Presents a computational modeling system (CMS) which is intended to provide scientific investigators with a unified computation environment and easy access to a broad range of modeling tools. A major objective of the design of CMS is to hide computational details that are irrelevant to scientific research. (53 references) (Author/JKP)

Proposes the use of a special purpose drop-in firewall/VPN gateway called Sieve, that can be inserted between the mobile workstation and the network to provide individualized security services for that particular station. Discusses features and advantages of the system and demonstrates how Sieve was used in various application areas such as at…

Discussion of the development of a knowledge navigation system to assist users in searching a large database in a local/wide-area network environment considers the construction of navigation maps, the use of DOS and Windows, connection with electronic mail, and parallel operation with other systems such as BITNET. (28 references) (MES)

A research project identified and prototyped critical elements of an automated development system for interactive courseware (ICW) for job training. The prototype system incorporated a multimedia database that contained all completed, planned, and partially completed media elements. A web-based approach was taken to overcome the problems of…

Discusses a user interface that simplifies NF Squared (non-first-normal-form) relational query formulation in which query specification remains compact and straightforward. This interface allows for nesting and general hierarchical structures and restructuring which provides for more effective retrieval and query formulation. (Author/JKP)

The Computerized Comprehensibility System (CCS) provides an automated copy editing function, generating a mark-up of a draft of a technical document by simulating the simpler comprehension processes of a human reader, and then criticizing the text when these simple processes cannot successfully comprehend the material. A key CCS function is…

Cognitive simulations are runnable computer programs for modeling human cognitive activities. A case study is reported where expert systems were used as a formalism for modeling metacognitive processes in a seminar. Building cognitive simulations engages intensive introspection, ownership and meaning making in learners who build them. (Author/AEF)

The concepts of usability and user-centered design (UCD) have grown in popularity over the past 20 years as measured by the number of research and mainstream articles devoted to their discussion. As with all new developments, however, there are always the questions of how things work in practice compared to theory. A survey of 83 software…

"Design Inspection Reviews" are structured meetings in which participants follow certain rules of procedure and behavior when conducting detailed readings of design plans to identify errors and misunderstandings. The technique is widely used in the software engineering industry, where it is demonstrably more effective than testing at…

Describes an experiment in which presentation size and text length is varied in a HyperCard application. Students performed a fact-retrieval task from a reference handbook. No interaction is found between these two independent variables. Performance is significantly better for the longer texts, but no significant difference is found for the two…

The usability of Instructional Multimedia (IMM) applications is vital for their success and for the satisfaction of their users, as the confusion resulting from using poorly designed programs can be particularly detrimental to learning performance. A number of approaches for expert-based evaluation of IMM have been proposed during the past few…

In this paper, a model is presented that uses educational dialogues to support the design process for learning support systems. The model is argued to provide a structure that links pedagogically motivated empirical studies of student-tutor-system interactions to problem specification and system design, and to result in the creation of learning…

Dual Coding Theory has quite specific predictions about how information in different media is stored, manipulated and recalled. Different combinations of media are expected to have significant effects upon the recall and retention of information. This obviously may have important consequences in the design of computer-based programs. The paper…

Explores the utility of the intersection of genre theory and cognitive psychology in providing a meaningful framework for analysis and design purposes. Reports results of research into the elements of genre that influence users of digital documents and provides examples of the usefulness of this analysis in Web-based environments. (Author/AEF)

Discussion of educational computer simulations focuses on the parallel instruction theory that was developed at the University of Twente to combine the simulation with instructional materials, including those that may be printed. The MacTHESIS design system and philosophy are discussed, and simulation and learning environments based on the…