ANNOUNCEMENT

EVALUATING LEARNING TECHNOLOGY -

A DATABASE OF RESEARCH

The purpose of the ELTDOR (Evaluating Learning Technology - A Database of

Research) Project was to develop a database which would contain references to the considerable body of research which has been carried out into the effective-

ness of computer related technology in teaching and learning. The production of

the database was funded by the Learning Technologies Unit of the UK Employ-

ment Department and carried out at Sheffield Hallam University between 1992

and 1993.

The evaluations focus on one or more of: learning effectiveness; cost

effectiveness; learning time; learning motivation; student response; and teacher response. Evaluations have been conducted in a variety of ways and the database

includes a number of records which focus upon research methodology. No particular approach has been favoured or excluded in compiling the database.

Apart from a few exceptions, the database is restricted to material published

in or after 1985 which, in practice, covers studies carried out in or after 1983-4.

The exceptions are overviews, in the form of bibliographies, literature reviews or meta-analyses, which go back before 1985.

Both education and training are covered although there are far more

references to the former. Nearly thirty countries are represented in the database

although most records relate to work carried out and reported in the UK or the

USA. References have been obtained from: electronic databases (CD-ROM and

online); paper-based abstracts; journal runs; cited references; holdings of specialist libraries; occasional blbiographies; and institutional publication lists.

The database with the largest holding of relevant references is ERIC. A decision was taken to exclude most of these records because the wide availability of ERIC. The exceptions are those which refer to overviews or evaluation methodology.

At present the database is delivered on one floppy disk by means of a run-

time version of DataEase for the PC microcomputer and it is envisaged that it

will be updated on an annual basis. The database contains approximately three hundred records of relevance to Initial Teacher Education (ITE) the vast majority of which are focussed in the school classroom. My involvement with

ELTDOR arose when I was commissioned by the National Council for Educa- tional Technology in the UK to present an overview of this section of the database of special relevance to ITE in general. This alerted me to the potential

Educational Studies in Mathematics 27:113-114, 1994.

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of this project in serving my particular interests, and therefore those of my students, in the field of mathematics eduation.

At the present time however the database contains reports on what is fairly narrow section of computer use in mathematics education, although it does highlight some interesting trends and issues within the field. It is recognised that there is little on microworlds, visualisation, multiple-linked representations and the role of imagery for example. I would particularly like to see the database strengthened in relation to its coverage of the field of mathematics education. Readers are invited to send copies of research reports and abstracts to Sean Barr, Project Officer, ELTDOR, Centre for Multimedia in Education, Sheffield

Hallam University, 36 Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2BP, with a view to

their inclusion in future updates of the database. Alternatively suggestions for the inclusion of the work of particular writers and researchers would be

welcomed.

Brian Hudson Mathematics Education Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, 25 Broomgrove

Road, Sheffield, S10 2NA, UK.