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…

Reviews DRILL 2.0, an Apple Macintosh courseware authoring system with several exercises that can be tailored for foreign language classes. Such aspects as student operation, instructor design, and disadvantages are considered. (CB).

Provides practical information on multimedia and mass storage devices, productivity tools and authoring systems, and software/hardware compatibility for language training. Also provided is an extensive list of recommendations for creating effective software and another for selecting, developing, and adapting software. (GLR)

Reviews the McGraw-Hill Interactive Authoring System which allows authors to create computer-based courses with or without interactive video. Use of the program requires no programming skills and authors do not need to learn a special language. The system's operation, performance, ease of use, documentation, and management are considered. (JN)

Describes EntryWay, a hypertext authoring extension for HyperCard, and presents eight case studies that examined hypertext navigation patterns created by seven users of EntryWay. Five patterns of navigation are identified and explained, comparisons of navigation patterns are discussed, and implications for hypertext use are suggested. (17…

Describes the creation and use of macros for simple computer-aided instruction using the Open Access integrated software from SPI (Software Products International, UK). Sample screen displays are included. (MES)

This detailed description of a microcomputer version of PROUST (Program Understander for Students), a knowledge-based system that finds nonsyntactic bugs in Pascal programs written by novice programmers, presents the inner workings of Micro-PROUST, which was written in Golden LISP for the IBM-PC (512K). The contents include: (1) a reprint of an…

Describes an attempt to "teach" computer software Spanish so that it could be programed to "understand" commands given it in Spanish for use in a Spanish-vocabulary database. (CB)

The article considers possible health education uses for microcomputer authoring systems in such areas as instructional, questioning, and feedback strategies; answer judging capabilities, frame displays and design, student recordkeeping, and performance tracking. Also considered are documentation/user support, technical quality, and ease of…

Describes features and uses of IBM PILOT authoring language. Indicates that it is relatively easy to learn and use, that its power is more than sufficient, and that the documentation and tutorial are good. (JN)

Describes preliminary efforts to create the Lesson Design System, a computer-guided instructional design system written in Pascal for Apple microcomputers. Its content outline, strategy, display, and online lesson editors correspond roughly to instructional design phases of content and strategy analysis, display creation, and computer programing…

Several eras of computer-assisted language instruction are outlined, and it is suggested that the multiplicity of templates, or mini-authoring systems, currently available can be very helpful to language teachers. The PROMPT template designed for two types of reading comprehension is described. (MSE)

Describes the design of a prototype of a computerized courseware production and presentation system that provides a user-friendly environment for the creation, maintenance, and presentation of courseware. Object-oriented material is discussed, types of operations that may act on the objects are explained, and interaction techniques are described.…

Examines the possibility of creating the Russian character set using a "programerless" authoring language, SuperPILOT, which allows a teacher or a learner to produce and use the Russian alphabet with no programing skills. (Author/CB)

Description of a computer system that converts text automatically into a form suitable for browsing and consultation online focuses on its use for online documentation. Also discussed are possibilities for its applications in automatic indexing, index access, and authoring systems for computer-assisted instruction (CAI). (four references)…