Discusses value and the economy and examines the changing definition of educational value regarding higher education. Trends in instructional technology resulting from changes in expected educational value are described, including resource sharing, specialization, market expansion, privatization, easier human-machine interfaces, feedback systems,…

Describes research and development of the Mercury Electronic Library Project, which was developed at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries to design an advanced retrieval system. Topics discussed include system architecture; security; performance, including automated and manual assessments; enhanced retrieval, including available databases;…

Defines collaborating systems, i.e., hardware, software, communications, and people working together; examines the need for machine-supported collaboration; and addresses the major obstacles impeding the progress of collaboration, including economic, political, human, and technical factors. A framework for the implementation of machine-supported…

As prices for library materials rise and budgets shrink, cooperative collection development is becoming increasingly important. In light of the necessity for resource sharing, libraries are being forced to balance issues of access for local users vs. access to other libraries. OhioLINK is described as a model for cooperative collection…

Discusses essential features of interfaces to support end-user information seeking. Highlights include cognitive engineering; task models and task analysis; the problem-solving nature of information seeking; examples of systems for end-users, including online public access catalogs (OPACs), hypertext, and help systems; and suggested research…

Argues that the shared use of artifacts is supported by latent border resources that lie beyond the canonical artifact. Designers must understand the role border resources play and work more directly to help users develop them. This will require designers to change their understanding of artifacts and users. (Contains 69 references.) (KRN)

Discusses differences between conventional books and electronic books, examines human-computer interface design issues, presents a development model for a hypermedia electronic book system, and describes the development of an electronic ABC book on CD-ROM for early learners. Future directions are also discussed. (24 references) (LRW)

Reviews of Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia, New Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia, and World Book's Information Finder are based on the 1990 editions. It is noted that all three publishers have announced plans to release annual revisions to their discs. The description of each of the products includes critiques of the search program, the…

Discussion of information services at Clemson University libraries focuses on managerial, cost, and behavioral issues that arose during the process of developing online access to information. Extending the online catalog with commercial databases and locally generated files is described, cost and benefit tradeoffs are considered, and student and…

Compares humanlike versus machinelike interactional styles of computer interfaces, testing hypotheses that evaluative feedback conveyed through a humanlike interface will have greater impact on individuals' self-appraisals. Reflected appraisals were more influenced by computer feedback than were self-appraisals. Humanlike and machinelike interface…

Presents an evaluation of one postgraduate subject (Information Technology for Teaching and Learning at the University of New South Wales), which is taught entirely online and uses public-domain browsers, e-mail and file transfer, and is integrated with software developed by the authors, WebTeach (c) to facilitate teacher/learner and…

Focuses on natural language processing (NLP) in information retrieval. Defines the seven levels at which people extract meaning from text/spoken language. Discusses the stages of information processing; how an information retrieval system works; advantages to adding full NLP to information retrieval systems; and common problems with information…

Discussion of educational software focuses on a model of educational software that was derived from a case study of two elementary school teachers participating in a software design process. Considers human-computer interface, interaction, software browsing strategies, and implications for teacher training. (Author/LRW)

The article reports the results of a usability study of an EAD interface. Findings indicate that subjects had trouble understanding archival terminology and how best to search for information in finding aids. Furthermore, they were not familiar with the structure or contents of finding aids. In addition to building interfaces that minimize…

This article offers an introduction to the central concepts and principles of the Systemic-Structural Theory of Activity (SSTA), an activity-theoretical approach specifically tailored to the analysis and design of human work. In activity theory, cognition is understood both as a process and as a structured system of actions. Building on the…