RUSSELL, SCOTT D. Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019-0245. - Interactivity on the Internet and interactive learning environments.
The challenge of incorporating interactivity into the sciences and
particularly botany seem increasingly to require technically-gifted
coalitions of educators, illustrators, computer graphic artists and
programmers. Methods for incorporating interactivity are numerous,
ranging from Internet delivery (Java, various movie formats, virtual
reality, ray-tracing reconstructions, Shockwave, Chime, etc.) to
offline proprietary solutions (DVDs, CD-ROMs, restrictive individual
use licenses). Economic models to develop and purchase sophisticated
technologically advanced products run counter to diminishing resource
and budget availability. Problems also exist in making the message and
not the medium memorable. The problem now is how to develop a
contextually rich interactive environment that scales between
significant ranges of intellectual ability. Despite an increase in the
means of interactive delivery, why has development seemed to
languish?
Key words: instructional software, interactive, Internet, learning environments