This study explores the way music operates in the mental processing of computer-supported instructional messages, whose other modes are text and graphics. The experiment examined the effect of music on the immediate recall and understanding of three equivalent science lessons delivered by a computer. The objective properties of the music were…

Robert Gagne has been a central figure in the infusion of instructional psychology into the field of instructional technology, and in the creation of the domain of instructional design. Gagne's design principles provide not only a theoretical orientation to an instructional design project, but also have prompted a number of design conventions and…

Open-ended learning environments (OELEs) provide contexts to support exploration, experimentation, and problem-solving. This paper creates a context for understanding the issues and challenges associated with the design and development of OELEs. Discussion first centers on characteristics of OELEs which differ from traditional learning…

Use of Robert Gagne's model of instructional design for teaching English as a Second Language is illustrated in a unit intended for community college students of varying linguistic and educational backgrounds. Students must be literate in English, have a prescribed level of listening comprehension, and be familiar with certain English vocabulary…

Two diverse extension audiences in Polk County, North Carolina were surveyed to determine their levels of use of extension information and their preferred means for receiving information. Information was gathered through mailed surveys returned by 48 beef producers and 40 county government workers (about a 67 percent return for each group). Nearly…

Nearly all burley tobacco farmers in the mountains of North Carolina are small or part-time farmers who have limited time for seeking information. Although they desire accurate, user-friendly, timely, and relevant information, their willingness or opportunity to spend time in face-to-face contacts or grower meetings is becoming severely limited.…

Significant improvements in instructional design and in the development of classroom support materials, as well as the blurring of lines separating computer software, computer-interactive videodisc, CD-ROM, and other new technologies, are cited as the rationale for combining three topics covered by separate guidelines published in…

This paper reviews the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) to learning and suggests where continuous quality improvement in education may lead in the future. Several issues in the application of TQM are discussed, including: the need for active participation and full support of faculty and staff, active and creative involvement of…

This paper describes a new instructional development model, the INTERACT model, for use in instructional design of interactive instruction, especially interactive computer-delivered instruction such as intelligent tutors and videodisc-based computer-based instruction (CBI). The model is derived largely from current practice in instructional…

Scientific advances in cognitive science and instructional technology suggest significant changes in methods of curricular and instructional design that will strongly affect educational practice. This paper discusses one of the major areas in which cognitive science and instructional technology are affecting instructional design theory: the…

Insights from research on young children's concepts and attitudes about poetry can assist teachers as they develop appropriate instructional poetry programs. Research reveals that teachers' choices of poems often do not correlate well with children's choices. Characteristics preferred by children include: themes important to children, humorous…

The development of potentially powerful computer-based tools within rich learning environments is hampered by the constraints of delivery systems (specifically low-resolution, low-real estate displays). In designing a World Wide Web-based tool for manipulating time-based information, the authors have encountered a lack of guidelines or empirical…

This paper describes how the authors use a mixture of World Wide Web (WWW)-based functionalities and new didactics to teach educational technology students at the University of Twente (Netherlands) about the design of WWW-based learning environments. Topics discussed include: (1) the content of courses about the design of educational WWW…

This paper shows how to use design patterns for building educational multimedia applications. The first section summarizes design issues related to organizing the information, the organization of the interface, and implementation. Navigating through information is covered in the second section, including problems, motivations, and solutions, and…

This paper presents a model for systematic instructional design that includes mental model analysis together with the procedures used in developing computer-based instructional materials in the area of statistical hypothesis testing. The instructional design model is based on the premise that the objective for learning is to achieve expert-like…