Principals should consider whether their school's student information system is performing all the needed functions. A typical SIS addresses the following broad categories: biographical, demographic, and health records; attendance records; student and resource scheduling; grade reporting; and discipline reporting. Advice for integrating systems…

Suggests why conceptual design is so often neglected by development teams. Presents a five-step process for developing a sound conceptual model for a software application. Describes how technical communicators can reinforce and support conceptual design in their projects. (SR)

Describes three Internet projects that use interactive multimedia: Internet-based training, intranet information management, and partnered marketing services. Development processes, strategies for utilizing emerging software tools, and techniques for converting existing training and knowledge into Internet-compatible formats are discussed.…

A property records system organizes data to be utilized by a camp's facilities department and integrated into other areas. Start by deciding what records to keep and allotting the time. Then develop consistent procedures, including organizing data, creating a catalog, making back-up copies, and integrating procedures. Use software tools. A good…

A nationwide survey of 1,468 finance faculty received 145 responses that revealed an extensive shift to the use of computer image projection in the classroom. More than 86% used presentation software. Only small numbers used an intranet or videoconferencing for teaching; 42% used the Internet for 20% or less of class meetings. (Contains 18…

Discussion of collection analysis in school libraries focuses on the kinds of data used and how to use library automation software to collect the data. Describes the use of Microsoft Excel and its chart-making capabilities to enhance the presentation of the analysis and suggests ways to use collection analysis output. (LRW)

Describes how groups of authors can create electronic books through unsupervised collaborative work. Proposes a Web-based groupware system that allows building Web sites that can be considered as electronic books without the need of an editor, and describes experiences at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain). (Author/LRW)

Proposes an Evaluative Framework that is designed to help users determine whether software and web pages fit with their literacy goals. Notes that this Evaluative Framework takes a global approach by including various theoretical perspectives, stances toward integrating literacy and technology, aspects of literacy, and types of educational…

Reviews home learning software award winners, divided into four categories according to age groups beginning at age 3 and ending with ages 12 and up. Prices and vendors' addresses are also included. (LRW)

Explores data transfer speeds obtained with various combinations of hardware and software components through a study of access to the Internet from a notebook computer connected to a local area network based on Ethernet and TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/Internet protocol) network protocols. Upgrading is recommended for higher transfer…

Discusses software design issues for Okapi, an information retrieval system that incorporates both search engine and user interface and supports weighted searching, relevance feedback, and query expansion. The basic search system, adjacency searching, and moving toward a distributed system are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Implementation of Florida Choices, a computer-assisted career guidance system, was evaluated through a survey of 17 high schools. Implementation enablers, barriers, and resource needs were consistent across school type and size. Staff training, collaboration, and adequate resources were key implementation issues. (SK)

States that, concerning declarative information in software manuals, most research methods are aimed at measuring specific information effects, hardly ever yielding data about what users elect/use if they have a choice. Describes a new approach which experiments with operationalization of the information types and three different user types. Show…

States that metaphors/analogies can be helpful when people have to learn to use something. Examines computer software manual material language. Finds that expressions suggesting that computers have an affective relationship to the user or communicate their intentions through human language appear to be perceived as anthropomorphistic and might…

The development of safety-critical systems (aircraft cockpits and reactor control rooms) is qualitatively different from that of other interactive systems. These differences impose burdens on design teams that must ensure the development of human-machine interfaces. Analyzes strengths and weaknesses of formal methods for the design of user…