Discusses the importance of accurate graphic presentation and describes graphs available on "LabQuest" computer software. Highlights include graphing conventions; prerequisites for computer graphing; bar graphs; pie graphs; stacked bar graphs; line graphs; x/y graphs; scatter graphs; box plots; stem and leaf graphs; best fit graphs; and…

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.…

Instructional designers who are asked to convert existing training materials into computer-based training (CBT) must take special precautions to avoid making the product into a sophisticated page turner. Although conversion may save considerable time on subject research and analysis, courses to be delivered through microcomputers may require…

Computer based instruction (CBI) is composed of individual frames viewed one at a time. Compared to a typical textbook, CBI restricts the adult learner's capacity to access information from different parts of the lesson and to view complex presentations. Designers of CBI must compensate for these limitations by making a concerted effort to…

Presents author's view of how computer graphics produced in the classroom enhance mathematical concepts teaching. Specific concepts and related graphics presented include the convergence of power series and the Central Limit Theorem. Formal versus informal instruction, computer assisted instruction versus teaching, and requirements for future…

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…

Discusses the possible lack of credibility in educational interactive computer simulations. Topics addressed include "Shopping on Mars," a collaborative adventure game for arithmetic calculation that uses direct manipulation in the microworld; the Alternative Reality Kit, a graphical animated environment for creating interactive…

Discussion of the development of educational software for reading instruction focuses on seven misconceptions that reflect a misunderstanding of the reading process and a misapplication of the principles of instructional design to the teaching of reading. Highlights include electronic text versus printed text; sound-symbol correspondence;…

Reviews projects aimed at increasing access to software in a variety of languages and cultures, particularly the European Community project EPES (European Pool of Educational Software) that involves 12 nations and 15 languages. Translation methodology is described and possible barriers, including graphics and copyright issues, are considered.…

Examination of how far research work on the design of printed text can inform research on the design of electronic text centers on three areas: the layout of instructional text, the role of typographic cueing, and the presentation of graphic materials. Future research needs are discussed, and 101 references are provided. (LRW)

Discusses two factors to consider in relation to the use of color and the design of computerized instructional materials: the purpose of using color in instruction and how the microcomputer, with its limitations, affects color use. Principles for the use of color are suggested. (Author/MBR)

Presents the latest hardware, and pedagogical and theoretical advances in computer-assisted language learning and describes an actual design implementation in a Spanish course. (Author/SED)

Discusses learner/computer interaction, learner control, sequencing of instructional events, and graphic screen design as effective principles for the design of instructional software, including tutorials. (MBR)

Discusses the use of a computer-illustrated text (CIT) with integrated software to teach electric circuit theory to college students. Examples of software use are given, including simple animation, graphical displays, and problem-solving programs. Issues affecting electric circuit theory instruction are also addressed, including mathematical…

Argues that students should have dynamic perceptual experience with the concepts central to circular functions. Includes a computer program, designed for Apple II, to provide such experience. (PK)