Pedagogical agents, characters that guide through multimedia learning environments, recently gained increasing interest. A review was published by Clarebout, Elen, Johnson and Shaw in 2002 where a lot of promises were made, but research on the motivational and learning effects of pedagogical agents was scarce. More than 70 articles on pedagogical…

Reports on a study being conducted by the Jefferson County Public Schools (Colorado) that implements a digital time-shared computer as support for a systems approach to instruction. (Author/ER)

This article discusses some current developments in Computer Based Guidance (CBG). CBG includes two major domains: educational/vocational information systems and counselor training programs. Educational/vocational information systems provide comprehensive and up-to-date data bases of information on educational requirements or programs and…

In individualized instruction, the amount of recordkeeping which must be done can be best handled by computer. In this paper, the logistics of recordkeeping in elementary education is explored through a systems approach. A model is proposed which can be used manually to keep track of progress in various skills. The model can easily be adapted to…

Overview of American and British military computer applications to training. (DAG)

The authors describe the functions of an integrated systems approach in solving the administrative, academic, and logistical problems of a large university department. They discuss the roles of a computer managed instruction system for the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communication. First, the system can record student and…

Discusses the work and planning requisite to the success of an ambitious, developmental, computer-assisted instruction project. (JF)

A review of Project Themis, which focused on the computer as a teacher, is presented. Descriptions of research into four related areas of strategy are first provided. These research areas are: 1) learner strategies focusing on the internal cognitive and personality processes of the learner who is involved in computer-based learning tasks; 2)…

Describes six basic steps in designing the instructional content of computer assisted instructional materials. (DC)

With the introduction of computers into education, learning is becoming a student-centered process actively directed by the students themselves, rather than a teacher-centered process in which students receive information passively. This situation requires a substantial reassessment of concepts of curriculum and courseware development. This…

The guidelines and procedures for the development of course materials for presentation by a computerized instructional system are described in this report. The tutorial mode of the instructional model is emphasized. The guide is intended to furnish the experienced instructional programer with a ready reference which can be used to facilitate the…

With the computer and the environments it makes possible, the author feels, we are on the threshold of being able to coalesce the study of learning and the prescription of instruction. To accomplish this, however, man must change his egocentric views concerning the value of traditional education. In the future, he predicts, an interdisciplinary…

Although computer applications in the commercial and scientific realms have expanded tremendously, only a small number of the computers in the public schools are utilized for instructional purposes, and an even smaller number are capable of CAI applications. The terminal objective of Project REFLECT is the design of a model plan which could be…

Des Moines Area Community College cooperated with other Iowa community colleges and IBM in designing and implementing a computer based education system. Outlines the systems approach used including objectives, needs analysis, implementation plan, cost effectiveness, and recommendations. Illustrations and graphs included. (DC)

Reviews recent developments in instructional processes and urges us, with several arguments, to move forward. (Editor/RK)