Reports on an exploratory study which used tracking records and evaluation questionnaires to examine the ways students use a hypermedia system. Findings in the following areas are discussed: enjoyment, ease of use, perception of system control, actual search strategies, perceived purposive search strategies, and effectiveness of search strategies.…

Explores specification and design procedures, functions, and issues in the development of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs). Topics discussed include learning objectives; the target audience; types of training materials; format; software and hardware specifications; and individual ITS modules, including administrative, user profile, database,…

Discussion of computer-assisted learning (CAL) and the instructional functions of audio highlights the development of an interactional audio-CAL system used for second-language learning. Levels of interactivity in media are discussed, hardware that would add audio to a CAL system is described, and future research is suggested. (10 references) (LRW)

Discusses the development of computer-assisted music instruction at Ohio State University and describes a courseware development system for the Apple Macintosh microcomputer that facilitates the creation of sophisticated computer-assisted music instruction programs. Walter Hewlett's pitch representation system is described, structured programing…

Presents reasons for choosing a connected computer system for student use in secondary schools. The systems approach is discussed; two alternatives are compared, a central computer and a local area network (LAN) of microcomputers; software is described; and two scenarios of LAN use are presented. (four references) (LRW)

Describes ECAL (extended computer-assisted learning) which was designed to incorporate artificial intelligence ideas to extend traditional CAL tools. Intelligent tutoring systems are discussed; authoring tasks in CAL and intelligent computer-assisted instruction (ICAI) are described; and the general architecture of the system is explained. (8…

Explains hyper-systems and discusses their role in active learning, presents results from an expert evaluation of current hyper-systems that use HyperCard, and suggests implications for designers of educational hypermedia. System criteria discussed include purpose, domain or content, structure, navigation methods, control mechanisms, and style of…

Describes the development and integration of UDEMOG, a computer-assisted instruction system for teaching demographic related topics that was designed at the University of Delaware. Software programs and spreadsheet data files are described, hardware based on IBM equipment is discussed, and use in the classroom and in computer laboratories is…

A project undertaken at the University of Minnesota evaluated two microcomputer teletraining systems (audiographic conferencing) to determine the effectiveness of this technology for point-to-point and multipoint distance education. System design requirements included broadcast keystrokes, error checking, master-slave linkages, simultaneous voice…

Introduces five articles in a special journal issue devoted to research about, design of, and use of multimodal interfaces. Article highlights include: algebra instruction; presentation of data summaries; interaction with complex spatial displays (maps); access to computing for the visually impaired; and design for portable devices for use in…

Describes the design and implementation of an interactive video system using existing videodiscs and Apple's Hypercard for use in the teaching of cell biology to undergraduate biology students. Hypertext and hypermedia are discussed, the hardware configuration is described, and a preliminary evaluation of the completed system is reported. (five…

Noting that the merging of various types of media with the computer has presented the field of education with a hybrid technology called interactive multimedia (also referred to as hypermedia), this digest begins by defining this technology as "the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image, and moving pictures into a single,…

Discussion of the use of authoring systems for courseware development focuses on guidelines to be considered when designing authoring systems. Topics discussed include allowing a variety of instructional strategies; interaction with peripheral processes such as student records; the editing process; and human factors in computer interface design,…

Presents an input-process-output (IPO) model that can facilitate the design and implementation of instructional micro and minicomputer systems in school districts. A national survey of school districts with outstanding computer systems is described, a systems approach to develop the model is explained, and evaluation of the system is discussed.…

Many educational institutions have a substantial personal computer (PC) network that can be adapted to provide digital video on demand, as well as PCs that can be used as video on demand clients. To gain insight into the issues involved in using this technology in an educational environment that relies heavily on video, a simple, low cost video on…