Describes assessment procedures used to select winners of the EDUCOM/NCRIPTAL (National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning) Higher Education Software Awards program; presents the evaluative criteria used for software assessment; and lists the award-winning software for 1987. (32 references) (LRW)

Describes an instructional design model for hypertext, the Explorer's Hypertext Story Model, which is structured around components based on a story or narrative structure. Topics discussed include learner motivation; navigation in hypertext; learner control; and the importance of understanding information in context. (34 references) (LRW)

Discusses factors that must be considered when designing educational software for international, multicultural use. Basic design principles are examined, including graphics and content; system factors are described, including language; cultural differences are discussed; instructional strategies are considered; and the software development process…

Discussion of courseware development focuses on a transaction shell approach that stresses flexibility and reusability of the courseware. Topics discussed include high-level programing languages, authoring languages, authoring systems, knowledge structures, and knowledge acquisition; and an example for applying the transaction shell approach to…

Reviews current literature in the fields of computer science and education that is related to the structure and use of hypermedia; discusses discovery and incidental learning; examines the nature of the environment and of the learner; describes implications for the design of hypermedia-assisted instruction (HAI); and suggests further research…

Discussion of courseware for use with microcomputers focuses on criteria for selecting the appropriate authoring tool. Criteria are specified from the perspective of: (1) the content specialist or instructor; (2) the instructional designer or analyst; (3) the programer; and (4) the administrator of the instructional software. (42 references) (LRW)

Describes a course developed at the University of Victoria (British Columbia) to provide training for educators that will facilitate communication with computer scientists as they work together on educational software development projects. Software engineering and instructional design principles are discussed, the course methodology is explained,…