Describes study that investigated the communicability of the emotional connotation of various typefaces. Typographers, student instructional technologists, and naive readers (high school and college students) rated 30 typefaces using a semantic differential scale. Seven hypotheses tested are discussed and results are analyzed. (Author/LRW)

This study conducted to determine the effectiveness of using the Instructional Strategy Diagnostic Profile to revise self-instructional materials that teach abstract concepts examined three sets of materials: the original set, the set with improved consistency rating, and the set with improved consistency and adequacy ratings. Forty-six references…

Describes study that was conducted to determine the effects of two electronic text variables used in desktop publishing on undergraduate students' reading speed and comprehension. Research on text variables, graphic design, instructional text design, and computer screen design is discussed, and further studies are suggested. (22 references) (LRW)

Discusses research conducted to develop Japanese multimedia teaching materials for use on the Internet. The research verified the effects of different types of images used in multimedia teaching materials on the story understanding and reproduction ability of Japanese language learners based on a Japanese fairy tale. (Author/VWL)

Discussion of the development of instructional multimedia materials focuses on a study of undergraduates that examined how the use of visual icons affected learning, differences in the instructional effectiveness of visual versus auditory processing of the same information, and timing (whether simultaneous or sequential presentation is more…

Describes a study of junior college students that examined the interrelationship of structural cueing and graphic organizers, two prose processing adjuncts intended to convey the presence and nature of structure in text to learners with high, middle, and low level reading skills. Treatment of the experimental and control groups is explained, and…

Comparison of costs and effectiveness of using student data for formative evaluation of instructional materials and of using instructional editing guidelines incorporating attributes of effective instruction indicate greater cost-effectiveness if guidelines are used, with no significant difference in instructional effectiveness. Subjects were 70…

Investigated the dimensions of self-exploration in Web-based learning environments using an attitude survey of college students. Discusses results of factor analysis and one-way analysis of variance that considered gender and native English speaking ability; designing Web-based materials; effective Web resources; and interests of students who…

Discussion of instructional materials design focuses on using learner interests to increase relevance and motivation. A study is described that investigated the motivational effects of incorporating high school seniors' interests into instruction on syllogisms, using both high and low achievers. Results are analyzed, interests discussed, and…

Describes study designed to determine the effectiveness of field dependence/independence as a student selection criterion for one-to-one formative evaluation of instructional materials. Hypotheses tested are discussed, the computer-assisted instructional material evaluated and revised is described, and suggestions for further research are given.…

Describes a study that investigated how to teach computer skills to undergraduate female novice users through the design of an instructional manual that facilitated learning computer skills and increased computer self-efficacy by using familiar analogies. Treatment of the experimental and control groups is explained, and measurement techniques are…

Description of a study which formulated a model of the cognitive processes involved in learning statistics material via computer assisted learning (CAL) focuses on mode of presentation (aural or visual), sequence of the material, and previous mathematical experience. Textual analysis is discussed and implications of the results for design of CAL…

Discussion of the display of instructional text and text format elements focuses on a study of fourth graders that was conducted to test the effects of plain and enhanced screen designs on learning and time during computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Implications for screen design and future research are suggested. (31 references) (LRW)

Describes an experiment that was conducted using a digital video course to determine the effects of multimedia interface capabilities on computer-assisted instruction, particularly on recall performance and attitude. Results are reported that indicate motion video is more effective than slides, and design guidelines are suggested. (34 references)…

Discussion of the use of desktop publishing software to produce instructional materials highlights a study that used a wrap-around text format with variations in the amount of white space surrounding the graphic to investigate the effect of white space variations on the reading speed and comprehension of undergraduate students. (28 references)…