Describes the process of writing and designing an effective brochure about a child care center, including working with professional designers and printers. (DR)

Reports the results of two formative research studies conducted during the design process for a new, portable trackball-like computer input device for small children. The findings are discussed in terms of the design of appropriate interfaces for young children, and what can be learned from formative research on products in development. (25…

Discusses the design of interfaces for online systems and suggests requirements that must be met to offer maximum aid to inexperienced users. Highlights include the online search process, user data, query processing, database descriptors, semantic links, multilingual processing, search strategies, and distributed systems. A 20-page bibliography…

Discusses applications of optical technology, especially CD-ROMs, to information management needs. Information retrieval problems are discussed; design questions that concern the format of the data, indexing methods, and retrieval capabilities are presented; the need for updates is considered; access requirements are discussed; and the importance…

Provides an overview of this issue that reviews Dutch research concerning knowledge-based instructional systems. Topics discussed include experimental research, conceptual models, design considerations, and guidelines; the design of student diagnostic modules, instructional modules, and interface modules; second-language teaching; intelligent…

Describes a two-year design experiment in which sixth and seventh grade students designed hypermedia documents to be used by their classmates. Consensual patterns of students beliefs emerged. Presents information on how teachers assisted with the longitudinal transitions in students' critical standards for judging research questions and evaluating…

The design of five experiments comparing usability evaluation methods (UEMs) is examined. Each has had an important influence on human-computer interaction (HCI); however, problems with experimental design raised questions as to the efficacy of various UEMs. To obtain desired outcomes of the experimental method addressing HCI issues, close…

Describes the use of a simple inexpensive model of a five-legged table in a physics course for industrial-design students to spark useful discussion about several aspects of statics. (WRM)

An environmental studies center at Oberlin College (Ohio) was designed to instruct its users in ecological competence and the possibilities of ecological design applied to buildings, energy and waste systems, and landscapes. Students and faculty participated in the planning process, which included research into technologies and materials, high…

Discusses some of the hardware and peripherals available to people with varied disabilities as an introduction to the things that Web designers and librarians will need to take into consideration when designing a site and selecting materials. Suggests guidelines for good design and tools for increased accessibility. (AEF)

Addresses educational theories in the design of interactive learning environments, and examines implications for effective instructional multimedia design. Argues for the use of dynamic modeling tools and suggests that systems thinking is a cognitive skill that technological developments, particularly in multimedia, have made more addressable.…

The Thomas Jefferson Center for Educational Design at the University of Virginia, with associates representing architecture, business, education, engineering, sociology, and technology, wants to redesign both schools and schooling. The goal is to raise standards without destroying hope, promote responsibility without sacrificing safety, expand…

Presents six principles for building and evaluating Web-based information retrieval interfaces: help the user develop an understanding of the interface and search process, judge the value of continuing search paths, and refine search queries or search topics; avoid complex navigation; make system actions explicit; and provide verbal labels…

Proposes a framework for commercial Web application development based on prior research in hypermedia and human-computer interfaces. First, its social acceptability is investigated. Next, economic, technical, operational, and organizational viability are examined. For Web-page design, the functionality and usability of Web pages are considered.…

Describes the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of an interactive videodisc exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Design requirements for museum environments and interactive videodisc-based exhibits are examined, a field evaluation is described, and the adaptation of an instructional design model for museum settings is…