This working paper documents the efforts of a professional information center (PIC) in Denver to provide resources that aid teachers and administrators in selecting software programs for varied microcomputer uses. The report outlines the development of PIC as a coordinator and clearinghouse for organizing and disseminating information on computers…

A brief review of recent demands and trends in adult education for nontraditional students is followed by a discussion of the design and purpose of audiocassette programs offering full and transferable college credit toward a degree. The development of audio courses is traced from the Ohio School of the Air, presented on radio in 1929, to the…

The final report documents activities of the California Learning Resource Center (CLRC) which focused on developing an intrastate network of learning resource centers and university affiliates, providing technical assistance to the associate centers in special education and in preservice and inservice training, providing training in instructional…

Selection of new curriculum programs on the basis of cost and effectiveness requires a careful process of identifying needs, establishing program selection criteria, analyzing and comparing alternative programs, and selecting the most appropriate programs. This document presents techniques and worksheets for use at each stage of this process. A…

Over a 12-month period, urban, suburban, and rural (non-farm) educational programs in Connecticut were evaluated to determine the quality of instructional materials in those programs. Evaluation data were collected from statistical summaries, predictive instruments, teacher reactions, student reactions, in-depth studies, evaluation seminars, and…

The entire educable mentally retarded (EMR) population of three middle and two elementary schools in Indiana were subjects for this interdisciplinary study that addressed the problem of determining what media techniques influence the attention of mildly handicapped learners toward relevant information and away from irrelevant information in…

An analysis of the historical roots of educational technology is followed by discussions of concerns for instructional design and media selection, systematic approaches to instruction, and the future uses of technology for the delivery of instruction and information. The development and growth of the field are explored, future applications of…

Data collected as part of a larger survey that focused on the 1978 gubernatorial race in New York State were used in a study of political advertising and media credibility. Specifically, the study examined the factors that influence an individual's rating of the helpfulness of political advertising and related these factors to voting patterns. A…

Examinations of 50 general science writing course syllabi used at 32 schools (55% response rate to a survey of 58 colleges and universities listing science writing courses in their curricula) reveal a wide range of course objectives and a varied use of resource materials. The emphasis is necessarily on writing skills, although a number of the…

Data is presented on the use and availability of media in library education programs. Information was collected from a questionnaire sent to institutional and associate institutional members of the Association of American Library Schools in 1975. The questionnaire was designed to determine the scope, size, and organization of the media collection…

This guide discusses five common CAI author misconceptions and their consequences. Working backward in each instance to show how the difficulty might better have been approached at the onset, it attempts to map out essential decision points in lesson development. The decision points identified cover (1) choosing the best medium for the lesson, (2)…

This reference guide points out the best sources on many topics for instructional units for elementary and secondary education. Biographical sources, science fiction guides, special subject encyclopedias, dictionaries of mythical places, school dictionaries, guides to historical places and events, indexes to science fair projects, crafts projects,…

Effective instruction on a national scale is dependent on supplying competent teachers with comprehensive instructional materials and procedures that meet some kind of minimum criteria for accountability. Considerations included in a complete instructional system are: (1) outcomes; (2) assessment; (3) user experience data; (4) materials; (5)…

A study of instructional materials, especially media, available for ophthalmology teaching was initiated at the University of Washington School of Medicine in March 1973. Some 115 catalog and distribution sources were contracted, from which more than 200 potential titles were identified. Fifty three materials were reviewed and evaluated. Six…

A unique system for writing and producing multimedia technical presentations is said to make it relatively easy for any communications professional to get involved with multimedia. Projection equipment and screen numbers are to be chosen strictly on the basis of content; dissolve effects with 35mm slides are described as the key. Central themes…