In the winter of 2000, a class of K-8 preservice teachers were introduced to "TesselMania! Deluxe," a software product that visually and manually engages students in the study of transformations but, more specifically, tessellations. Prior to discussing the topic of transformations, students were only slightly familiar with two types of…

Advantages of using the microcomputer as an interactive electronic blackboard are discussed, and programs and programming techniques are described to illustrate the construction, design, storage, and modification of colorful and animated graphic displays. The methods described are based on use of an Atari 800 microcomputer but could be used on…

This guide lists 21 software packages considered to be worthy of further consideration by other reviewing agencies and schools by a group of 12 computer coordinators from educational software preview centers and evaluation agencies. These software products have been selected as not being likely to appear in the reviews produced by major software…

To help those who find themselves resisting microcomputers and those who have already made a decision to begin using the new technology, this paper summarizes the ways microcomputers can increase the flexibility, efficiency, impact, organization, information access, and creativity of those in the field of communication. Following an overview of…

Outlines the design considerations that go into making an authoring system. Uses examples from the author's system, "Private Tutor," to illustrate. Emphasis is on the concepts that define the operation of the authoring system. Also discusses design principles of "Private Tutor" in relation to the Macintosh computer. (Author/LMO)

Suggests that insights from other disciplines be considered when evaluating computer-assisted language instruction materials. Issues which need to be considered when evaluating these materials include: design issues, user-machine interfacing, support documentation, screen layout, color and animation, and restricted visual display capacity. (SED)

Hardware for computer-assisted learning is discussed in three papers. Two papers report on projects using computer graphics, one for teaching structural analysis to university students and the other to teach graph concepts at the secondary level. Guidelines for selecting microcomputers focus on analyzing applications and matching them with…

This survey of authoring languages that are used in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) highlights recent developments in Macintosh authoring languages and discusses their use in courseware development. CAI effectiveness is defined, advantages and disadvantages of CAI are described, and future research needs are suggested. (27 references) (LRW)

Describes trends in educational software design in the United States for elementary and secondary education. Highlights include user-friendly software; learner control; interfacing the computer with other media, including television, telecommunications networks, and optical disk technology; microworlds; graphics; word processing; database…

Reflects on the thought and process involved in the development of a series of computer simulations used to help teach a two-semester U.S. history course. Lists common elements in the simulations, describes the simulations, and responds to criticisms. Discusses student reaction to the use of computer simulations in a history course. (LS)

Outlines technological and cognitive considerations in the selection of authoring systems for writing computer-assisted instruction (CAI) lessons. Topics discussed include hardware selection; documentation; text display; screen appearance; branching and sequencing; text editing; graphics; animation; sound and voice input and output; student…

A new optometry-oriented program for the Macintosh computer has been written for the Neural Sciences Computer-Assisted Learning Package to include graphics and synthesized speech. It has 21 modules in 6 categories: anatomical drawings; diagrams illustrating physiological concepts; records from experiments; flow charts of neuroanatomical pathways;…

Describes a project that addressed the problem of courseware reusability by developing a database structure suitable for organizing multimedia learning material in a given content domain. A prototype system that allows browsing a DBLM (Data Base of Learning Material) on earth science is described, and future plans are discussed. (five references)…

Describes microcomputer-based courseware designed for the simulation of the microbiological analysis of drinking water, including digitalized color images. The use of HyperCard is described and evaluation procedures are explained, including evaluation of the learning and of the class. The evaluation questionnaires are appended. (20 references)…

Provides a history of the Instructional Technology Center at Iowa State University and describes its present operations. Highlights include an organizational chart; classroom services; instructional development services, related to faculty development and courseware creation; creative services that support multimedia, graphics, and television…