Interactive computer simulations with complex representations and sophisticated graphics are a relatively new addition to the classroom, and research in this area is limited. We have conducted over 200 individual student interviews during which the students described what they were thinking as they interacted with simulations. These interviews were conducted as part of the research and design of simulations for the Physics Education Technology (PhET) project. PhET is an ongoing project that has developed over 60 simulations for use in teaching physics, chemistry, and physical science. These interviews are a rich source of information about how students interact with computer simulations and what makes an educationally effective simulation. We have observed that simulations can be highly engaging and educationally effective, but only if the student's interaction with the simulation is directed by the student's own questioning. Here we describe our design process, what features are effective for engaging students in educationally productive interactions and the underlying principles which support our empirically developed guidelines. In a companion paper we describe in detail the design features used to create an intuitive simulation for students to use. Complete listing and access info »

Interactive computer simulations with complex representations and sophisticated graphics are a relatively new addition to the classroom, and research in this area is limited. We have conducted over 200 individual student interviews during which the students described what they were thinking as they interacted with simulations. These interviews were conducted as part of the research and design of simulations for the Physics Education Technology (PhET) project. PhET is an ongoing project that has developed over 60 simulations for use in teaching physics, chemistry, and physical science. These interviews are a rich source of information about how students interact with computer simulations and what makes an educationally effective simulation. The interviews demonstrate that the simulation must function intuitively or the student's attention is focused on how to use the simulation rather than on the topic presented. Here we provide guidelines for intuitive interface design developed by this research. These cover layout, tool use, help and representations that we use to create a simulation. We give examples from interviews which demonstrate the effectiveness of each guideline for engaging students in educationally productive interactions. Complete listing and access info »

This Educause Quarterly article draws on an in-depth study of humanities and social science (H/SS) faculty and their attitudes about use and nonuse of digital resources in teaching undergraduates. It explores in some detail faculty attitudes about digital resources use in teaching environments. It also summarizes the larger research we conducted on the universe of digital resources available to undergraduate educators in a subset of users in H/SS and suggests how understanding use, users, and nonusers might benefit the integration of these resources into scholarly environments. Complete listing and access info »

This report provides aggregate findings of the Faculty Survey on Open Educational Resources (OER) conducted online during late fall 2007 and early spring 2008. There were 1,203 faculty respondents to the survey from 12 Districts and 28 colleges. Of these respondents, 793 or 66% indicated they are full-time faculty. Part-time numbered 401 or 34%. There were 9 who did not indicate their full or part-time status. The faculty respondents represent a wide range of disciplines. The largest numbers were from English, Math, Counseling, Computer and Information Science, Business, ESL, and Foreign Languages. Substantial numbers were from Life, Social, Behavioral, and Physical Sciences. The respondents to the survey indicated considerable interest in using, sharing, and even producing OER learning materials. Over 90% indicated interest in using OER materials. A third of the respondents noted they were already using OER materials in their classes. As this sample does not represent the entire faculty, however, it cannot be concluded that a third of the faculty are using OER materials though many are no doubt using Internet resources. Respondents represented a wide range of disciplines including many in vocational education, basic skills, counseling, social, behavioral, life and the physical sciences. About 87% said they were likely to use OER if they were readily accessible and about 66% percent said they were interested in identifying or producing OER. About 75% of those responding to the survey indicated the type of support they would need to contribute to identifying or producing OER materials with Training, Guidelines and Templates, and Paid Compensation among the greatest needs. Complete listing and access info »

Almost every American research university and library has made significant investments in digitizing its intellectual and cultural resources and making them publicly available. There is, however, little empirical data about how these resources are actually used or who is using them (Harley, 2007). Those who fund and develop digital resources have identified the general lack of knowledge about the level and quality of their use in educational settings as pressing concerns. As part of a larger investigation into use and users of digital resources (Harley et al., 2006), 1 we conducted an experimental analysis of two commonly-used methods for exploring the use of university-based Web-based resources: transaction log analysis (TLA) and online site surveys. In this article, we first provide an overview of these two methods, including their key challenges and limitations. We then describe an implementation of TLA and online surveys in combination on two local sites and the results of that test, including an exploration of the surveys' response rates and bias. From that test, we draw conclusions about the utility of these two methods and the particular analytic methods that may provide the most valuable and efficient results. Complete listing and access info »