Describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a distributed Web-based learning community (DisWBLC) based on knowledge sharing for college students. Highlights include virtual learning communities; Web site resource searching; databases; screen design; user interface; feedback from teachers and students; and future possibilities.…

Classifies sites on the World Wide Web according to purpose. Examines what metaphorical design has to offer Web site designers and details how principles of metaphorical design were applied to create a university Web site. Discusses technological limitations that influence design decisions and when metaphorical design might not suit a Web site.…

Discusses cognitive load theory and describes a study that investigated how undergraduates learned the basic commands of a CAD (computer-assisted design) software package using manuals with different formats of presentation of instructions. Results show that graphical interface, using a manual that juxtaposes text and screen images, was most…

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…

Describes the planning and design process of "Off the Wall," a student-developed CD-ROM multimedia project about the life and work of artist Chuck Close-the product of a studio-based course in Learning Experiments Design at the University of Georgia. The design includes an element of gaming; text is kept sparse; navigational elements are rendered…

Discusses a prototype multimedia application that was designed to help college students solve problems and generate practice tests for an economics textbook. Highlights include step-by-step problem solving; a friendly interface; student tracking; inexpensive development costs; examples of screen displays; and generating random, scored tests on…

As computing and embedded systems become ubiquitous in our world, the importance of user interface design knowledge increases in our curriculum. Students of undergraduate information systems or computer science programs should possess some competence in this computing sub-discipline. However, many programs do not have the curricular space to host…

Describes a prototype for a World Wide Web site that supports as many student and instructor needs as possible and was developed for a graduate course on instructional design. Topics include roles of the instructor and of the webmaster, student perspectives, technical design issues, user interface, and graphics. (LRW)

"Bohr's Atomic Model" is a small interactive multimedia program that introduces the viewer to a simplified model of the atom. This interactive simulation lets students build an atom using an atomic construction set. The underlying design methodology for "Bohr's Atomic Model" is model-centered instruction, which means the central model of the…

This paper reports on a project aimed at designing, implementing, and evaluating a hypermedia system, IPER-3, facing the three classical problems in the history of mathematics (i.e., trisection of the angle, quadrature of the circle, and duplication of the cube). The goal of the project is to study the opportunities offered by this kind of…

Describes a study conducted at Ohio State University libraries that gauged success using the Library Resources Network by having 43 users complete an exercise that forced them to make database selections, use a variety of database interfaces, and select appropriate terminology. Sample screen displays and the questionnaire used are appended.…

Discussion of Web-based online public access catalogs (OPACs) focuses on a review of six Web OPAC interfaces in use in academic libraries in the United Kingdom. Presents a checklist and guidelines of important features and functions that are currently available, including search strategies, access points, display, links, and layout. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of CORE (Chemistry Online Retrieval Experiment), a five-year research and development project at Cornell University (New York) that tried to make scholarly journal articles available in electronic form, focuses on the user response to the system. Highlights include interfaces, article viewing, printing, searching, conversion issues,…

This paper presents interface guidelines from research at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) School of Information Sciences in developing a collaborative, problem-based learning environment for the World Wide Web. The lessons learned are based on student use and evaluation of three interface prototypes over the course of 3 years and…

Modeling the functions of a teacher in a computer interface is not a new practice; most computer applications employ electronic performance support systems (EPSS) such as online help, wizards, coaches, and even some forms of artificial intelligence. This paper presents easy-to-implement strategies for increasing learner autonomy by embedding…