re are different teaching and learning styles. The more versatile the materials and strategies offered, the more likely the materials will be integrated into the classroom.
Behavioral perspectives. Behavioral perspectives refer to the learning processes in terms of changes in observable behaviors. Changes in behavior are attributed to the pairing of stimuli and responses with positive or negative reinforcement. Two theories that exemplify this dimension are operant conditioning and applied behavioral analysis.
Cognitive perspectives. Cognitive perspectives refer to the structures and processes involved in thinking and how these structures and processes are learned and developed over time. Four theories that illustrate this dimension are constructivism, generative learning, concept learning, and problem solving.
Motivational perspectives. Motivational perspectives refer to factors that influence a learner's desire and ability to learn, such as level of task difficulty, attribution of success to oneself or others, and expectation of success. Four theories that exemplify this dimension include flow theory, attribution theory, achievement goal theory, and expectancy theory.
Sociocognitive perspectives. Sociocognitive perspectives refer to the effects of social characteristics such as age, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity on cognitive processes and learning. Two theories that exemplify this dimension include social development and cooperative learning.
Developmental theories. Developmental theories refer to learning in terms of how changes during childhood affect the learning process. Two theories that exemplify this dimension include stage theories and nonstage theories.
No one perspective of learning theory will contribute more than the others to the successful implementation of the WWW in the classroom. To successfully meet the needs of teachers and students, the Web-based strategy needs to be varied, appropriate for the learners involved, and result in a more effective learning environment and increased student performance due to a more hands-on, minds-on approach to learning.
The WWW is making a global economic impact on our lives and schools are critical to the process of preparing children for that world. The purpose of conducting this needs assessment was to gain a better understanding of the school context, school content and WWW resources, and current learning theory and teaching practice so that appropriate teaching and learning strategies for Web-based instruction and learning could be developed. The overall findings from this analysis are reported in these three areas from the perspective of the customer, the teachers who ultimately have the responsibility of deciding what happens in their classrooms.
Three interrelated areas of school context exist: administration, technology, and teachers. For the WWW to be integrated into a school successfully, all of these areas must be addressed and resolved.
The inclusion of Web-based instruction and learning in schools can be accomplished by preparing teachers for the eventuality that they will one day have Internet access. This preparation should help teachers determine how the WWW can be used within their own classroom configuration so that its use is seamless in their instruction rather than being used solely as a "big-time event." It should also prepare teachers to address slow modem speeds and understand that the most dazzling sites may not be the most educationally effective. Teachers need exposure to the different types of Web resources that are available for classroom use and training in efficient search strategies. Instruction exists that teaches teachers how to develop WWW materials. Since fewer materials are available which assist teachers on how to integrate the variety of WWW resources in the classroom, development efforts should be here. When students or teachers have the inclination to learn how to create content for the WWW, they should be encouraged to do so; however, this should not be the only way the WWW is promoted for classroom use. Administrators 