E-Learning Classroom
Environment: Description,
Objectives, Considerations and
Example Implementation
SAMI SHABAN & CHRISTOPHER HEAD
Although most of what is written about e-Learning
involves distance learning, we concentrate here on the
e-Learning classroom environment also known as the
computerized classroom. Studies show that technology
can be used to create learning and teaching opportunities (Dyrli & Kinnaman, 1994) and that e-Learning
has a large impact on education and educational systems (Rich, 2001). We describe the ultimate computerized classroom which uses technology to it’s fullest
to enhance the educational experience. We also discuss
some objectives and implementation considerations.
DESCRIPTION
he e-Learning classroom environment consists
of hardware, network, and software. Typically
there will be more than one of these classrooms
connected by a network. A description of the eLearning classroom environment is provided:
Hardware and Network: A significant investment in computer and networking hardware
components must be made to establish the eLearning classroom.
Student Computers: The student computers must be
sufficient to support the required software. Each
Classroom is configured in an ergonomic manner
allowing sufficient desk space for the computers as
well as textbooks. The maximum number of computers per classroom should be 20 to 30.
Instructor Computer: The instructor computer is
similar to that of the students and may include a
projector connection.
T
July-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
Network: A network connects the computers
within a classroom, and connects classrooms
with each other.
Printer: The computers in each classroom should
be connected through a network to a high speed
printer.
Server: All e-Learning classrooms are connected
through the network to a central high performance computer (server) used to authenticate
users logging on to the classroom computers and
to store shared programs and data.
Software: There are many pieces of software
needed in the e-Learning classroom, some general and some specialized.
• Classroom computer operating system.
• Server operating system.
• Standard software such as Microsoft Office
package.
• Keyboarding training program to teach
proper typing techniques.
• Broadcast program which enables instructors to send their screen to student computers for demonstration purposes.
• Student records management program to
manage student attendance and grades.
• File management program to facilitate
instructor distribution and collection of files.
• File repository where course files can be
stored for access by students.
SAMI SHABAN & CHRISTOPHER HEAD, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNIVERSITY, UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES
E-MAIL: [email protected]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
29
• Message program to alert students and
instructors of messages when they log on to
the system.
• Attendance program to allow instructors to
take attendance automatically.
• Testing program for test construction and
administration as well as recording of results.
• Subject-specific software appropriate for the
material being taught.
• Web-based communication such as e-mail,
e-mail groups, external access to personal
and course files, course web sites, and discussion groups.
OBJECTIVES
The effectiveness of instruction according to
Gagne’s theory of instruction (Gagne, 1985) is
shown to be higher in the e-Learning classroom
environment within all nine instruction objectives which are: (a) gain attention, (b) inform the
learner of lesson objectives, (c) stimulate recall of
prior learning, (e) present the stimulus material
with distinctive features, (f) provide learning
guidance, (g) provide informative feedback, (h)
elicit the performance, (i) assess performance,
and (j) enhance retention and transfer. It is therefore important to describe the objectives of the eLearning classroom environment:
Improve the Learning Process: Studies have
shown that there are benefits to the e-Learning
classroom environment one of which is an
improvement in the learning process (Lawson,
1995; Vichitvejpaisal et al., 2001). Also, the eLearning classroom environment as compared to
the traditional classroom should enhance the quality of instruction (Stinson & Claus, 2000). It also
provides benefits on all three fronts of constructive
learning which are: (a) learner exploration, (b)
instructor-assisted knowledge construction, and
(c) emphasizing interaction between learners,
their peers, and instructors (Dalgarno, 2001).
Computer assisted instruction has the potential to
be an extremely effective educational method. The
traditional modes of instruction: drill and practice,
tutorial, simulations, problem solving, authoring,
and inquiry can all be incorporated easily and elegantly into the e-Learning classroom environment
(Wang & Sleeman, 1994).
Enhance Student Outcomes: The ultimate goal in
education is to educate students and enhance
their outcomes. The purposeful use of computers in classroom instruction has been shown to
enhance student outcomes (Archer, 1998;
Milheim, 1995).
Increase Student Interest: Courses taken in the
electronic classroom have a high interest level
30
among students (Stinson & Claus, 2000). This
can only have a positive effect on attendance and
learning.
