A recent survey of 60 commercial computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs found that most of the programmed lessons used few or no graphics to communicate the main points. An Instructional Graphics Checklist was developed to reflect the research findings about the use of pictures in instruction and to serve as an informal evaluation instrument…

Discusses the poor technical and design quality of many Web sites and provides tips for improving quality: use meta tags; provide page sponsor identification, links back to home page, page titles; display a paragraph describing the purpose of the Web page; avoid using frames and publishing pages under construction; check language and mechanics;…

This article discusses psychophysical aspects of color perception and critically examines the advice on color use in screen design found in non-empirical literature. There are four main characteristics of color: hue, brightness, saturation, and contrast. In multimedia screen design, color can be used to link logically-related data; differentiate…

Compares methods of providing digital video in computer-based training. A tabulation of performance, quality, and cost is provided, and techniques of compression and decompression are described together with hardware and/or software needs. Networking digital video, and the impact of emerging standards on the development of future products are also…

This three-part report presents the recommendations of the California Postsecondary Education Commission on a proposal to grant official educational status to the Academy of Entertainment and Technology, a digital media training center operated by the Santa Monica Community College District (SMCCD). Part 1 provides the Commission's conclusions and…

Provides an overview of the design, production, and preliminary testing of a microcomputer-controlled interactive learning workstation developed at Simon Fraser University to teach French as a Second Language. Criteria and guidelines are discussed; the authoring system is explained; and field testing with grades four through seven is described.…

Describes teaching packages which involve the use of audiotape recordings with personal computers in Open University (United Kingdom) mathematics courses. Topics addressed include software development; computer graphics; pedagogic principles for distance education; feedback, including course evaluations and student surveys; and future plans.…

As the number of World Wide Web sites continues to grow at an explosive rate, the need for design guidelines also increases. Although there are a number of resources that provide guidance on structure and content, few address the motivational aspects of Web sites. The Website Motivational Analysis Checklist (WebMAC) was developed to help diagnose…