Baroma (Balance of Rotating Machinery), the Web-based educational engineering interactive software for teaching/learning combines didactical and software ergonomical approaches. The software in tutorial form simulates a problem using Visual Interactive Simulation in graphic display, and animation is brought about through graphical user interface…

An important category of SMET digital library content will be highly interactive, explorable microworlds for teaching science, mathematics, and engineering concepts. Such environments have proved to be extraordinarily time-consuming and difficult to produce, while threatening the goals of widespread creation and use. One proposed solution for…

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…

Recently, platform independent software components, like JavaBeans, have appeared that allow writing reusable components and composing them in a visual builder tool into new applications. This paper describes the use of such models to transform an existing course into a modular construction kit consisting of components of teaching text and program…

Computer animation can be effectively incorporated into computer based instruction programs for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning environments. Computer animation is defined as computer-generated animated graphics that function as visual aids to instruction. The applications of instructional graphics fall into two categories: (1)…

Computer-based technologies are rapidly changing fundamental concepts about texts and how students interact with and learn from those texts. Early use of microcomputers included drill and practice work, tutorial programs, and word processing. In conjunction with information storage devices like magnetic and laser disc, the microcomputer has also…

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) is, quite simply, an instance in which instructional content activities are delivered via a computer. Many commercially-available software programs, although excellent programs, may not be acceptable for each individual teacher's classroom. One way to insure that software is not only acceptable but also targets…

Offers tips and techniques for authoring computer-based training and courseware products. Describes basic design concepts and points that pertain to individual components. Focuses specifically on the visual elements associated with the use of video, text, graphics, animation and interactivity in multimedia courseware. (AEF)

Mathematics educators often despair at math's austere, "abstract" reputation. This paper describes recent work in developing an application named "HyperGami," which is designed to integrate both the abstract and"real-world" aspects of mathematics by allowing children to design and construct polyhedral models and…

Presents guidelines for media specialists to help faculty and students in designing and producing multimedia presentation programs. Notes the importance of simplicity coupled with creativity. Discusses design principles for color, text, graphics, and special effects. (AEF)

This article focuses on the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) screen designs, including their benefits and limitations, as well as human constraints in designing effective CBI. The paper begins with an overview of what comprises an effective CBI screen design, including characteristics of human factors, how information must be…

This document contains 59 selected papers from the 1996 International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA) conference. Topics include: learning to think visually; information design via the Internet; a program for inner-city at-risk children; dubbing versus subtitling television programs; connecting advertisements and classroom reading through…