Enhance Computer and Web Skills: Enhancement of
general computer skills is one of the necessary
outcomes. These skills include keyboarding,
understanding computer terminology, word processing, web usage, and other general computer
skills. Students should gain the ability to use the
Internet to find authoritative, useful, and appropriate material (Goett & Foote, 2000).
Encourage Group Projects: Group projects can
be utilized more often as an educational tool in
the e-Learning classroom environment and this
environment should help reduce “free-riding”
(McCorkle et al., 1999).
Self-Directed Learning Skills: Formal training in
self-directed learning skills rarely occurs in the
traditional classroom environment. In the eLearning classroom environment, however, selfdirected learning skills can be easily taught
(Lieberman & Linn, 1991).
Improved Testing Methods: It is possible to use
testing software to construct and administer
tests on the computer and automatically grade
and store the results. Computerized tests can be
a very effective testing method (Brothen &
Wambach, 2001).
CONSIDERATIONS
There are some considerations which must be
taken into account when implementing the eLearning classroom environment:
Useful Technology with Sound Design: It is not
sufficient to simply provide computer technology in the e-Learning classroom, rather it is
imperative to provide the most useful and
appropriate educational technology (Levine,
2002). Inefficient allocation of funds and technical resources into a poorly designed computerized classroom will continue to disappoint
(Butzin, 2001).
Cost: Initial cost, recurrent costs, and cost-effectiveness are important issues in the e-Learning
classroom (Chambers & Sprecher, 2000). In addition to the initial investment in e-Learning technology it is also important to take into account
hardware and software upgrades, instructor
training, and technical support costs.
Instructor Use of Technology: Instructors need to
become proficient in the effective use of the computerized classroom (Butzin, 2001). This
includes not only use of subject-related programs, but also general computer use, keyboarding, and the use of classroom management programs.
July-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
Ergonomic and Safety Considerations:
Ergonomic considerations such as lighting, air
quality, and seating position are important in the
computerized classroom (Zandvleit & Straker,
2001). It is also important to consider the placement of computer cabling to ensure safety
requirements are met.
Teaching Strategies: Teaching as well as learning
strategies must be assessed and revised to fit the
e-Learning classroom environment (Liou, 2000).
The interlacing of lecture presentation and practical computer work is an excellent way for students to engage in the full e-Learning experience
(Levine, 2002). Students become more interested
and involved in their education and start asking
more what-if questions which the instructor can
address immediately.
Develop Instructional and Testing Material:
Preparation of instructional material, tutorials,
tests, and activities that use the technology can
be a formidable task (Levine, 2002; James &
Lamb, 2000). This is an important and ongoing
process that is essential to the successful implementation of e-Learning.
Computer Maintenance: It is extremely important to have a group of system administrators
and technicians perform hardware, network, and
software maintenance. This is imperative if the eLearning classroom is to be in continuously
working order.
UGRU IMPLEMENTATION
The University General Requirements Unit
(UGRU) was established at the beginning of the
1990-1991 academic year in the United Arab
Emirates University. The objective of this implementation was to transform the traditional classroom into an e-Learning environment more conducive to active learning. The UGRU e-Learning
classroom model is an eleven year attempt at
perfecting the e-Learning classroom experience.
Hardware: The UGRU e-Learning classrooms
are designated for specific uses, but all contain
the same basic configuration of an instructor
computer and 25 student computers. Most eLearning classrooms are designated for
Information Technology (IT) and Mathematics
classes. Others are used as Computer Assisted
Language Learning (CALL) labs for use by the
English and Arabic programs. Some computerized classrooms on each campus are used as
supervised open computer labs for use at any
time by the students for work on homework and
other studies. UGRU has 58 e-Learning classrooms, 41 on the Women’s Campus and 17 on
the Men’s. Hardware components are as follows:
Server: The servers on each campus are orgaJuly-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
nized by task. A powerful main server is used for
logging in and for data storage. Another, less
powerful server is used for print jobs, DHCP,
and workstation setup (ghosting). Backup
servers are ready to be used in case either server
should fail.
Workstations: The workstation computers in the
e-Learning classrooms range from Pentium II
350Mhz to Pentium III 1Ghz. The computers in
each e-Learning classroom are kept homogeneous, but each classroom as a whole may have
computers from different vendors.
Printers: Each e-Learning classroom has a high
speed network printer for service of that classroom.
Network: The UGRU network is comprised of
two Local Area Networks, one on each campus,
which are connected to the main University
Wide Area Network. The reliability and availability of the networks is of utmost importance
to UGRU as almost all of our software is partially or wholly network dependant.
