofalakis, Spiros Kontogiannis,

Petros Lampsas, and Paul Spirakis

bouras@cti.gr

Nikitas Kastis and George Tsakarisianos

The cooperation of the information and communications technologies (ICT) and theeducational communities is recognised as a necessity that must result in the adaptationand tuning of the education processes in terms of pedagogical methodologies, schoolinfrastructure, human resources development, and organisational restructuring in order toefficiently absorb and utilize technological developments. The ICT community has torealize the significance of the users’ needs, the difficulties of reforming an oldand traditional process, and the need to view their technology applications as more thantechnical exercises. The initial phases of the TRENDS project, which are described in thispaper, resulted in an agreed common methodology for carrying out the necessaryinvestigation of the users' needs in secondary education. This methodology, which wasfollowed more or less in all participating countries, produced answers to questionsconcerning (a) the role of the educators and their basic training; (b) their familiaritywith technology; (c) education policies from a trans-European perspective; (d) thecontent, forms, and aims of further training; (e) the distance training of teachers in theuse of new technologies; (f) the motives, incentives, and organisational schemes forenhancing re-education; (g) the needs of the educational environment and technology-basedtraining; and (h) the needs of the educators in practical didactic methods.

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Meeting the Demands of ADA, IDEA, and Other Disability Legislation in the Design,Development, and Delivery of Instruction

Martell Menlove and Marilyn Hammond

mmenlove@boxelder.k12.ut.us

Federal legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) andIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires accommodations for learnerswith disabilities. A variety of simple, inexpensive, and reasonable accommodations meetthe demands of federal legislation, increase product marketability, and increaseinstructional effectiveness. Learners with disabilities need instruction presented inaccessible formats. Accommodations should be as unobtrusive as possible. Communicationwith the learner using appropriate language is important. Individuals with impaired visionmay require large print, Braille, audio cassette, or audio description. Augmentativehearing devices, captioning, and signing help people who are deaf or hard of hearing.Available hardware and software programs and accommodations such as keyguards, specializedkeyboards, trackballs, hand or wrist supports, and screen enlargers help ensure computeraccessibility. Reasonable accommodations can be met through the application of appropriateinstructional methods, the provision of materials in alternative formats, and theaccessible presentation of materials.

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