Hyperfiction: its Possibilities in English

When writers use hypertext — the technology that makes possible nonsequential, fully electronic reading and writing — to produce a fictional narrative, the result is interactive hyperfiction. This article charts what we know about electronic non-linear narrative: its origins, literary precursors and distinctive features. It also explores the potential of hyperfiction in the English classroom. Finally, it examines some of the difficulties associated with the use of hyperfiction as well as the hype that has surrounded its introduction into educational settings.     

Student–authored Hypermedia in Veterinary Anatomy: Teaching and Learning Outcomes of Group Project Work

The Directed–Self Education programme (DSE) in the first year undergraduate course in veterinary anatomy seeks to support students in developing personal study and information technology skills. It also aims to move computer–assisted learning (CAL) towards offering tools for students to create a variety of computer–based materials of their own which subsequently can be repurposed by staff as teaching resources. This aspect addresses the issue that many British academics have little incentive to devote time to improving teaching through CAL methods, as innovation and excellence in teaching is not rewarded in career terms on par with excellence in research. The programme seeks to integrate a modest type of "problem–based learning" (PBL) methodology without demanding the total integration of pre–clinical with clinical teaching advocated by full–scale PBL. Since 1993 the outcomes of the programme have been that lectures in the first year veterinary anatomy course have been reduced by a third, with a slight change in the mean value of the final grades in the first year final examination in veterinary anatomy during 1994–5, as compared to the years 1991–3. Other benefits have included the rapid creation of a library of student–produced CAL which is recycled by staff into other forms of computer–based teaching. It has also led to involvement in the use of CAL by lecturers hitherto resistant to applying technology to teaching, and the vacation employment of current BVSc undergraduates from the programme in university and national projects producing CAL for medical teaching.     

“The Machine Stops”: One School’s Rejection of Integrated Learning Systems

This case study of an Integrated Learning System in a UK school was designed to examine staff and pupil attitudes towards the software and to understand why the school chose to cease using the ILS after two years of implementation. Staff who used the software in their teaching were interviewed and their pupils’ attitudes were measured using questionnaires. We analyse and discuss the results of the staff interviews alongside the pupil questionnaires in order to shed some light on the reasons underlying the cessation of the ILS. The study concludes that a combination of technical problems with the ILS software and the lack of a clear focus in managerial decisions concerning the purchase, implementation and administration of the system in this school hindered the successful implementation of the ILS.“The Machine Stops” by E. M. Forster was first published in the Oxford and Cambridge Review in 1909.     

Real Or Not Real: The Impact of the Physical Fidelity of Virtual Learning Resources on Learning Anatomy

Technological advancements have made it possible to create realistic virtual representations of the real world, although it is unclear in medical education whether high physical fidelity is required in virtual learning resources (VLRs). This study, therefore, aimed to compare the effectiveness of high-fidelity (HF) and low-fidelity (LF) VLRs for learning anatomy. For this study, HF and LF VLRs were developed for liver anatomy and participants were voluntarily recruited from two cohorts (cohorts 1 and 2). Knowledge outcomes were measured through pre- and post-tests, task outcomes including activity score and completion time were recorded and participants' perceptions of the VLRs were surveyed. A total of 333 participants (165 HF and 168 LF) took part in this study. Knowledge outcomes were higher for the HF activity in cohort 1 and for the LF activity in cohort 2, although not significantly. There were no significant differences in activity score within either cohort, although completion time was significantly longer for the HF activity in cohort 1 (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences within either cohort in perceptions of the VLRs regarding usefulness for reviewing conceptual knowledge, esthetics, quality, mental effort experienced, or future use, although the LF VLR was scored significantly higher regarding the value for understanding in cohort 1 (P = 0.027).This study suggests that high physical fidelity is not necessarily required for anatomy VLRs, although may potentially be valuable for improving knowledge outcomes. Also, level of prior knowledge may be an important factor when considering the physical fidelity of anatomy VLRs.     

Reading Among Young Russians: Some Modern Tendencies

This article is a preliminary summary of the results of a huge study of reading among urban high school students (ages 14–17) in many regions of Russia. It considers such aspects of the topic as: the place of reading in the structure of high school students' life plans and leisure activities; their motives for reading, their preferences, and the amount they read; the level of their culture of reading and information seeking; and the influence of family, peers, libraries, and the Internet on their reading habits.     

Selecting or Upgrading Software and Web Sites in the Classroom

Three issues are important considerations when selecting or updating software and/or web sites for children’s use in classrooms or computers labs. The first issue is computer integration: products need to mesh with the goals or standards identified by the school, district or state. Second, violence should be avoided, especially if children initiate and control the violence. Third, the developmental appropriateness of programs is an essential consideration. The outstanding software and web sites for 2004 are reviewed and illustrated with screen captions.     

《旅游地理》教法初探

《旅游地理》是研究旅行游览与地理环境相互关系的一门学科，地理教师应不断通过图法教学、多媒体教学和实地教学拓宽自己的教法，使地理课更有趣、生动。     

Spatial abilities of expert clinical anatomists: comparison of abilities between novices, intermediates, and experts in anatomy

Spatial ability has been found to be a good predictor of success in learning anatomy. However, little research has explored whether spatial ability can be improved through anatomy education and experience. This study had two aims: (1) to determine if spatial ability is a learned or inherent facet in learning anatomy and (2) to ascertain if there is any difference in spatial ability between experts and novices in anatomy. Fifty participants were identified: 10 controls, 10 novices, 10 intermediates, and 20 experts. Participants completed four computerized spatial ability tasks, a visual mental rotation task, categorical spatial judgment task, metric spatial task, and an image-scanning task. The findings revealed that experts (P = 0.007) and intermediates (P = 0.016) were better in the metric spatial task than novices in terms of making more correct spatial judgments. Experts (P = 0.033), intermediates (P = 0.003), and novices (P = 0.004) were better in the categorical spatial task than controls in terms of speed of responses. These results suggest that certain spatial cognitive abilities are especially important and characteristic of work needed in clinical anatomy, and that education and experience contribute to further development of these abilities.     

Playing with computers,playing with ideas

In this article I react to the thoughts of Hennessey, addressing mainly the student, and Esquivel, addressing mainly the teacher. These authors present complementary, interesting, and consistent pictures of creativity education. Here I comment on a few issues that are less clear and discuss implications of these authors' work for computers in education. I conclude that teachers need to play with ideas about how they might use computers to build a culture that promotes deep, meaningful, and creative learning.Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.