Switches: The communication switches are connected at a speed of 100Mbps to the computers
and at 1Gbps between the switches. This provides fast responses at the computers. Ideally,
each classroom would be connected to a single
Virtual Network (VLAN). This separation is
required to allow enough bandwidth at the server and to isolate traffic, especially LANSchool
broadcasts described in the software section.
Active Directory: In conjunction with the decision to implement Windows 2000 Advanced
Server, it was also decided to use the Microsoft
Active Directory. This includes:
User Profiles: There are three distinct types of users
at UGRU: Student, Teacher and Administrator.
Each one has a roaming user profile. These profiles are stored on the server and are read-only.
Groups: There are four distinct user groups: (a)
student, (b) teacher, (c) technician, and (d)
administrator. These have various levels of
access to folders and files on the server.
Organisational Units (OUs): There are six OUs,
one for the e-Learning classroom computers, one
for office computers, and one for each of the four
groups.
Group Policy Objects (GPO): The group policy
objects are used to make the registry entries necessary to ensure the security and behaviour of
the computers.
Computer Installation and Maintenance: Due to
the large scale of the UGRU system, the installation and maintenance of computers must be
automated as much as possible.
31
Computer Identification Scheme (CIS): To identify
the computers in a simple but complete manner, a
standardized scheme was developed. Every computer has a unique name required by the MS
Windows 2000 computer OS. We construct this
name using the Building Code (a single letter) followed by a 3-digit room number, a separator
dash, and a 3-digit seat number. The seats are
enumerated in a consistent manner in all eLearning classrooms, starting with the instructor
computer as number 000 and followed sequentially by each student computer number from leftto-right and from front-to-back of the e-Learning
classroom. This scheme (Building-Room-Seat)
allows for easy identification of a single computer for many purposes throughout the system.
Disk Imaging (Ghosting): To perform the initial
setup of each computer, the software is first
installed on a single PC. Once this is completed,
tested, and optimised, an image is made from
this Source computer using the Symantec Ghost
disk imaging software. These Ghost images are
stored on a server and can be accessed from each
computer by executing the Ghost software locally and downloading the image. This guarantees
that every computer has an identical setup without the need for reinstallation of any software
from CDs. Ghosting of a computer is also performed if the software on the machine fails for
any reason, thus providing a complete reinstallation of the software.
System Preparation Tool (SysPrep): The use of
Symantec Ghost is not a complete solution as the
Windows 2000 Security IDs (SIDs) on each computer must be unique, as must the machine
name. Using an image would force these identifiers to be the same on all computers. We are
using the Microsoft System Preparation Tool
(SysPrep) to automatically assign a unique SID.
To do this, the last step of the Ghosting process is
to run SysPrep on the Source computer. When a
new computer is Ghosted (receives the Ghost
Image), the SysPrep process will automatically
complete by performing a mini-setup to assign
the unique SIDs.
Node Disk: In order to provide the computer with
a name that conforms to the UGRU naming convention, a computer setup disk, called a Node
Disk, has been created. The Node Disk is a
bootable floppy which automatically formats the
Hard Disk, sets up the partitions to our requirements and creates the boot files necessary to
attach to the server and execute the Ghosting
procedure. The node disk prompts for the
Building Code, Room and seat number and must
be entered manually by the technician. Once this
information is given, the node disk is no longer
32
needed and will automatically select the correct
Ghost image from the server (based on the type
of PC in the room specified), perform the
Ghosting process, initialize the SysPrep information file with the properly constructed computer
name, and perform the mini-setup. This will
leave the computer with the correct software
setup, computer name, and SID and will insert it
into the correct Organizational Unit in the Active
Directory on the server.
Software Updates: The Node disk provides a fast
and simple means to perform the initial computer setup. An entire e-Learning classroom of 25
PCs can be setup with approximately 5-10 minutes of preparation using node disks and 30-45
minutes of automatic execution of the noding
process. Inevitably there will be updates to existing software or requirements for new software to
be installed on the computer. For small, simple
updates we provide an identification number for
each update and use a program that executes as
part of the login script to apply them. This program checks a list of update numbers maintained on the computer’s local drive. If it finds
that one or more updates have been placed on
the server that have not yet been applied to the
computer, it will automatically perform the requisite update tasks and add the update numbers
to the list on the computer. This ensures that all
computers receive the updates only once. For
more substantial updates, it is necessary to make
a new Ghost image. This can be done by noding
a PC and logging on to apply the existing
updates. This becomes a new Source PC to
which the new substantial update should be
applied. A new ghost image is then created from
this Source PC, overwriting the previous one.
