Investigates Project CANS (Computer-Assisted Network Systems), a program to develop computer-assisted instruction, computer-managed instruction and computer-managed classroom activities in Cook County, Illinois. Discusses the operation of the program since 1984. Provides a description of the equipment available to each classroom and building. (MVL)

Summarizes and illustrates the knowledge-based approach to instructional material design. A series of sports coaching handbooks and hypermedia presentations of the same material are described and the different instantiations of the knowledge and training structures are compared. Figures show knowledge structures for badminton and the architecture…

Presents the results of an analysis of sociotechnical issues and perceptions of electronic media to determine where electronic media fits the working habits of journal article producers. The outcome is a profile of a group of United Kingdom practitioners that is grounded in their perceptions of the publishing and research processes and their…

Describes two phases of the automation of library and information services in mainland China. From 1974-86, much effort was concentrated on developing computer systems, databases, online retrieval, and networking. From 1986 to the present, practical progress became possible largely because of CD-ROM technology; and large scale networking for…

Ten ways to design an effective Human-Computer Interface are explained. Highlights include material delivery that relates to user knowledge; appropriate screen presentations; attention value versus learning and recall; the relationship of packaging and message; the effectiveness of visuals and text; the use of color to enhance communication; the…

Results are reported from a study that investigated the extent to which academic library end users conducted multiple search sessions with online public access catalogs or CD-ROM databases at different stages of their information seeking related to a research project. Implications for training, retrieval systems design, and further research are…

Describes a local automated bilingual circulation system using personal computers in a local area network that was developed at King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia) for Arabic and English materials. Topics addressed include the system structure, hardware, major features, storage requirements, and costs. (nine references) (LRW)

Traces the history of virtual reality (VR), or cyberspace, and describes some of the research and development efforts currently being carried out in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. Applications of VR in interactive computer-aided design (CAD), the military, leisure activities, spaceflight, teleconferencing, and medicine are…

Identifies problems that undergraduate searchers encountered in a search of the ERIC database on CD-ROM. Results of participant observation, questionnaires, and interviews are reported; a taxonomy of user problems is proposed that includes syntactic errors and semantic errors; and recommendations for menu selection systems, online help, and…

Discusses the role of interactive multimedia in museums; describes the development and design at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History of a multimedia program on water conservation; analyzes the effect of the presence of audio on the users' completion of the program; and discusses evaluation of the program. (10 references) (LRW)

Discusses distance learning, describes the Open University in the United Kingdom, and describes the incorporation of home computing into computer courses at the Open University. Industrial training is discussed, a course using televised classes and one using video and printed materials are described, and future possibilities are suggested. (Three…

Examines the current state of user interface design for information seeking. Topics include technology push and interdisciplinarity; research and development; literature trends; user-centered interface design; information seeking in electronic environments; online information retrieval system interfaces; online public access catalog interfaces;…

Discussion of navigation through virtual information environments focuses on the need for robust user models that take into account individual differences. Considers Pask's information processing styles and strategies; deep (transformational) and surface (reproductive) learning; field dependence/independence; divergent/convergent thinking;…

One trend in educational and cognitive learning theory being adopted by designers of computer-aided learning (CAL) tools and expert systems is case-based reasoning, or the use of previous examples or cases to solve new problems. This article examines principles of this method, including guided exploration, memory aids, and partially self-directed…

Describes an interactive, cooperative-learning environment, "The Biology Sleuth." Characterizes students' interactions with this system, relates the underlying design concepts and principles, and presents a rationale for the system design. Describes a series of three formative evaluations, that were critical in the maturation of the system.…