Digital platforms have become integral to contemporary schooling. Google Classroom, Compass, Office 365, EdQuire, ClassDojo and Canvas are just some of the many platforms that litter students' and teachers' computers today. While students may have only one school to physically attend, there is a labyrinth of digital enclosures for them to navigate…

This design case covers a graduate course in educational software design that focuses on semester-long projects in response to client requests. The course was intended to address the need for professionals across disciplines, such as instructional design, computer science, and human-computer interaction design, to usefully collaborate on…

CATO is a new user interface, developed by the author as a response to the significant difficulties faced by scientists, engineers, and students in their usage of computer algebra (CA) systems. Their tendency to use CA systems only occasionally means that they are unfamiliar with requisite grammar and syntax these systems require. The author…

Michael W. Allen, the Chairman and CEO of Allen Interactions, is an architect of interactive multimedia learning and is recognized for his many insights, inventions, and presentations. With over 50 years of experience in e-learning, both in academic and corporate settings, he is known for his role in creating Authorware and overseeing the work of…

There is a pressing need for an evaluation rubric that examines all aspects of educational apps designed for instructional purposes. In past decades, many rubrics have been developed for evaluating educational computer-based programs; however, rubrics designed for evaluating the instructional implications of educational apps are scarce. When an…

Typical web lectures consist of two different kinds of media linked together: an audio- or video-recording and the corresponding slides or desktop recording. Both media are synchronized so that the slide or image shown corresponds to the position currently played in the time-based media stream. Web lectures are thus composite media consisting of a…

Small computers are emerging as important components of the contemporary computing scene. Their operating systems vary from specialized software for an embedded system to the same style of OS used on a generic desktop or server computer. This article describes a course in which systems are classified by their hardware capability and the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce some new functions achieved in a web-based multimedia courseware, which is developed by Flash software and used by part-time graduate students. Design/methodology/approach: The courseware uses Adobe Flash CS3 as its development software, which supports Actionscript language, FMS and FLV technology…

This article describes the design and formative evaluation of a Web-based tool that supports curriculum developers in constructing competence maps. Competence maps describe final attainment levels of educational programs in terms of--interrelated--competencies. Key requirements for the competence-mapping tool were validity and practicality.…

Presents a group of semiotic principles for software design and uses them to show how they explain different educational possibilities. Discusses interface design and describes Theater in the Computer, a software environment for children, to illustrate semiotic-based principle of interface design. (Author/LRW)

Explores the principles and theories relevant to the design of effective hypermedia courseware. Proposes a hypermedia design: micro-(node) design, dealing with the creation of discrete information screens; and macro-(links), dealing with the connections between them. Presents a prototype courseware template and a courseware unit based on design…

This article describes the evolution of computer interface research issues from text-based interface design guidelines to more complex issues, including media selection, interface design, and visual design. This research is then integrated into the Analysis-based Message Design (AMD) process. The AMD process divides the interface design process…

Discusses the application of computer based training (CBT) to human-computer interface design. Describes course considerations; courseware; and software environment for practice, and presents a case study outlining small group production of interactive guidebooks. Concludes that CBT can reduce instructional time and is an effective method for…

While many tools exist for the development of individual Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) pages, few exist for the development of complete hypermedia courses. The HTML Course Creator (HCC), developed by students at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, New York), allows instructors who are not HTML experts to rapidly develop and easily maintain…

Describes the PLUTO model, an interactive computer program designed for use in education and training of city planners and engineers. Emphasizes four issues: (1) the balance between realism and simplification; (2) the design of the user interface; (3) comparative advantages of group and solo working; and (4) factors affecting the decision to…