This new Ghost Image can be applied to all
working computers through the network without the need for a Node Disk as part of the
StartUp Script.
Trouble management: The custom-developed
Trouble Report Manger provides a simple means
for technical problems whether hardware, network, or software related to be reported by
instructors to the system administration team.
The technicians diligently monitor the Trouble
Report database and investigate the problem.
They then update the database to indicate the
course of action taken to correct the problem,
change the Trouble report Status to “Complete”
and the trouble Report is archived. The Trouble
Report Manager also allows for Emergency Calls.
This is used by the Instructor when a serious
problem exists in the e-Learning classroom and
immediately sounds an alarm on a computer in
the system administrator’s office for instant
July-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
attention. The room number of the CIS is used to
indicate the room where the problem exists.
Software: The software selection used at UGRU
is a combination of custom developed and
generic applications. These are organized into
student, teacher, and administrator functions,
each a subset of the next. All software is network-based, although some can run as standalone applications with limitations for times
when the network may be unavailable.
Server OS: Until recently, UGRU was using
Novell Netware on all servers. A decision was
made to migrate to MS-Windows 2000
Advanced Server as the rest of the University
had taken this step.
Computer OS: All UGRU computers are running
Windows 2000 Professional. This provides a
good measure of security on the computers compared to most other computer Operating
Systems and is well-supported by our computer
hardware.
Microsoft Office 2000 Professional: The installation
of Microsoft Office is primarily on the computer
and is part of the Ghost image. The Office
Resource Kit is used to ensure that all menus,
toolbars, fonts, and so forth, are set up correctly
as required by the curriculum.
Subject-specific applications: There are a number of
applications, mostly residing on the server F
drive, that are used to support the teaching and
learning process. These applications all execute
on the computer.
Computer Assisted Language Learning: There are a
number of applications used for English and
Arabic language learning. Many of these require
headphones that are available in dedicated
CALL labs. Almost all computers have sound
cards that allow students to attach headphones
when necessary.
Programming Curriculum: The programming
courses offered in the UGRU e-Learning classrooms use Visual Basic 6 and Borland C++.
Visual Basic is installed locally on the computers
and is part of the Ghost image.
Keyboarding: The TypingMaster keyboarding
tutorial is available in all e-Learning classrooms
and loads from the server. It is used by students
to improve their typing speed and accuracy.
Their progress is stored in a central database on
the server so that they can continue at the level
where they finished their last session. There is
also an Arabic language typing tutorial developed in-house.
Drives: The assignment of drive letters is an important foundation for most other software. The mapJuly-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
ping of drives provides a simple and flexible
means to access data and software. C, D, E, and W
are local to the computer, where as the rest are
mapped to a folder located on one of the servers.
• Local partitions C, D, E: The hard disk on
every computer is partitioned into C and D
drives with an additional E drive in the
instructor offices. The C drive contains the
OS and some local application such as MS
Office and Visual Basic. The D Drive is used
for temporary storage and for the Windows
Swap file. In instructor offices there is also
an E partition which is used for any local
storage the instructor needs. When reconstructing a computer, drive E is never affected and therefore any data stored there is
always safe.
• Working space W: The W drive is a local
drive used by the users as working storage.
The W drive is actually a substituted folder
on the secondary D partition. As each student logs on to a computer, the existing W
drive is archived by the login script and a
new W drive is created. The archived W
drives are deleted after aging or when more
disk space is required for the new W drive.
• Application storage F: Most applications are
stored entirely on the server. The menus are
also stored here to provide instant updates
within the classrooms.
• Teacher results drive T: The T drive is used
in conjunction with the XManager to save
the files the students have handed in.
Instructors can read from this drive and can
create files here using the XManager, but
cannot modify any files. The T drive is organized by room, date, time, and seat number.
• Classroom shared space X: The X drive provides a means for the instructor to make files
available to the students in the class. Each X
drive is actually a folder on the server, one
per classroom, and is read-only for students.
