Where Next in Computer Aided Learning?

The paper is concerned with the use of the computer as a medium for teaching, a tool for learning and a manager of learning. Its special characteristic is seen to be its ability to take a non-trivial role in an interactive situation. The dramatic reduction in the cost of computer hardware is put forward as the major reason for the increasing importance of computer aided learning. The use of computers in support of both unstructured and structured learning situations is discussed. It is argued that the design methods used for the development of computer aided learning facilities need to be adaptive. It is further argued that appropriate hardware and software development tools need to be provided in order to enable adaptive design methods to be used. The particular importance of paying attention to the man-computer interface in designing computer aided learning systems is discussed. The need to be able to modify the interface after the system has been used by students is emphasized.     

The Necessity of Studio Art as a Site and Source for Dissertation Research

The issue raised by the authors in this article question why studio art continues to be ignored as a site and source for research in art education. The necessity of the field to be able to participate within the research community in addressing cultural, social, educational and political concerns is acknowledged. It is argued, however, that the exclusive use of methods of inquiry that align with the conventions of social science research has been done at the expense of fully appreciating the capacity of artistic research undertaken in studio contexts. This tendency is especially prevalent in doctoral research in higher education. Three accounts of dissertation research are given that incorporate studio activity as a central agency of inquiry in conceptualising and theorising issues. Each highlights the capacity of art practice to reveal insights that are a consequence of what the researcher did in the studio setting as issues, ideas and interpretive stances emerged, and problems were re‐conceptualised. What is different in these accounts from more mainstream approaches to research is the readiness to accept that constructing new knowledge is a creative and critical process.     

The Twentieth Annual Convention

¹This article is based on a series of Chapel talks delivered at Yale University Divinity School when the author was a member of its faculty.     

Linking to the infosphere: The telecommunications in Primary Science project

This article reports on the Telecommunications in Primary Science (TIPS) project. A central aim of the TIPS project was to explore the feasibility of tackling problems associated with some primary teachers' lack of confidence and competence in the physical sciences through a computer network linking together a small number of schools and a university. In the course of the project, teachers became convinced of the potential of using the Internet in the classroom and also valued the electronic delivery of pedagogical guidance.