Describes issues and advances in the design of appropriate inference engines and knowledge structures needed by commercially feasible intelligent intermediary systems for information retrieval. Issues associated with the design of interfaces to such functions are discussed in detail. Design principles for guiding implementation of these interfaces…

Design details, operation, and initial field test results are reported for DynaMath, a computer-based dynamic assessment system that provides individually tailored, instructionally useful assessment of students with disabilities. DynaMath organizes and outputs student performance data, graphically shows the "zone of proximal…

This survey of 68 New York City teachers of students with learning disabilities found a strong correlation between school-provided support systems and frequency of use of technology. Teachers particularly valued in-school teacher training, and they named interactive software as the most desired supplement to available technology. (Author/JDD)

This paper describes a speech teaching aid developed to assist in foreign language pronunciation teaching. The methodology used in designing the graphical user interface and the teaching plans are described, and the technical aspects (algorithms used, hardware requirements, etc.) are briefly discussed. (36 references) (JL)

Discusses bias in educational computer software by using examples of database programs to illustrate their cultural selection and amplification functions. Forms of knowledge control are examined, and results of a study that analyzed how gender, ethnicity, and the global perspective are portrayed in educational computer software are reported.…

Describes an online public access catalog for children, called the Kid's Catalog. Design objectives include eliminating the barriers to information retrieval outlined in the research literature; being fun, interactive, and respectful of children's intelligence and creativity; motivating children with an expansive range of subjects and search…

Reviews the literature of networked information retrieval tools to explore the concept of an interactive text-based virtual reality environment that would encompass resources currently available on the Internet. Highlights include academic libraries, electronic mail, hypertext navigation systems, wide area information servers, knowbots and…

Considers whether there are "good" or "bad" media, and the ability of teaching aids, by themselves, to solve educational problems. Questions central to the effective use of media are raised in the following areas: relationship between media and egalitarian education, creativity and motivation; relevance and quality; and role in…

Presents six principles for the design of adaptive computer-assisted language learning (CALL) programs for vocabulary that incorporate a theory describing quality in the learning outcome and linking it to the learner's approach. Highlights include interactivity; general architecture of a software system; and diagnosis and modification. (Contains…

Describes a new software program called "Everywhere Access" that provides remote access to libraries' networked personal computers and that is suitable for use with the Internet. Highlights include installation; operation; security; standards issues; documentation and technical support; and potential uses and applications. (LRW)

Discussed are several different transformations based on the generation of fractals including self-similar designs, the chaos game, the koch curve, and the Sierpinski Triangle. Three computer programs which illustrate these concepts are provided. (CW)

The effectiveness of specific dimensions of adult mediation on preschoolers' self-regulation of a model consultation strategy was evaluated using microcomputer puzzle tasks. Findings suggest that children's acquisition of the model consultation can improve over a short period of time with culturally mediated instruction. (Author/GLR)

A computerized method for managing institutional information to use in creating college planning documents is described. Development of the database, manipulation of the data for reporting, uses in strategic and long-range planning, and the model's implications for improvement of planning processes are discussed. (MSE)

This paper reviews the progress made so far in the development and use of expert systems for library and information services in the areas of online information retrieval, including gateway software and intelligent front-ends; cataloging, including bibliographic utilities and machine-aided cataloging; abstracting; reference work; and indexing and…

Compared the effects of LOGO Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI), and a standard curriculum without computer exposure among grade three Zimbabwean children. No significant differences were found between the groups exposed to LOGO and to CAI, but both achieved significantly greater gains that the groups without computer exposure. Results suggest that…