Describes hypertext, a significantly different form of data retrieval, and gives an example of how it might be used in computer-based training. Hypertext software is discussed, including TextPro and KnowledgePro; the relationship between hypertext and expert systems is explored; and a hypertext document, PC-Hypertext, is described. (LRW)

Discusses problems in creating the information retrieval mechanisms used in constructivist computer-based learning environments to support knowledge discovery: (1) subject can not always be pre-specified and the learner may not know what to seek; (2) retrieval strategies differ considerably from conventional ones, with the search including data,…

Reviews the need for pairing computer and videodisc technology to represent and organize complex information and to provide learners with more powerful tools for learning and problem solving. Both the instructional applications and economics of intelligent videodisc are noted, as is the effort of the National Science Foundation to support such…

Describes an inexpensive, efficient, and time saving system for retrieving reading materials located in a school. Explains how a computer made the task easier. (FL)

Hypertext can be characterized as an electronic system that works by association rather than indexing, and furnishes information in a dynamic, nonsequential manner that does not limit the content by structure or organization. A more technical definition specifies that hypertext is a technique for organizing information in a complex manner that…

Outlines two traditions in the field of computer simulation, one focusing upon the character of the software within the computer, the other focusing upon the exercise outside the computer which the software is supporting. Topics discussed include mathematical modeling, gaming, information retrieval, decision monitoring, and applications in…

Discusses developments in computer education at the elementary secondary level in Tasmania, South Australia, and West Australia. Six references are listed. (LLS)

Reviews the need for pairing computer and videodisc technology to represent and organize complex information and to provide learners with more powerful tools for learning and problem solving. Both the instructional applications and economics of intelligent videodisc are noted, as is the effort of the National Science Foundation to support such…

Describes three encyclopedias available on CD-ROM: (1) Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia; (2) World Book's Information Finder; and (3) Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia. Ideas for how they might be used in the classroom are suggested, information retrieval versus motivation is discussed, learning processes are examined, and stand-alone versus…

Discussion of information retrieval, knowledge representation, and computer-assisted learning focuses on a study that created a computer-based system designed to observe and record users' interactions with an ideal knowledge base consisting of unrevealed subject experts, appropriate documentation, and computer files. Information accessing…

While the Internet undeniably contains an enormous amount of information, community colleges should consider some key issues before joining the headlong rush toward virtual classrooms. First, information can be very difficult to find on the Internet. Although search engines, web databases, and subject directories have been developed to help users…

Discussion of educational technology and its impact on instructional methodology and the learning process focuses on six basic educational components necessary to trace technology variables directly to specific learning processes. Highlights include learning objectives; knowledge bases; instructional strategies; computer-based enhancements; and…

This paper examines some of the theoretical and practical problems associated with the use of hypertext as a medium for teaching, and explores the positive role that it may be able to play in teaching materials. Hypertext is conventionally described as non-linear, and this aspect of non-linearity is interpreted as endowing it with many attractive…

This paper describes the characteristics of lexicographic software programs used in a module on Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," a major component of a course on computer-assisted learning (CAL) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Two of the databases are specific to that school and are small, individualized, and…

Changes in several technologies that handle, manipulate, and transmit information and ways in which these technologies are affecting businesses and homes are discussed in this paper, which also addresses the potential impact of these changes on public education. The first of four sections provides a very brief history of the computer revolution,…