Virtual reality is an immersive, interactive medium that manipulates the senses in order provide users with simulated experiences in computer-generated worlds. The visual design of virtual reality is an important issue, but literature has tended to stress the medium's instructional potential rather than setting forth a protocol for designing…

Some of the elements instructional designers must consider when designing screens for computer based instruction (CBI) include legibility, readability, and particularly font size. The purpose of this study was to determine which size font is most effective for CBI. Participants were 163 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an…

A study of nine different image maps from World Wide Web home pages was conducted to evaluate their effectiveness in information display and access, relative to visual, navigational, and practical characteristics. Nine independent viewers completed 20-question surveys on the image maps, in which they evaluated the characteristics of the maps on a…

Screen designers for computer-mediated instruction (CMI) products must consider the motivational appeal of their designs. Although learners may be motivated to use CMI programs initially because of their novelty, this effect wears off and the instruction must stand on its own. Instructional screens must provide effective and efficient instruction,…

This document contains the welcoming and keynote addresses and selected papers from a 1993 symposium of the International Visual Literacy Association. Topics addressed in the papers include: visual literacy; research methodology and design for content analysis of visual images; multimedia as courseware; design issues in authoring multimedia…

The HyperGLOB project introduced university-level graphic design students to interactive multimedia. This technology involves using the personal computer to display and manipulate a variety of electronic media simultaneously (combining elements of text and speech, music and sound, still images, motion video, and animated graphics) and allows…

This paper discusses the three types of online learning-- asynchronous collaborative learning, sametime collaborative learning, and self-paced learning--and how these modes are supported by the Lotus LearningSpace product. The following requirements for distributed learning technology are then considered: (1) flexibility, specifically the…

This paper presents guidelines for World Wide Web-based instructional design, based on the 3Ls (i.e., linking, layout, and learner support). The first section, focusing on macro level design, discusses nodes and links, including how nodes work, determining nodes, node size, presentation format, characteristics of links, and kinds of links. The…

Several text format variables were examined in an attempt to identify the ways in which these variables interact in specific design combinations. The variables include: heading location (embedded or isolated); line length (short or long); space between lines (single or double); paragraph indication (indented or spaced); use of running heads…

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COLLEGE PLANNING AND THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES IS EXPLORED IN THIS PAPER. AREAS OF INTEREST INCLUDE--(1) THE CAMPUS SITE PLAN, (2) GROUP ATTITUDES AND PREFERENCES, (3) SPACE RELATIONSHIPS, (4) FLEXIBILITY AND OBSOLESCENCE, AND (5) THE CAMPUS POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT. THE POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE ARE…

The capability to predict human resource requirements based on the introduction of new technology has long been a research objective within psychology. The purpose of this study was to develop a procedure for quantifying the effects of incoming technology. A five-step approach was taken and included critical analysis of the recent literature to…

Considers demands on the reader of printed material displayed on the video screen. Ways that electronic media can engender and foster reading skills are discussed, including use of graphics in video displays and ways educationalists may contribute to development of videotext and software to teach reading. (40 references) (MBR)

Library patrons evaluated two versions of a bibliographic record displayed on cathode ray tube terminal, one representing Library of Congress (LC) format, the other, one of 15 format variations. Patrons generally preferred side heading label and underlining to LC forms, and upper and lower case letters to lower case only. (EJS)

This research project examined how educational facilities are perceived and used by the occupants. It sought to inform the design of effective learning environments in elementary schools through a heightened awareness of the needs of the occupants and an understanding of how they use their school facilities. Project objectives included the…

Users of content-based software programs, including hypertexts and instructional multimedia, rely on the navigation functions provided by the designers of those program. Typical navigation schemes use abstract symbols (arrows) to label basic navigational functions like moving forward or backward through screen displays. In a previous study, the…