Discusses human/computer interaction research, human/computer interface, and their relationships to information literacy. Highlights include communication models; cognitive perspectives; task analysis; theory of action; problem solving; instructional design considerations; and a suggestion that human/information interface may be a more appropriate…

Describes a model for developing interactive multimedia instructional applications called the instructional system development life cycle (ISDLC). Focuses on the pre-design analyses, including task/concept analysis, audience analysis, objectives analysis, constraints analysis, and cost/benefits analysis, that will ensure a pedagogically effective…

Describes two grammaticality judgment tasks--one in French and one in English--developed based on differences between the two languages vis-a-vis middle constructions. The tasks were administered to Anglopone and Francophone advanced and very advanced learners of their second language, and to unilingual groups with the same first languages.…

Introduces the Cognitive-Motivational Model of Decision Satisfaction that extends work on closure and the motivational aspects of instruction and learning. Recognizes the importance of information processing in judgmental tasks and specifies confidence as a major contributing factor to learning satisfaction. Suggests potential applications to…

Reports on a case study of three rural Georgia elementary school media specialists that examined the tasks performed and their perception of the importance of these tasks compared to responsibilities and tasks in "Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning", by the American Association of School Librarians. (LRW)

Explains how to develop job profiles that describe the output expected from employees and the competencies required to meet the output so that managers understand and appreciate what their employees actually do. Discusses needs assessments and how clear descriptions of competencies, skills, knowledge, and values are useful in developing training.…

User-centered design (UCD) is an approach to design that grounds the process in information about the people who will use the product. UCD processes focus on users through the planning, design and development of a product. Establishing a User Profile is certainly a key element in user-centered design. For many products, such as an automobile, a…

In computer-based interactive environments meant to support learning, students must bring a wide range of relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities to bear jointly as they solve meaningful problems in a learning domain. To function effectively as an assessment, a computer system must additionally be able to evoke and interpret observable evidence…

This paper investigates mathematical skills in Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a pathological condition because of congenital alterations of chromosome pair 15. The following questions were addressed: (1) Are mathematical skills in PWS relatively more impaired with respect to other cognitive functions (as has been repeatedly but anecdotally…

In this article we argue that to be successful in an academic arena, students must adopt a consistent approach to completing academic work (i.e., a work habit) that includes very carefully interpreting the demands of tasks that are presented to them in schools. To clarify why task interpretation is so critical to student success, and is thus an…

When two masked targets are presented in a rapid sequence, correct identification of the first hinders identification of the second. This attentional blink (AB) is thought to be the result of capacity limitations in visual information processing. Neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence implicated the right hemisphere as the source of this…

Switch costs in task switching are commonly attributed to an executive control process of task-set reconfiguration, particularly in studies involving the explicit task-cuing procedure. The authors propose an alternative account of explicitly cued performance that is based on 2 mechanisms: priming of cue encoding from residual activation of cues in…

The authors present 3 experiments demonstrating ways to reduce illegal moves in problem-solving tasks. They propose a 3-stage framework for the rejection of illegal moves. An illegal move must come to mind and be selected, checked for legality, and correctly rejected. Illegal move reduction can occur at any stage. Control group participants…

In this article, the authors describe their experience in extending a manual practice set to accounting software. The "Systems Understanding Aid" by Arens and Ward (2001) has been used for some time in the authors' Accounting Information Systems course. The extension involved requiring students to redo the project using Peachtree Complete…

The Model of Domain Learning (MDL) is an alternative perspective on expertise that arose from studies of student learning in academic domains, such as reading, history, physics, and biology. A comparison of the MDL and traditional models of expertise is made. The key components and stages of the MDL are then overviewed. Discussion concludes with a…