Discussion of the use of human markers to mark responses on write-in questions focuses on a study that determined the feasibility of using a computer program to mark write-in responses for the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination. The computer performance was compared with that of physician markers. (seven references) (LRW)

Describes the design and evaluation of a desktop virtual reality program that was developed to teach children about the accessibility and attitudinal barriers encountered by their peers with mobility impairments. Investigated attitudes, grade levels, familiarity with individuals with a disability, and gender. (Author/LRW)

Discusses formative evaluation of courseware and describes a study of undergraduates that compared the effects of two methods of formative evaluation on the revision of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program written in HyperCard. Use of the one-to-one method and the small group method of evaluation are explained, and posttest scores are…

Discusses methodological issues of mathematical microworld development integrated with generating innovation in school settings. Includes experiences in developing a component architecture for educational software based on Logo as a scripting language and discusses problems of collaboration between organizations and people of differing expertise…

Some studies of hypertext/hypermedia systems have concluded that there is little evidence supporting its educational efficacy. After examining conceptual and methodological shortcomings of research, this article suggests that the educational potential of hypertext/hypermedia has been underestimated and argues that overcoming these shortcomings…

Discusses how to design courseware programs that integrate benefits of instructionism (linear instruction) and constructionism in a hypermedia structure. A model of feedback that fades in and out is suggested, four examples are explained, and suggestions for redesigning programs are given. (LRW)

Introduces the Inventive Model, a constructivist approach to conceptual change, as a theoretical base for science instruction and for software development in science education. Highlights include the hesitancy of some school systems to implement computer-assisted science instruction, student misconceptions, and cognitive approaches to conceptual…

Discusses the design of online scoring software for computer-based education supporting high psychometric and fairness standards. Describes a system from the point of view of graders and supervisors; the design of the underlying database; data integrity and confidentiality; and the advantages of database design and online grading. (PEN)

Five computerized role-playing scenarios accepting unrestricted natural language input were administered to 72 freshman medical students. The scenarios measured and automatically scored responses on five psychological dimensions: social skills, level of frustration, submissiveness, combativeness, and negotiative ability. Tests identified…

Discussion of information exploration and software design in computer-based educational systems focuses on the integration of hypermedia and natural language dialog. AlFRESCO is described, an interactive natural language-centered multimodal system that was developed for users interested in frescoes and paintings. (LRW)

Describes four studies of high school students that examined the effectiveness of user-adaptive computer-aided instruction that explicitly models the cognitive processes of composing for developmental writers and is integrated with classroom composition instruction. Discusses the design and use of the writing software R-WISE (Reading and Writing…

Discusses research evidence for not including microcomputers in preschool environments; develops a theoretical base favoring computer use in early childhood that includes views of Papert, Piaget, Erikson, and competence development; and offers directions for software development through a review and description of successful microworld programs.…

Describes a multimedia-based Russian language course developed at Colgate University (NY) and a multimedia authoring system that makes the creation of such courses technically feasible for language instructors. The use of movies, foreign language instruction, principles of design, development frameworks, and future plans are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Describes the design principles behind a set of research-based software microworlds included in the "Building Blocks" program, a pre-kindergarten to grade 2 software-based mathematics curriculum. Discusses how to help children extend and mathematize their everyday activities and presents the nine-step design process model used.…

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)