This paper discusses the need for and the design requirements of generic chatroom software that is readily configurable to particular domains and that is also extensible. The architecture of a client/server chatroom generation system, ChatterBox, implemented in Java, is presented. The following components of ChatterBox are described: (1) the basic…

This paper reports the findings of an ongoing study of engagement in computer-based learning environments. The purpose of the study was to look at what engages people in computer games and to see how those patterns of engagement might be used within computer-based learning environments. The age of participants ranged from four to adulthood.…

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…

Various schools are struggling with the introduction of Object Oriented (OO) programming concepts and GUI (graphical user interfaces) within the traditional COBOL sequence. OO programming has been introduced in some of the curricula with languages such as C++, Smalltalk, and Java. Introducing OO programming into a typical COBOL sequence presents…

This paper reviews the literature on screen design used for instructional purposes. The following topics are reviewed: definition of screen design; foundations of screen design; elements of screen design; functions of screen design; screen design research and problems; and criteria for evaluation. Conclusions drawn from this review are: screen…

The concepts of usability and user-centered design (UCD) have grown in popularity over the past 20 years as measured by the number of research and mainstream articles devoted to their discussion. As with all new developments, however, there are always the questions of how things work in practice compared to theory. A survey of 83 software…

"Design Inspection Reviews" are structured meetings in which participants follow certain rules of procedure and behavior when conducting detailed readings of design plans to identify errors and misunderstandings. The technique is widely used in the software engineering industry, where it is demonstrably more effective than testing at…

AHA! is a simple Web-based adaptive hypermedia system. Because of this simplicity it has been studied and experimented with in several research groups. This paper identifies shortcomings in AHA! and presents AHA! version 2.0 which tries to overcome the known problems with AHA! while maintaining its biggest asset: simplicity. The paper illustrates…

This paper identifies three rationales in the relevant literature for closing the gender gap in computing: economic, cultural and political. Each rationale implies a different set of indicators of present inequalities, disparate goals for creating equality, and distinct principles for software and web site design that aims to help girls overcome…

The development of potentially powerful computer-based tools within rich learning environments is hampered by the constraints of delivery systems (specifically low-resolution, low-real estate displays). In designing a World Wide Web-based tool for manipulating time-based information, the authors have encountered a lack of guidelines or empirical…

This paper shows how to use design patterns for building educational multimedia applications. The first section summarizes design issues related to organizing the information, the organization of the interface, and implementation. Navigating through information is covered in the second section, including problems, motivations, and solutions, and…

Many instructors are expected to design and create Web courses. The design of Web courses can be a difficult task for educators who lack experience in interaction and instructional design. Design patterns have emerged as a way to capture design experience and present design solutions to novice designers. Design patterns are a widely accepted…

A gender gap between boys and girls has been reported in computer usage. Graphics may play a role in bridging that gap because of their motivational value. The literature reports gender differences regarding graphic content, color, detail, size, and movement. Based on these findings, preliminary design guidelines for graphics in computer-based…

Over the past decade, there have been many changes in the tools used to design, the ways information can be represented and the underpinning theories which drive educational experiences. This paper focuses on several examples of software design that have been pedagogically successful and have demonstrated what is possible in software design and…

In January 1999, an interdisciplinary seminar of doctoral students from cognitive, educational and computational sciences was organized to study theoretical texts that might provide insight into how to support collaborative learning with perspectives-based software. The seminar uses a Web-based tool called WEBGUIDE to mediate and structure…