This detailed description of a microcomputer version of PROUST (Program Understander for Students), a knowledge-based system that finds nonsyntactic bugs in Pascal programs written by novice programmers, presents the inner workings of Micro-PROUST, which was written in Golden LISP for the IBM-PC (512K). The contents include: (1) a reprint of an…

Describes preliminary efforts to create the Lesson Design System, a computer-guided instructional design system written in Pascal for Apple microcomputers. Its content outline, strategy, display, and online lesson editors correspond roughly to instructional design phases of content and strategy analysis, display creation, and computer programing…

Part of the Communications Design Center's (CDC) on-going research on communication and document design, this report emphasizes the importance of a multi-level computer help system that goes beyond simple command descriptions to include assistance with goals and strategies within the application domain--in this case, automated authoring. The help…

This report describes the development of the Instructional Support System (ISS), a large-scale, computer-based training system that supports both computer-assisted instruction and computer-managed instruction. Written in the Ada programming language, the ISS software package is designed to be machine independent. It is also grouped into functional…

The concept of "structured programming" was developed to facilitate software production, but it has not carried over to documentation design. Two concepts of structure are relevant to user documentation for computer programs. The first is based on programming techniques that emphasize decomposition of tasks into discrete modules, while the second…

Discusses the application and use of a microcomputer-assisted reference statistics procedure which allows for customized programs to be designed and determined by local, unique research objectives, service demands, and the ultimate use of the recorded data. A literature review of the development and use of reference statistics is included. (EM)

Surveys current state-of-the-art in courseware development for microcomputers; discusses guidelines for overall program and screen display design; describes three major approaches to developing courseware--programing language, authoring system, or authoring language use; and reviews two current research areas--automated instructional development…

An "intelligent" system for constructing computer-assisted pattern drills to be used in second language instruction is proposed. First, some of the difficulties in designing intelligent error analysis are discussed briefly. Two major approaches to error analysis in computer-assisted instruction, pattern matching and parsing, are described, and…

Defines eight software production stages, and argues that the key to the production of a higher quantity of reasonable quality software lies in development of support technologies to assist teachers in software development. Three approaches--software toolboxes, computer assisted instruction (CAI) program shells, and software CAI analysts--are…

Simulation-based software tools that can infer system behaviors from a deep model of the system have the potential for automatically building the semantic representations required to support intelligent tutoring in fault diagnosis. The Intelligent Maintenance Training System (IMTS) is such a resource, designed for use in training troubleshooting…

This report provides detailed guidelines for configuring a computer based instructional (CBI) laboratory based on the use of Navy/Air Force standard microcomputer hardware and software, some off-the-shelf products, and specialized simulation hardware/software, Navy developed authoring and operating systems, and operational equipment interfaces.…

The first of two reports in this document identifies research topics relevant to the introduction of information technology (IT) into schools. A discussion of general issues in IT points out the need for detailed empirical evaluation for the implementation of IT; the need to overcome barriers to innovation; and the need to support and encourage…