This paper analyzes writing tasks in academic writing textbooks for Japanese university students, focusing on the organization and difficulty of these tasks based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A total of 411 writing tasks from 30 textbooks were coded by two experienced Japanese English teachers. The author…

This is a critical phase for Open Educational Resources (OER) movement: on one side the number of OER is increasing rapidly, and on other side debates about quality of OER-based courseware are heating up. These debates emanate from the fact that OER-based courseware are supposed to help users to follow a logical learning path and get an engaging,…

Presents guidelines for using color effectively in instructional communication. Topics addressed include an explanation of color mixing; color schemes based on the color wheel; contrast; background, text, and highlights; consistency; symbolic associations; and color testing. (four references) (LRW)

Describes factors involved in designing print support materials for computer-based instruction (CBI) or independent learning. Basic principles of effective instructional design based on principles promoted by Gagne and Briggs are discussed, and a format for organizing a course manual that was developed at Grant MacEwan Community College (Alberta)…

Discusses the need for developmental testing of instructional materials and gives two examples of single-subject testing, one for self-instructional materials and one for short-term group instruction. Guidelines for single-subject testing are presented, and suggestions for longer courses are also given. (LRW)

Discusses the importance of identifying the audience and determining specific objectives when designing printed instructional materials that will communicate effectively and provides detailed guidelines for dealing with such design factors as content, writing style, typography, illustrations, and page organization. (MBR)

This booklet, which is part of a series of guidelines for national managers of Health Learning Materials projects participating in the World Health Organization's Interregional Health Learning Materials Programme, is intended to help trainers of health personnel recognize and learn to avoid some of the common pitfalls in producing educational…

This paper presents a model for systematic instructional design that includes mental model analysis together with the procedures used in developing computer-based instructional materials in the area of statistical hypothesis testing. The instructional design model is based on the premise that the objective for learning is to achieve expert-like…

Describes the case study method as a form of simulation and presents guidelines for their use in professional training situations. Skill development in problem solving is highlighted as a reason to use case studies; steps in creating a case are outlined; and the effectiveness of case studies is discussed. (LRW)

Discusses written instructional materials created by librarians for end users searching database systems. Highlights include novice user studies; the importance of print instruction in digital information environments; a paradigm shift from system-centered to user-centered focuses in technical writing and user documentation for software; and…

This paper presents guidelines for World Wide Web-based instructional design, based on the 3Ls (i.e., linking, layout, and learner support). The first section, focusing on macro level design, discusses nodes and links, including how nodes work, determining nodes, node size, presentation format, characteristics of links, and kinds of links. The…

Teaching via Interactive Television (ITV) is more than pushing a few buttons. Existing courses taught in the traditional lecture-based format must be modified in order to be effective via ITV. Visual literacy and guidelines which support visual literacy are critical to the success and effectiveness of an ITV course. This paper addresses visual…

This paper reports on a study that observed students creating structured hypertext documents, and how they try to convey structural information, in order to formulate tentative guidelines/principles for the design of concept mapping tools or hypertext systems with an emphasis on the representation of structural knowledge, and to formulated…

This document is intended to help open learning and distance learning practitioners use, design, and select appropriate open and distance learning materials. The document begins with a brief overview of the following forms of open and distance learning materials: workbooks; structured materials; computer-based training materials; online materials;…