Describes a new general studies program developed at Berea College (Kentucky) that includes seven courses with faculty-approved goals relating to communication and research. Highlights include the connection between liberal education and the library; course-integrated library instruction designed collaboratively by instructors and librarians; and…

Examines the Type I Error in research on multimedia's impact on learning. Discusses the lack of a control group; the myth of multimedia benefits and the motivational effects of curiosity, content, and instructional strategies; the economics of multimedia; and dangers of the Type I Error, including inequity, lower scores or standards, wasted…

The University of Birmingham (England) Product and Manufacturing System (PAMS) design project is a major engineering design project undertaken by student teams and is spread over three undergraduate years. The project's objectives, open-ended student task, team member selection method, focus on transferable skills, supervision, and peer assessment…

Arguing that good screen design is an important part of good instructional design for computer-based training, this article describes how to design screens to facilitate learning and provide for appropriate student-computer interaction. Topics discussed include general text and graphics design, screen layout, use of color, and effective design for…

Two approaches to measurement for instructional decision making (specific subskill mastery measurement and general outcome measurement) are described and illustrated with case studies. The paper concludes that measuring general outcome indicators can bridge traditional and contemporary assessment paradigms to form an innovative approach to…

Reviews recommendations of the Carnegie report "Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century" with respect to the internal restructuring of middle schools and ways of integrating community and parental support. Discusses suggestions concerning small learning communities, core academic programs, ensuring student success,…

Discussion of visible models of training course organization covers uses for course designers, including clarifying course structure, planning lessons, communicating course requirements, and presenting a course overview; six steps to produce a visible model; and benefits for designers, instructors, and students. An example of a schematic diagram…

Explains Total Quality Management (TQM), a participative management style, and examines its relationship to Instructional Systems Development (ISD) as it is used for curriculum development. Application of TQM principles to the ISD processes of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation is suggested. (eight references) (LRW)

Reviews the concept of learning in distance education; explains a model that lays the conceptual foundation for successfully integrating computer-based instruction with computer conferencing for interactive distance delivery; describes a pilot project at the University of Guelph that used the model; and discusses the project's evaluation. (21…

A graduate class on creativity at the University of Massachusetts was based on a European preschool program which fosters young children's learning, representation, and expression through exploration and mastery of many symbolic media. The class documented nature explorations, repeated experiences to delve deeper into them, and integrated the…

Outlines the development of a strategy that applies quality management techniques to a training development program based on experiences at Lloyds Bank (United Kingdom). Topics discussed include computer-based training and software development; environmental influences affecting standards development; quality control; assessment against the…

Presents guidelines derived from cognitive and constructivist learning theory and instructional design literature for designing effective hypermedia-based courseware. Topics addressed include the influence of learning theory, hypertext and hypermedia, courseware design factors, learner interaction variables, practice, feedback, learner control,…

In this paper, an attempt to apply the synthesized results from previous research on theories of actual development of courseware is demonstrated in an interactive videodisc project that aims to promote English-as-a-foreign-language learning at Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Instructional design and practical considerations for implementation of…

Describes four graduate-level distance education programs granting diplomas in teacher-librarianship that were investigated by the author during a study visit to southeastern Australia. Some themes and approaches common to the one-year programs are identified, and key learnings related to the provision of distance education programs are suggested.…

Describes a study that examined women's distance learning experiences at Athabasca University (Canada) based on qualitative research methodology, including interviews, and a feminist framework. Highlights include educational access issues; course materials; telephone tutorials and teleconferencing; the flexibility of technology; suggestions for…