The thirteenth in a series of profiles documenting experiences with the use of instructional technology describes how computer usage has come to be a routine activity among the students and faculty of Dartmouth College. (Author/MLF)

This paper focuses on graphics and how they can be created, in real time, from information stored in a database, and the application of this technique to computer-assisted instruction (CAI). It is noted that this is a special case of the general trend towards endowing instructional systems with a degree of decision-making or design expertise, as…

Four- and 5-year-olds' understanding of basic turtle graphics commands was examined before and after a hands-on, interactive problem-solving experience. Children (n=32) saw display screen events consisting of an initial turtle state, a command transformation, and the resulting turtle state. They were asked to give the command executed in each…

The bewildering number of available terminals which are offered to CAI users presents a rather formidable problem of which one to choose. This article surveys what appear to be evolving standards for terminals. The usefulness of these terminals for CAI purposes is discussed, together with the best known prototype exhibiting the particular feature.…

Engineering design is a complex cognitive skill differing from possession of knowledge in tactical use of knowledge to achieve goals under constraints. An operational definition of a design must satisfy a set of constraints and objectives. Several published theories about the design process in terms of the criteria developed leads to the…

Explores computer uses in art education, addressing the apprehension with which many educators view such technology. Discusses the graphics capabilities and user-friendliness of computers such as the Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari ST. States that computer versatility, simplicity, and graphic capabilities contribute significantly to art education and…

B. F. Skinner provides advice for educators on several issues related to computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Some pitfalls of programed instruction in the 1960s which CAI may also face today, aversive control, courseware design, and use of computer graphics are among the areas explored. (JN)

A computer assisted instruction unit on population dynamics was designed to transmit information in a flexible, interactive, and graphic format using the University of Illinois' PLATO IV system. (LS)

Presents specific guidelines for designing instructional programs that will be delivered on microcomputers so that these programs will use the capacity of the microcomputer system in a way that will develop in learners a range of cognitive skills and help learners to evolve useful learning strategies. (Author)

Proposes that a semiotic approach can be used as a supplementary method in assessing the denotations and connotations of the signs and their relationships in computer learning environments. Utilizes the semiotic framework to study visual images, especially how multiple, interactive, and manipulative statistical representations affect the…

Provides recommendations for designing computer screens that will have positive effects on readability and learning. Topics discussed include the use of capital versus lower case letters; interlinear space; line length; and strategies that aid recall, including the use of chunks and margins, and the location of information in relation to graphics.…

Discusses model-based simulation for training, explains an object-oriented approach, and describes RAPIDS, an authoring system for the production of interactive graphical models and instruction based on those models. Highlights include intelligent tutoring systems; transaction shells; tools for authoring models; and a course on retinal information…

The increasing complexity of human body models enabled by advances in diagnostic imaging, computing, and growing knowledge calls for the development of a new generation of systems for intelligent exploration of these models. Here, we introduce a novel paradigm for the exploration of digital body models illustrating cerebral vasculature. It enables…

Learning embryology remains difficult, since it requires understanding of many complex phenomena. The temporal evolution of developmental events has classically been illustrated using cartoons, which create difficulty in linking spatial and temporal aspects, such correlation being the keystone of descriptive embryology. We synthesized the…

This paper analyses technology-based instruction on data-analysis with box plots. Examples of instruction taken from the research literature inform a study of two classes of 17 year-old students (upper secondary) in which the mathematical relationships that their teachers targeted are distinguished as being, or not being, relevant to statistical…