Discusses the need to learn how to design learning systems involving the synthesis of systems thinking and design actions. Design intelligence is considered, based on theories of multiple intelligence; new models of the information age that require systems design are discussed; and the roles of symbolic analysts and symbolic synthesists are…

The inherent opportunities for communication, collaboration and experiential learning in an online and global network create the impetus for the new network paradigm in higher education. A strategic knowledge network in education was designed and developed to build "Mode 2" knowledge capabilities; create new knowledge for innovative…

This booklet contains the edited transcript of an interview with Gerald Nadler that was conducted by William J. Gephart in October 1972 for Phi Delta Kappa's National Symposium for Professors of Educational Research. The interview focuses mainly on five questions about the development process: (1) What is the general nature of the process of…

Presents a database system development model in which theoretical support in the form of automated theorem proving is brought to bear on the problem of enforcing integrity, i.e., ensuring that the database system represents only those states and transitions that are possible in the world it models. (MBR)

Discusses the development of a successful object-oriented (OO) system designed for use in banking, beginning with initial failure of the project using a traditional life-cycle approach. Three features that made the OO phase successful are identified: employing OO techniques; combining these techniques with a guideline, the tools-and-materials…

Discusses the instructional systems development (ISD) model which consists of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation; and concludes that a precontract phase should be included where standards can be specified. The need for this initial phase is considered in light of commercial vendors and the need to bid competitively. (LRW)

Purpose: Research has found that the implementation of learning-based systems development is a complex issue since it requires the input of employees at all levels of an organization. Successful implementation is a challenge for organizations as the basic training and education offered by them and the particular experiences of the individuals on…

This paper focuses on an approach to instructional development that consists of three basic stages interrelated by feedback. The first stage, system definition and management, is an exhaustive effort to define the problem, study the existing instructional context, and determine staff support and management controls. Stage two, design analysis and…

Three models for the design of information systems are presented: microanalytic, macroanalytic, and esoteric. Systems which illustrate these models are discussed, and design principles extracted from the literature are listed. (Author/KP)

The main conclusions are: the human factor appears to be the main variable in all components of an information retrieval system; length of indexes affects performance considerably more than indexing languages; question analysis and search strategies affect performance to a great extent - as much, if not more than indexing. (Author/MF)

Provides an overview of this special issue on educational systems design. The International Systems Institute (ISI), a nonprofit agency that contributed the issue, is described; and summaries of the papers are presented, organized according to major themes covered (i.e., conceptual models and issues, design applications, and design learning). (LRW)

An important objective of science and technology education is the development of pupils' capacity for systems thinking. While in science education the term system relates mainly to structures and phenomena in the natural world, technology education focuses on systems designed to fulfill people's needs and desires: examples include systems to…

This study introduces the concept of Fault Tree Analysis as a systems tool and examines the implications of Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) as a technique for isolating failure modes in educational systems. A definition of FTA and discussion of its history, as it relates to education, are provided. The step by step process for implementation and use of…

Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) can be used as a nucleus of a network fostering organizational learning within an organization. Presents a model for EPSS; explores three facets of the model: knowledge management, system design and individual behavior, and electronic communication. Outlines studies of computer use in the workplace.…

User participation and its relationship to system success have been discussed in the information systems (IS) literature from many theoretical and practical perspectives. In reality, most of this discussion is grounded in empirical research that has yielded mixed results on the importance of user participation and its relationship to system…