This article considers the nature of complexity and design, as well as relationships between the two, and suggests that design may have much potential as an approach to improving human performance in situations seen as complex. It is developed against two backgrounds. The first is a world view that derives from second order cybernetics and radical…

Four experiments investigated the roles of layout geometry in the selection of intrinsic frames of reference in spatial memory. Participants learned the locations of objects in a room from 2 or 3 viewing perspectives. One view corresponded to the axis of bilateral symmetry of the layout, and the other view(s) was (were) nonorthogonal to the axis…

Distance education and web-based courses are mainstream in the United States higher education and growing (NCES, 2003) involving over 80% of four year public universities in 2002. The National Academy of Science review of "how people learn" suggests that technology-mediated learning can be used to respond to students' preferences and…

The "Facilities Performance Indicators Survey" ("FPI") supersedes and builds upon the two major surveys APPA conducted in the past: the Comparative Costs and Staffing (CCAS) survey and the Strategic Assessment Model (SAM). The "FPI" covers all the materials collected in CCAS and SAM, along with some select new data points and improved survey…

In this article TENCompetence will be presented as a framework for lifelong competence development. More specifically, the relationship between the TENCompetence framework and the IMS Learning Design (LD) specification is explored. LD authoring has proven to be challenging and the toolset currently available is targeting expert users mostly…

An analysis of preferences with respect to silhouette drawings of nude females is presented. Systematic intransitivities were discovered. The dispersions of differences (comparatal dispersons) were shown to reflect the multidimensional structure of the stimuli, a finding expected on the basis of prior work. (Author)

Ten severely retarded adults were presented with a matching task in which each of the alternatives to the stimulus that was identical to the target stimulus differed from it on one dimension only. (Author)

This study examined the underlying constructs that influence criteria used to determine furniture design preferences and significant relationships between the self-conceptual personality trait of self-monitoring and furniture preferences. Traditional style was perceived as more aesthetically pleasing and contemporary style as more prestigious by…

This post-occupancy evaluation of Martha Lake Elementary School in the Edmonds School District, Washington, was designed to answer questions in two areas: (1) "What aspects of the facility are effectively supporting learning and the current educational program? Conversely, which aspects, elements, or components of the facility appear to be…

The relationship of color, light, sound, spatial arrangement, furniture and furnishings with the user is explored as well as his expected behavior as a result of different combinations of these variables. In effect, the environment of the library is shown to be as important as the service it offers. (15 references) (Author/NH)

A comprehensive treatment of the design, structural and functional features of Berlin University Hospital--a full-service medical teaching and research hospital. (FS)

The status of fixed service television in design and development, and its competition with commercial interests. (RA)

Discusses how Web portals can best serve higher education institutions if portal designers first understand and satisfy user needs. Shares findings from a usability study of an Indiana University enterprise portal application, which indicated that many existing interaction design principles still apply. (EV)

In this study, a popular search engine was used to find multicultural counseling Web sites. Over 100 sites were visited and categorized by type of content. Common problems in each category were identified and discussed, along with practical solutions. Recommendations were then made for future developers of multicultural counseling Web sites.…

Examines how today's college and university athletic locker rooms have become sophisticated recruiting tools that rival many professional facilities. Locker room design and location and their level of furniture, finishes, and equipment are discussed as is the trend for more environmentally friendly locker rooms. (GR)