Discusses various choices available for desktop publishing systems. Four categories of software are described, including advanced word processing, graphics software, low-end desktop publishing, and mainstream desktop publishing; appropriate hardware is considered; and selection guidelines are offered, including current and future publishing needs,…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of integrated software, i.e., software that combines the functions of several independent programs such as word processing, spreadsheets, graphics programs, and desktop publishing so that users can work in a consistent and flexible computer environment. Microsoft Works, a well-known integrated package, is…

Discusses the possible lack of credibility in educational interactive computer simulations. Topics addressed include "Shopping on Mars," a collaborative adventure game for arithmetic calculation that uses direct manipulation in the microworld; the Alternative Reality Kit, a graphical animated environment for creating interactive…

Discusses several theoretical and technical aspects of computer-graphics development that are useful for creating hypermedia and multimedia materials. Topics addressed include primary bitmap attributes in computer graphics, the jigsaw principle, and raster layering. (MSE)

Presents a framework for the design of information representations in terms of previews and overviews, to aid designers of digital library interfaces. Defines previews and overviews, as graphic or textual representations of information abstracted from primary information objects, analogous to bibliographic records and catalogs; and describes four…

Discussion of classes delivered via the World Wide Web and the need for timely feedback focuses on peer evaluations and computer-generated reports. Graphical methods of data presentation are described, including histograms with Bloom's taxonomy, based on experiences at Washington State University. (LRW)

This study of eighth and ninth graders explored gender differences in computer assisted learning using different presentation formats (animation, still graphics, and text). Results showed that the gender effect was significant in procedural learning but not in descriptive learning, and that treatment effect was significant among girls and…

Description of the development of multimedia computer-based training programs at the State University of New York at Albany highlights the principles of effective visual design, including type style, quantity of text per screen, the use of color, art and graphics, sound, video, animation, and navigation. (LRW)

Describes a computer application that uses graphics, color, and animation to make the learning of statistical reasoning with uncertainty easier and more fun. Notes that the initial implementation focuses on the Dempster-Shafer model, although the design is a framework that can incorporate other models. Also discusses how the tool may be used to…

ArtShow is a digital image database that employs sophisticated features for interactive presentations of data. To demonstrate the program, an example database was prepared, based on the collection at the National Bank of Greece with names, comments and keywords in the Greek language. Discussion includes: the database platform and internal…

Discusses student use of computer graphics software and presents documentation from a visualization workshop designed to help learners use computer graphics to construct meaning while they studied science concepts. Describes problems and benefits when delivering visualization workshops in the natural setting of a middle school. (Author/LRW)

In communication courses, the focus has traditionally been on text: how to craft good news or bad news messages, proposals, reports, and so on. However, rapid developments in printing and computer technology have meant that communication has become more visual than ever before. Words alone are not enough; students need to be able to communicate…

Synectics is a creative problem-solving process developed by William J. J. Gordon and George Prince in the 1960s (Gordon, 1961). A result of Gordon and Prince observing brainstorming sessions that achieved varying levels of success, Synectics outlines the processes that people can use to help them overcome mental blocks while working on difficult…

Computer video games are an emerging instructional medium offering strong degrees of cognitive efficiencies for experiential learning, team building, and greater understanding of abstract concepts. As with other new media adopted for use by instructional technologists for pedagogical purposes, barriers to classroom implementation have manifested…

This article reports on a research effort that investigated whether the use of Microcomputer-Based Labs (MBLs), implemented within an inquiry-based activity sequence on phase transformations (melting and freezing), contributes to the development of fourth grade (9-10 year-old) students' conceptual understanding and ability to construct and…