Described is a set of FORTRAN programs, suitable for teaching and research purposes, that simulate contact and regional metamorphism. Equations, examples, program uses, and availability are discussed. (CW)

Examines implications from cognitive psychology which are important for the design of microcomputer-based instructional simulations. Topics addressed include cognitive structure, including schemata and mental models; cognitive and metacognitive strategies; automaticity of cognitive processes; and affect, or the motivational appeal. (Contains 86…

Examines the relationship between student participation in structured activities and academic success at school; discusses the use of computers in schools; and describes a study that investigated 220 students in 3 high schools to determine relationships between participation in structured activities and successful computer use in school. (Contains…

A discussion of technology in higher education looks at common, often erroneous, assumptions made in evaluating computer applications for teaching. The Flashlight Project, a three-year effort to develop and share procedures used by colleges and universities to evaluate education strategies for using technology, is described briefly. (MSE)

Describes the Hypertutor Model, a message design framework for interactive instructional systems that emphasizes learner control, presentation, practice, feedback, and learning resources. Problems with software designed for computer assisted instruction are examined; hypertutor systems are discussed; and MegaMentor, a hypertutor system at the…

This study investigated the cognitive style (field dependence/independence) and learning strategies of undergraduate students in learner-controlled computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Three learning strategies were identified, but it was concluded that cognitive styles and learning strategies may be the result of the computer software design,…

Discussion of communication between designers and users of information systems focuses on a review of seven participatory design techniques in terms of the communication dimensions found in the Lievrouw and Finn communication systems model. Implications for the development of more effective and appropriate design models and methods are suggested.…

Examines research on computers as cognitive enhancers, focusing on applications software that includes spreadsheets, graphing, and databases. Appropriate computer-based problem-solving environments for young children are reviewed, and implications for teachers are suggested. (Contains eight references.) (LRW)

Reports on studies that analyze the impact of microcomputers in schools on student achievement as compared to more traditional methods, and explores research that relates student achievement to software design, learner characteristics, and instructional decisions on technology implementation. (17 references) (MAB)

This summary of the literature on document image processing from 1988-90 focuses on WORM (write once read many) technology and on rewritable (i.e., erasable) optical discs, and excludes CD-ROM. Highlights include vendors and products, standards, comparisons of storage media, software, legal issues, records management, indexing, and computer…

Discusses features of online public access catalogs: (1) demonstration of relationships between records; (2) provision of entry vocabularies; (3) arrangement of multiple entries on the screen; (4) provision of access points; (5) display of single records; and (6) division of catalogs into separate files or indexes. User studies and other research…

Considers three main components of self-directed learning: (1) topic knowledge; (2) procedural skills; and (3) self-monitoring. The role of computer-assisted instruction in autonomous learning is discussed, software that fosters independent problem solving is reviewed, and it is recommended that computers be incorporated in courses emphasizing…

Discusses the design of interfaces for online systems and suggests requirements that must be met to offer maximum aid to inexperienced users. Highlights include the online search process, user data, query processing, database descriptors, semantic links, multilingual processing, search strategies, and distributed systems. A 20-page bibliography…

Describes a variety of computer software programs and student activities utilizing the computer to help teach secondary social studies. Suggests using word processors, painting programs, and computer simulations for history and government courses. Concludes that successful use of computers in social studies instruction depends on the design of…

Discusses reasons for the slower acceptance of educational technology in the humanities. Highlights include teacher training; support staff skills; software development; lack of equity in funding for hardware and software; technology diffusion; and a description of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, a comprehensive model of change in education.…