Web-based software was used to deliver and record the effects of programmed instruction that progressively added formal prompts until attempts were successful, programmed instruction with one attempt, and prose tutorials. Error-contingent progressive prompting took significantly longer than programmed instruction and prose. Both forms of…

This report concerns the effects of prequestion and postquestion formats in prose learning in computer-assisted instruction. Five experimental groups studied a set of eight passages under different prequestion-postquestion combinations. Twenty-five subjects, volunteers with high school degrees, were randomly assigned to each group. A final…

Describes clientele who could benefit from software being developed at University of Iowa for writing effective prose; what these authoring tools do and how they work; and design standards likely to produce a successful product. The software's design scheme, general design principles and objectives, and educational potential are discussed. (MBR)

Drawing from the conclusions of research studies by linguists and psychologists, this paper describes four classes of principles for constructing readable prose for both print materials and computer screens: (1) global principles dealing with a schema-theory approach to discourse type, with topical focus, and with parallelism; (2) sentence-level…

Use of microcomputers to teach basic prose writing to university students was investigated. The CAI program presented information, responded to answers, and evaluated input. Subjects were 50 University of Victoria freshmen. Few significant differences occured between experimental and control groups. CAI can apparently be used effectively to…

A meta-analysis was conducted of simple confirmation feedback, which informs the learner whether a response was correct or incorrect, and feedback which provides the correct answer. Following initial selection of 72 studies of computerized and printed instruction, 15 studies were identified which met the selection criteria of involving: (1) adults…

Explores the possibilities of students using the computer as an invention tool as part of their second-language learning. Students studying English as a second language created associative poems and prose using computer-based tools; they were then asked to reflect upon the relationship between the creative process in which they engaged and the…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 16 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) a study of the meanings of experience of ten published feminist women writers; (2) the composing activities of computer literate writers; (3) the informational…