Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) have the potential to provide one-on-one, just-in-time instruction, guidance or mentoring in classrooms where such individualized human interactions may be infeasible. Much current APA research focuses on a wide range of design variables tested with small samples or in laboratory settings, while overlooking…

Educational robotics activities are gaining in popularity. Though some research data suggest that educational robotics can be an effective approach in teaching mathematics, science, and engineering, research is needed to generate the best practices and strategies for designing these learning environments. Existing robotics activities typically do…

An assessment was made in 1978 of the longterm effects on school media utilization of Project Discovery (1964-1967), which was designed to test the effect of "maximum availability" of instructional materials on curriculum, on student attitudes, achievement, creativity, and motivation, and on teaching methods and techniques. The project…

This investigation of the use of nonfiction books borrowed from an academic library--the Main Library at the Ohio State University--examined two premises which underlie the creation of full-text electronic information systems of nonfiction books: that such books are generally read to obtain information, and that they tend to be read in parts. Data…

This analysis of current adult reading habits, library use during previous year, and related childhood experiences of both the respondents and their parents reveals the importance of social learning and parents as primary agents in the development of reading and library habits. Twenty-three references are included. (EJS)

A multifaceted card catalog use study was conducted at University of Illinois Music Library to determine hourly rate of use at sound recording and book/music catalogs; time spent at catalogs; who uses catalogs and why; difficulties users encounter; success rate of users' searches; recommendations for designing online catalog. (16 references)…

This document reports results from an exploratory investigation into the adoption and use of microcomputers in the home, which involved interviews with 77 home computer owners, 19 individuals who were in the process of computer adoption, and a small sample of home computer manufacturers and retailers. The first two chapters provide information on…

This annotated bibliography of materials dealing with the evaluation of library reference services is arranged by category including literature success, quality, and accuracy of answers; cost and task analysis; interviews and communication; classification of reference questions; reference collections; staff availability; use and nonuse of…

This report provides a detailed analysis of the video use and preferences of Swedish adolescents based on data drawn from the Media Panel project, a three-wave, longitudinal research program on video use conducted at the Department of Sociology, The University of Lund, and the Department for Information Techniques, the University College of Vaxjo,…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) software research and development project described explores information seeking behavior of end-user energy experts and develops software offering tutorials on front-end use of DOE/RECON databases and active help in performing online searches. Software development is described and results of prototype testing…

Investigation of end-user searching at National Library of Medicine reveals that volume of searching is related to convenient placement of terminal; slightly fewer than half of potential searchers search for themselves; practices of pharmacists and pathologists do not differ in important ways; end-user searchers perform simple searches. (86…

Reports study of communication patterns of students and faculty in Psychology department at Georgia State University. Topics covered include pertinence of Garvey's model of information dissemination, methods of information exchange, practicing clinicians and research, research requirements for students, library use among graduate students, and…

Reports intensive survey of medical library users in Oxford teaching hospitals and university science departments that employed six survey techniques (interview, questionnaire, feedback form, direct observation, reference-tracing experiment, library record analysis). Three distinct user types (practitioner, researcher, practitioner-researcher)…

This study describes how elementary and secondary California teachers nominated as successful in their microcomputer-based instruction teach science and mathematics, and how their computer usage varies in relation to (1) teacher characteristics (computer and subject matter knowledge, and attitudes toward computers); and (2) district, school, and…

Raises questions about influence of present reference practice on library user perceptions of the librarian as information intermediary and on user ability to distinguish between librarians and other staff. Questions are discussed within context of client-professional relationship, using data from study of users of three midwestern university…