Reviews several software packages that analyze text readability, check for spelling and style problems, offer desktop publishing capabilities, teach interviewing skills, and teach grammar using a computer game. (SRT)

Reviews research on the efficacy of word processing programs in teaching students how to revise their papers and speculates on what kinds of programs will be available in the future. (JC)

Drawing from experiences at Cuyahoga Community College, this paper offer guidance on the use of storyboard packages and authoring languages to develop interactive instructional materials. Introductory comments reveal that the greatest use of computers in courses other than computer and information sciences is still in drills, tutorials, writing…

Discusses the question of whether one must know how to program in order to make the most effective use of the computer in language classes. Looks at four computer languages which may be of interest to language teachers who want to learn programing: BASIC, assembler, high-level languages, and authoring systems. (SED)

This overview of a digital optical storage medium with a multimedia capability includes a global description of specifications, current status, and elements required to make a CD-I (compact disk interactive) launch possible. (Author/CLB)

Discusses the advantages of using story board techniques to design a course in computer based training, and describes the use of HyperCard to create the story boards directly on the computer screen. The discussion covers HyperCard's software capabilities, programing language, and print features. (CLB)

Some practical suggestions for using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) are presented to help teachers overcome difficulties with jargon and logistics. They cover selecting hardware, obtaining software (commercial and authoring), organizing resources, training, and implementation. (17 references) (LB)

Contends that the interactive authoring of microcomputer software is an appropriate service for community college libraries. Lists steps in the development of such a program. Provides a sample program authored in BASIC for a learning module on the use of figurative language. (DMM)

Describes a custom authoring system that was developed for use by multinational corporations who use computer-based training (CBT) that must be adaptable to diverse individual markets. Criteria for multinational CBT programs are discussed, the use of BASIC programing language is explained, and the author interface is described. (nine references)…

Question and answer column about the CD ROM medium discusses: (1) optical storage devices available; (2) language teaching applications; (3) types of courseware available; (4) costs to hook up a CD ROM drive as a peripheral to an existing system; (5) how to go about developing and mastering a disk; and (6) mastering and replication costs.…

Presents a taxonomy describing various uses of artificial intelligence techniques in automated instructional development systems. Instructional systems development is discussed in relation to the design of computer-based instructional courseware; two systems being developed at the Air Force Armstrong Laboratory are reviewed; and further research…

Makes suggestions and forecasts relating to the nature of the developing partnership between teachers, students, and microcomputers and to the development and use of educational software to truly optimize learning in United Kingdom schools. (MBR)

Discussion of courseware development focuses on a transaction shell approach that stresses flexibility and reusability of the courseware. Topics discussed include high-level programing languages, authoring languages, authoring systems, knowledge structures, and knowledge acquisition; and an example for applying the transaction shell approach to…

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…

Reviews important developments of Microsoft's first international conference on CD ROM, focusing on the announcement of a new medium called Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I). Discussion covers CD-I's design, applications, kinds of programming made possible compatibility with current CD ROM products, impact on consumer market, and impact on overall…