A description of the Program Assembly and Monitored Execution for Learning Applications (PAMELA) is presented. It is intended for instructors who propose to use the system and for programers who wish to modify it. PAMELA is an interactive system designed to teach the operating principles of the IBM System/360 digital computer at the machine…

At the request of the National Science Foundation, the Panel on Telecommunications Research of the Committee on Telecommunications of the National Academy of Engineering has made a preliminary survey of the status and trends of telecommunications research in the United States and selected foreign countries. The status and trends were identified by…

Available methods for collecting human factors data rely heavily on observations, interviews, and questionnaires. A need exists for other methods. The feasibility of using two-way voice-radio for this purpose was studied. The data collection methodology consisted of a human factors analyst talking from a radio base station with technicians wearing…

A description of the system used by Space Documentation Service (SDS) to disseminate combined and accumulated knowledge, as widely as possible, throughout Europe is given. The RECON network, with the full support of NASA, has gradually been extended so that centers in Member States, may, by installing their own terminals, have direct access to the…

The overall organization of the Information System for Vocational Decisions (ISVD) script network is diagrammed and each component described: (1) systems scripts which help determine what part of the system the inquirer wants to use; (2) CAI scripts designed to teach the inquirer things related to career choice; (3) preference scripts which help…

This final report discusses certain parts of the successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses of the development of the Information System for Vocational Decisions (ISVD) in terms of their relevance to the issues within the area of computer-assisted instruction. A major focus is on the kinds of computer-assisted instruction that promote…

The principal emphasis of this three-year research program was on developing better ways to utilize the power of the digital computer in computer-aided performance training. Two large programs, collectively called TASKTEACH, were developed and tested. These programs combined simulation and gaming techniques. The dialog with the student is…

The purpose of this research was to design several "small" and "interesting" computer programs which were acceptable and stimulating to the student, were controlled by the student rather than the teacher, and produced understanding of the knowledge to be learned. This report describes the assumptions made about interaction, motivation, and the…

A new computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system for college teaching is being tested in two locations by the MITRE Corporation. The system, called TICCIT (Time-Share Interactive Computer-Controlled Information Television), now interacts with more than 100 students, each moving at his own pace, for four semesters of community college math and…

Telecommunications research has been focused mainly on technology. Now research about the human factors is crucial. This can be divided into four areas. (1) The needs telecommunications must satisfy--needs can be extrapolated from current behavior. (2) The technological alternatives available--important developments are being made in transmission…

Describes the components and capabilities of expert systems, discusses the use of such systems in library information applications, and outlines research being done in this area. A project aimed at the development of an expert system for referral services is described in detail, and implications for future research are discussed. (CLB)

Proposes a "critical mass" explanation for the diffusion of interactive media, such as telephone, electronic mail, or computer conferencing, within communities. Considers two special characteristics of interactive media: (1) that widespread usage creates universal access, and (2) that use entails interdependence, in which earlier users…

Suggests that insights from other disciplines be considered when evaluating computer-assisted language instruction materials. Issues which need to be considered when evaluating these materials include: design issues, user-machine interfacing, support documentation, screen layout, color and animation, and restricted visual display capacity. (SED)

Examines the characteristics of management information systems and their impact on decisions of senior library managers. The organizational feasibility of such systems is discussed in terms of four key components--economic, technical, structural, psychological--that are related to libraries in general and senior management decisions in particular.…

Investigation of end-user searching at National Library of Medicine reveals that volume of searching is related to convenient placement of terminal; slightly fewer than half of potential searchers search for themselves; practices of pharmacists and pathologists do not differ in important ways; end-user searchers perform simple searches. (86…