Discussion of middleware focuses on the Internet 2 Middleware Initiative. Topics include a description of middleware as a layer of software in a distributed system; middleware characteristics, including transparency, portability, reliability, scalability, and interoperability; and the Internet 2 Middleware Initiative which is focused on research…

Researchers are developing automated instructional design systems which guide subject matter experts (SMEs) through the complexities of courseware development. Enabling SMEs to perform many of the authoring activities associated with courseware development has two distinct advantages: (1) costs are contained; and (2) SMEs can make optional use of…

From 1988 to 1996, employment in high-technology industries shifted toward services. Growth in these industries accounted for all of the net increase in research and development employment in the United States. (SK)

Under current federal copyright law (17 U.S.C. 105), federal agencies cannot copyright and license their computer software. Officials at the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institutes of Health state that a significant…

This report is the result of a systematic review of the status and directions of high performance computing and its relationship to federal research and development. Conducted by the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET), the review involved a series of workshops attended by numerous computer scientists and…

An overview is provided of current trends in virtual reality research and development, including discussion of hardware, types of virtual reality, and potential problems with virtual reality. Implications for education and training are explored. (Author/JKP)

The federal High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program was created to accelerate the development of future generations of high performance computers and networks and the use of these resources in the federal government and throughout the American economy. This report describes the HPCC program which is developing computing,…

This paper describes research and development concerning the use of electronic performance support systems (EPSS) in interactive multimedia (IMM) classes at Edith Cowan University (ECU), Australia. EPSS are a special type of computerized support systems that integrate a knowledge base with practical tools required for a specific type of job. The…

Describes the InfoMall, a program led by the Northeast Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC) at Syracuse University (New York). The InfoMall features a partnership of approximately 24 organizations offering linked programs in High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) technology integration, software development, marketing, education and…

Discusses research issues related to using cognitive learning and instructional theory to design technology-based learning environments such as hypertext and hypermedia. A "Theory-to-Design" framework is described, and the framework is then used to analyze theoretical and design issues raised in a hypermedia research project. (Contains…

Explains the function of formative evaluation and the evaluation techniques that can be used in the various stages of educational computing research and development. Topics include computer software design; selecting evaluation standards; and a framework for formative evaluation, including theoretical models, expert consultation, and field…

Information systems (IS) professionals are called on to produce increasingly sophisticated user interfaces as a part of software development. Although IS education includes coverage of user interface (UI) development, classroom presentation of this topic frequently is cursory and does not provide any particular methodology for the task. In this…

This hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space focuses on S. 272, the High-Performance Computing and Communications Act of 1991, a bill that provides for a coordinated federal research and development program to ensure continued U.S. leadership in this area. Performance computing is defined as representing the…

This is part of a series of reports to the President and Congress developed by the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) on key contemporary issues in information technology. This report defines open source software, explains PITAC's interest in this model, describes the process used to investigate issues in open source…

This document is the annual report prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Information Technology Research and Development of the National Science and Technology Council. This report is a Supplement to the President's fiscal year (FY) 2002 Budget that describes the Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD)…