Presents specifications for software that is designed to support manual development and maintenance of information retrieval thesauri. Evaluation of existing software and design of custom software is discussed, requirements for integration with larger systems and for the user interface are described, and relationships among terms are discussed.…

Discusses the importance of skillful visual design of computer screens and provides guidelines for screen design in the areas of information resolution, interaction of design elements, color, and typography and icons. (MES)

Describes HYTELNET, a hypertext utility which facilitates access to INTERNET resources for IBM-PC users. Software development and expansion of the utility from an electronic guide to online library catalogs to a complete directory of Internet sites are discussed. Instructions for retrieving HYTELNET are appended, and 14 references available…

Review of upgrades to IBM and Macintosh software includes personal experiences with DOS 5.0, PC Tools Version 7, and Microsoft Word 5.5. Reasons for and problems with upgrades are then discussed, including alternatives to upgrading and problems with skipping upgrades. Guidelines for deciding whether to upgrade and notes from the literature for…

This issue presents 11 articles that address issues relating to the production of CD-ROMs. Highlights include current uses of CD-ROM; standards; steps involved in producing CD-ROMs, including data capture, conversion, and tagging, product design, and indexing; authoring; selecting indexing and retrieval software; costs; multimedia CD-ROMs; and…

Examines factors affecting selection and development of computer simulations, including type of learner, simulation formats, instructional purposes, learning outcomes, fidelity, learning stages, and logistical issues. A flowchart model and set of prescriptions to help designers arrive at specifications for an instructional simulation are…

Discusses copyright considerations in multimedia development, and provides a checklist for teachers and students based on the United States House of Representative's "Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia" (1996) and the Association for Computing Machinery's "Interim Copyright Policies." Describes three copyright use…

Presents a methodology for the development of educational software for use in secondary education based on the characteristics of the students and the curricular objectives. Topics discussed include desirable features of educational software and the engineering of educational software, including its interdisciplinary nature. (Contains 10…

This book shows how and why the computer is so well suited to producing discovery learning environments. An examination of the literature outlines four basic modes of instruction: didactic, Socratic, inquiry, and discovery. Research from the fields of education, psychology, and physiology is presented to demonstrate the many strengths of…

Discusses procedures for storyboard development and provides guidelines for designing interactive multimedia courseware, including interactivity, learner control, feedback, visual elements, motion video, graphics/animation, text, audio, and programming. A topical bibliography that lists 98 items is included. (LRW)

This paper discusses four areas in the psychology literature that have important implications for the instructional design of microcomputer-based simulations. The first one examined is cognitive structures, and the following suggestions for instructional design are offered: simulations should be appropriate for students' level of understanding;…

This paper discusses the factors involved in making decisions about a multimedia display system. Theoretical factors, including gaining and holding learner attention, specific attention-getting devices, encoding and retrieval of information by learners, and presentation of information are considered. Ways that video is associated with computer…

Presents guidelines derived from cognitive and constructivist learning theory and instructional design literature for designing effective hypermedia-based courseware. Topics addressed include the influence of learning theory, hypertext and hypermedia, courseware design factors, learner interaction variables, practice, feedback, learner control,…

Discusses videodisc and videotape basic needs, software development issues, user workstation issues, appropriate applications for the different audio/visual storage media, counter vs. time-code VCRs, and implications for student development. (MDH)