Advanced approaches to the construction of software systems can present difficulties to learners. This is true for multi-agent systems (MAS) which exhibit concurrency, non-determinacy of structure and composition and sometimes emergent behavior characteristics. Additional barriers exist for learners because mainstream MAS technology is young and…

Design methodology (DM) is defined by the procedural path, expressed in design models, and techniques or methods used to untangle the various activities within a design model. Design education in universities is mainly based on descriptive design models. Much knowledge and organization have been built into DM to facilitate design teaching.…

The increasing number of homeless people is one of the most burning problems of nowadays world. Society has to find the way to fight against it and provide help to those people that have no place to stay. For short-term interventions, the application of the mobile dwelling units seems to be the only possible solution. However, existing mobile…

This paper takes as its central thesis Martha Nussbaum's normative proposition that social arrangements should be evaluated primarily according to the extent of freedom people have to promote or achieve functionings they value. Using this as a lens the paper explores the housing circumstances of older people in the UK. The paper makes three…

This article proposes three guidelines for mobile technology design that address the needs and goals of teachers who are considered mainstream with regard to technology use. Devices should be easy to learn and use, focused on the curriculum, and instruction-friendly. Only if the three guidelines are followed by hardware and software developers…

As new users from the non-technical community are attracted to multimedia (MM) computing, it becomes necessary to design a convenient and easy-to-understand logical structure that facilitates data transfer from the MM data repository to MM applications. A recently introduced layered formalism, which describes MM applications in terms of the data…

In January 1994, Arizona's Maricopa Community College District issued a request for proposals to develop new administrative software applications to solve problems related to high maintenance costs for existing systems and difficulties in updating software. The result was the Apollo Project, in which the District contracted with Oracle Corporation…

Generally, construction projects undertaken by school districts in New York State are financed in part by state aid. The Education Department's Facilities Planning unit approves state aid for school-district construction projects outside New York City. This report presents findings of an audit that evaluated whether the Unit management's oversight…

This guide presents an informal overview of some basic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for small businesses that provide goods or services to the public. References to key sections of the regulations or other information are included. The first section describes the ADA briefly. Section two lists the 12 categories of public…

This brief fact sheet addresses the following concerns about effective communication and accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): requirements under the ADA for achieving effective communication (e.g., provision of necessary auxiliary communication aids and services); identification of necessary communication aids and…

Increased student enrollment, collection growth, the need for multimedia workspace, and other technology changes are all reasons for embarking on a facilities project in a library media center. This book describes the keys to success for library media centers of the future, and addresses the need for developing support for the facilities plan.…

Guidelines designed to help Maryland facilities planners, educators, and community members make informed choices about the types of facilities they will provide for secondary education services are presented in this document. The guide first describes the characteristics of at-risk students and presents an overview of dropout prevention programs.…

This paper describes several pilot systems of data management using telecommunications links, which have been tested by the Navy during an 8-year period in which emphasis has been on the development of relational database management systems, exchange protocols, and man-machine interface. An introduction discusses the background of the project,…

Argues that a computer-based programming tutor for novice programmers needs to take into account not only the types and frequency of bugs found in the programs, but the intentions and knowledge state of the programmer. A first version of such a program was developed on the basis of the bug types found in a number of pencil-and-paper studies with…

To lay a foundation for the design and effective use of low-cost, part-task and low-fidelity training devices, this report identifies dimensions of skill performance in terms of modern learning and behavior theory, and analyzes cognitive and motor skills as they relate to information processing. Cognitive processes discussed include task…