Instructors can place files for worksheets,
quizzes, or exams on the X drive and have
the students access them from there. In cases
where the students must modify the files
provided by the instructor, the students will
first need to copy them to their W drive. The
X drive is not preserved after the class session is over.
• User space U: The U drive is a personal storage area (folder) on the server for each user
which can be accessed from any computer
in the e-Learning classrooms and open computer labs.
33
• Subject shared space K: The K drive is used
to store files that are required as a basis of
the curricula. This includes slide presentations, standard worksheets, textbook support files, etc. Also included here is a repository of previous term projects to provide
examples to current students.
WhoAmI and the SeatingGrid: The custom-made
WhoAmI utility executes as part of the login
script and continues running at all times while
the student is logged on. It provides a small window in the top right corner of the screen and displays the student’s ID, name, and other information about the student. It also shows the CIS
number. This provides a fast, easy way for the
instructor to ensure that the student has logged
on correctly, especially in exam situations. Each
room has a room database residing on the server
that contains one record per seat. This record is
periodically updated by the WhoAMI utility. The
SeatingGrid is a program used by instructors to
provide a seating grid on the computer screen
matching the layout of the room. Each cell in the
grid shows various information about the corresponding seat such as who’s logged on.
Message board: To keep users informed about various aspects of the system or about upcoming
events, a message board appears as part of the
log on process.
Demonstration/Broadcasting: To demonstrate various tasks, instructors use the LANSchool broadcasting utility. This allows the instructor to take
control of some or all of the student computers
and send the instructor computers screen to the
students’ screens. This can be done by taking over
the entire screen and disabling the keyboard and
mouse or by using a window on the students’
screen and allowing the students to continue
working. It is also possible for the instructor to
unobtrusively monitor the work of each student
by capturing the student’s screen. Another feature
allows the re-broadcast of a student’s screen to the
other students under instructor control. There are
also projectors available for use in the e-Learning
classrooms, but these are seldom used as
LANSchool is more flexible and forces the students to pay attention to the instructor as their
computers are disabled. LANSchool also uses the
CIS to allow instructors in multiple classrooms to
broadcast to their class simultaneously without
bothering one another.
XManager, HandIn and Wsalvage: The XManager
and HandIn are custom-developed utilities that
allow the instructor to collect the student’s work
during a test or when working on a worksheet or
project. The HandIn utility is executed by the stu-
34
dent to copy all of the files and folders on the W
drive to the HandIn location on the server. The
instructor can then collect these files for later use.
The XManager also works with the SeatingGrid
object to show which students are present and
what files they have handed in. The Wsalvage
utility is used by the instructor to access files
stored previously by the students. This is especially useful when the student forgets to hand in
his work. These utilities are very simple to use
and hide the underlying complexity.
Testing: A locally developed system called
Computer Generated Exam (CGE) is used to construct and administer tests to students. The CGE
system can save results directly into the Student
Records Database.
Student Records: The Student Records system consists of a set of custom-developed utilities that
facilitate attendance taking and grade keeping.
The UGRU Student Records database is maintained with periodic downloads from the university’s central student records database. The attendance and grades can also be entered into a protected Excel spreadsheet, which can be generated
at any time for each of instructor’s classes. Record
security is maintained by allowing only the class
instructor to access the attendance and grades
records for each class. The attendance module has
both an instructor and a student component. The
instructor component works with the SeatingGrid
program and the room database to allow the
instructor to quickly take attendance without a
need for a roll call. The grade modules provide a
simple method for entering student grades. This
is integrated with the CGE testing system to allow
the automatic entry of scores. For other grades,
the instructor simply enters raw scores and the
Grade utility will perform all calculations to provide a weighted final score.
Security, Failsafe, and Backup: The main servers
are equipped with dual power supplies, Raid
arrays and other failsafe features to ensure minimal downtime. Each night the servers are
backed up to tape following a prescribed backup
procedure.
Workstation: Computer security is handled by the
GPO and is therefore maintained centrally. This
allows for frequent modifications and is very
flexible.
Server and Active Directory: The server is protected using the access rights to the various folders
based on the group membership of each user.
The servers are physically protected by combination locks and are placed in climate-controlled
rooms. Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPSs)
are used to ensure power failure protection.
July-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
Virus protection: The McAfee virus scanner is
used and is updated frequently. The updates are
executed automatically by the login script from a
data file located on the server.
External Communication: Until recently there
has been little effort in using external communication technology in UGRU. Plans are underway
to make full use of the following technologies.
