Discusses the use of expert systems for the development of instructional design and recommends instead the cognitive approach of an instructional design workbench. Distinctions between expert systems and advisory systems are examined, the problem-solving process of instructional design is described, and design requirements for an instructional…

Two instructional design alternatives are described and discussed: (1) the supplantation model of Ausburn and Ausburn (1978), where learning strategies are built into the instructional materials; and (2) a generative design model, where strategies are "built" into the learner. These contrasting models are proposed as representing the…

Discusses telecommunications-supported cooperative learning environments for distance education. Topics addressed include computer-mediated communication; computer-supported cooperative work; distributed learning environments; frameworks for supporting telecooperation, including cognitive processes, social processes, and managerial processes; and…

Computer based instruction (CBI) is composed of individual frames viewed one at a time. Compared to a typical textbook, CBI restricts the adult learner's capacity to access information from different parts of the lesson and to view complex presentations. Designers of CBI must compensate for these limitations by making a concerted effort to…

A principal limitation of frame-based computer assisted instruction (CAI) results not from the characteristics of the computer medium, but rather from prior instructional design practices, specifically the logical abstraction of behavioral objectives. Learning hierarchy-based instruction implemented in the interactive computer-based medium results…

This investigation of the encoding features of graphs begins with a description of a cognitive framework which allows designers to factor into the process of designing displays how people interpret the information found and what display properties are responsible for this interpretation. The framework also provides a performance measure for use in…

Description of several computerized tutoring systems is organized around types of knowledge any tutor must possess--subject area, student's information, and how to teach and communicate. Data and control structures of Meno-tutor are described to illustrate use of artificial intelligence to model the student, a domain, and teaching strategies. (MBR)

In an increasingly technological society, there is a social need for designing communication technology around the perceptual abilities and cognitive strategies of people. A growing demand for information has created additional pressure on emerging communication technologies to provide electronic alternatives to the printed page. Design depends…

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…

A group of American and Japanese psychologists, anthropologists, linguists, and computer scientists gathered at the University of California, San Diego, to exchange ideas on models of joint problem solving and their special relevance to the design and implementation of computer-based systems of instruction. Much of the discussion focused on…

In most existing computer assisted instruction (CAI), the nature of the instruction would not actually require a computer. Text is presented and read, questions are asked, and then materials are presented or reviewed depending on students' answers. There are two problems with this approach: computer capabilities for interactive task simulation are…

Discusses the concept and design of an enriched learning and information environment that was originally developed at Indiana University in partnership with AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph). Topics addressed include constructivism, cognitive tools, representing expert behavior, apprenticeship, technological tools, information tools,…

Different aspects of human-machine interaction are discussed in the five brief papers that comprise this report. The first paper, "Some Observations on Mental Models," discusses the role of a person's mental model in the interaction with systems. The second paper, "A Psychologist Views Human Processing: Human Errors and Other…

Individual papers discussing various facets of human relationships with interactive computer systems present an analysis of direct manipulation interfaces; discuss notion of conceptual models shared by system and user and propose a design methodology for delivering models to users; and address the intelligibility of systems and importance of…

Findings from fieldwork analyzing children's use of four interactive multimedia programs are compared with a description of early film features and used as the basis to consider problems faced by an audience encountering a nascent medium. Methods adopted to facilitate understanding of films and their suitability for adaptation to multimedia…