Although there are efforts to equalize educational methods and materials, some differences between males and females may be better served by emphasizing rather than neutralizing gender. One such point is in the area of visual imagery. Studies have shown that imagery preferred by males and females differs in certain visual characteristics. The…

In addition to serving as executive enclosures, offices illustrate organizational goals and reflect the communication climate of the organization. Traditional office designs accentuate personal territory, in which communication is largely controlled by the occupant of the office, and space often becomes a symbol of status. One of the first major…

This study compared the effects of computer and print text density on learning using 48 undergraduate teacher education majors as subjects. Three separate studies tested the effects of text density and presentation modes (print or computer), learner control, and screen density. Dependent variables for the first two studies--which were…

Detailed information concerning the kinds and quantities of possessions of a representative group of University of California students is presented. The findings permit appraisal of the degree of effectiveness of existing student storage elements. Inventory questionnaires were distributed to single students on four University of California…

Findings from a study of living accommodations for young people are given in the first part. Features are identified that are regarded as important by management and residents. Suggestions are made as to how user response may be predicted and the responses of the residents to eight schemes are examined in detail. Also considered are--(1) the…

Discusses informational books for children, how they have improved, and how to teach children to select the book best suited to their purpose and gather pertinent information from it. Notes that well-designed books have an attractive format, adequate white space and margins, and thoughtful placement of illustrations and text. (SRT)

Using a participatory approach, 11 middle school children created paper prototypes for Web search engines. The prototypes were analyzed in relation to content-related spaces, specific spaces, general spaces, instruction spaces, and other spaces. Children's comments about the purposes of the interfaces were analyzed in terms of functionality and…

Describes a learning module designed to teach students to evaluate maps and correct design errors through use of a critiquing checklist and real-world examples. The module attempts to develop an analytic holistic skill which relates the functional and aesthetic perspectives of cartography. (LS)

Traces the development of an online unit for Indigenous Australian learners, and accounts for cultural issues that impacted on the design of learning tasks and the associated avenues for communication provided to learners. In this context, culturally responsive design was ensured by the adoption of Lave's (1991) community of practice model. (AEF)

Proposes a user-centered framework for intranet design based on an understanding of people, their typical problems, information behaviors, and situated contexts. Argues that by adopting such an approach, intranets can be designed which facilitate organizational information access and use. (Author/AEF)

Discusses issues in training students to be culturally literate and the process for creating, designing, and developing cross-cultural (globalized) instructional materials. Defines terms associated with globalizing instructional materials and the process of adapting these materials to other cultures. Outlines cultural and technical considerations…

The renovated Cerritos Public Library is a unique blending of traditional and hightech features. One of the key principles in its planning and design was to enable a range of convenient access services. This article summarizes the process of building this library and how it has been received by users. (Contains 5 figures.)

Online education holds great potential for rural states like South Dakota, which has been recognized for advances in distance education. To maximize the potential of online learning, design elements that students believe are needed for successful online learning experiences must be identified. In this study, we present the qualitative and…

One of the principal objectives of engineering education is to prepare graduates for the practice of engineering in industry. Industry involvement in the educational process can be very helpful in devising programs to meet this objective. Yet, engineering education has a number of other stakeholders including students, faculty, academic…

In response to information regarding students' postschool outcomes, the past 15 years have reflected an increased focus on improving transition education and services for youth with disabilities. Three specific initiatives characterize this development: (a) federal special education and disability legislation; (b) federal, state, and local…