E-mail and E-mail Groups: E-mail is available for
instructors and students. E-mail groups are currently only available for instructors, but plans
for student e-mail groups are being made.
External Access to Files: There are future plans to
allow secure, password-protected access to the U
drives and course materials through the File
Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Web Site: The current UGRU web site has some
valuable information. Plans are being made to
provide course syllabi and material on the web.
Chatting and Bulletin Board Web Sites: Future
plans also include providing useful online discussions among students and instructors using
live chatting and bulletin board web sites.
CONCLUSION
In today’s increasingly technological world, educational institutions must produce students who
are able to make effective use of technology. The
early introduction of technology and its ongoing
implementation throughout the student’s education are important in meeting this goal.
Computerized classrooms also provide a means to
improve the learning process, increase student
interest, and ultimately enhance student outcomes. The UGRU experience has shown that the
e-Learning classroom environment, implemented
well, can produce students who are technologically competent and can also provide an educational
environment in which students can excel. ➪
REFERENCES
Archer, J. (1998). The link to higher test scores. Education Week,
18(5), 10-21.
Brothen, T., & Wambach, C., (2001). Effective student use of
computerized quizzes. Teaching of Psychology, 28(4), 292-294.
Butzin, S.M. (2001). Using instructional technology in transformed
learning environment: An evaluation of Project CHILD. Journal of
Research on Computing in Education, 33(4), 367-373.
Dalgarno, B. (2001). Interpretations of constructivism and consequences for computer assisted learning. British Journal of
Educational Technology, 32(2), 183-194.
Dyrli, O.E., & Kinnaman, D.E., (1994). Integrating technology into
your classroom curriculum. Technology & Learning, 14(5), 38-43.
Gagne, R.M. (1985). The conditions of learning and theory of
instruction. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Goett, J.A. & Foote, K.E. (2000). Cultivating student research and
study skills in web-based learning environments. Journal of
Geography in Higher Education, 24(1), 92-99.
James, R.K., & Lamb, C.E. (2000). Integrating science, mathematics, and technology in middle school technology-rich environments: A study of implementation and change. School
Science & Mathematics, 100(1), 27-35.
Lawson, D.A. (1995). The effectiveness of a computer-assisted
learning programme in engineering mathematics. International
Journal of Mathematical Education in Science & Technology,
26(4), 567-574.
Levine, L.E. (2002). Using technology to enhance the classroom
environment. T.H.E. Journal, 29(6), 16-18.
Lieberman, D.A., & Linn, M.C. (1991). Learning to learn revisited: Computers and the development of self-directed learning
skills. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 23(3),
373-395.
Liou, H. (2000). Assessing learner strategies using computers:
New insights and limitations. Computer Assisted Language
Learning, 13(1), 65-78.
McCorkle, D.E., Reardon, J., Alexander, J.F., King, N.D., Harris, R.
C., & Vishwanathan Iyer, R. U. (1999). Undergraduate marketing
students, group projects and teamwork: The good, the bad, and
the ugly? Journal of Marketing Education, 21(2), 106-117.
Milheim, W.D. (1995). Interactivity and computer-based instruction. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 24(3), 225-233.
Rich, T., (2001). E-Learning futures: Report of an AUA study
group. Perspectives: Policy & Practice in Higher Education, 5(3).
Stinson, B.M., & Claus, K. (2000). The effects of electronic classrooms on learning English composition: A middle ground
between traditional instruction and computer based instruction.
T.H.E. Journal, 27(7), 98-102.
Vichitvejpaisal, P., Sitthikongsak, S., Preechakoon, B., Kraiprasit,
K., Parakkamodom, S., Manon, C., & Petcharatana, S. (2001).
Does computer-assisted instruction really help to improve the
learning process? Medical Education, 35(10), 983-987.
Wang, S., & Sleeman, P.J. (1994). The effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction...A theoretical explanation. International
Journal of Instructional Media, 21(1), 61-77.
Zandvleit, D.B., & Straker, L.M. (2001). Physical and psychosocial aspects of the learning environment in information technology rich classroom. Ergonomics, 44(9).
Chambers, J.A. & Sprecher, J.W. (2000). Computer assisted
instruction: Current trends and critical issues. Communications
of the ACM, 23(6), 332-342.
July-September 2003 •
International Journal on E-Learning
35