Discussion of management conflict highlights differing job perceptions held by middle managers. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Assessment Program is described, and a management structure that requires members of each group to experience job perceptions and tasks of the other group is recommended for performance improvement. (Contains three…

Discusses time management training based on the theory that it should be a conceptual, psychological, and sociocultural process aimed at the management of self and relations with others. Guidelines for effective time management training are suggested, including supporting social needs, self-awareness, and encouraging creativity. (LRW)

Provides eight guidelines for the effective design of questionnaires to be used in the assessment of training needs. Highlights include cost effectiveness; the use of surveys; front-end analysis; and examples for each guideline. (LRW)

Discusses rewards and performance incentives for employees, including types of rewards; how rewards help in managing; dysfunctional awards; selecting the right reward; how to find rewards that fit; and delivering rewards effectively. Examples are included. (three references) (LRW)

Presents guidelines for using color effectively in instructional communication. Topics addressed include an explanation of color mixing; color schemes based on the color wheel; contrast; background, text, and highlights; consistency; symbolic associations; and color testing. (four references) (LRW)

This fourth and final article in a series about hypertext links and associated design guidelines focuses on learning support and program help links that support users' learning activities and help users understand the operational elements of the program itself. Examples are given from a HyperCard program called Desert Shield. (LRW)

Describes design and presents examples of industrial use of small expert systems and guidelines for choosing problems which lend themselves to small tool solutions. Use of microcomputer facilitated decision tables to diagnose and categorize people, things, and issues is suggested, and development of three decision table formats is described. (MBR)

Describes six guiding principles to help training developers use content experts more efficiently and effectively to ensure training materials contain accurate, complete, and relevant information. Topics discussed include assessing content experts and the use of productivity tools, including checklists, test validation forms, and point sheets.…

Raises critical management issues and proposes guidelines for technical management of large-scale development of courseware with complex content. Discussion covers the technical management of such a project as it relates to organizational structure; leadership shifts throughout the design process; prototype development; and the systematic process…

The first of two articles designed to provide guidelines for the instructional development phase of instructional systems development focuses on general instructional methods supporting all instructional tasks. Teaching methods that support selective attention, processing in working memory, and connecting in long-term memory are described and…

Describes six methods that can make mandatory training sessions more successful, including the use of icebreakers; emphasizing relevance; maintaining training focus; the use of humor; providing practice; and the use of evaluations. (LRW)

Presents a checklist used to evaluate new, extensively revised, or vendor courses at the American Telephone and Telegraph Communications Center for Systems Education. The checklist is completed by both a subject matter expert taking the course as a student, and an instructional technologist familiar with systematic course development. (MBR)

One in a continuing series on visual aids, this article presents rules for the use of visuals in information presentations and orientations. Topics discussed include ambiguity and unanswered questions; the need for a cost/benefits analysis; appropriate visual styles; media selection; and the effects of visualizations on performance. (LRW)

Describes the production of master instructional materials as one step in a project management model for instructional development. Maintaining a balance between instructional integrity and production values is discussed; the manager's role is described; and guidelines for involving subject matter experts and the sponsors in production are…

Discusses the importance of identifying the audience and determining specific objectives when designing printed instructional materials that will communicate effectively and provides detailed guidelines for dealing with such design factors as content, writing style, typography, illustrations, and page organization. (MBR)