Michael Oakeshott, an English political philosopher, wrote extensively about education and how people learn political skills. Much of what he wrote may have interesting implications for instructional systems design. This paper is an explication of two aspects of Oakeshott's writings. The first deals with the nature of knowledge and its…

The concepts of imagery, mathemagenic behaviors, and generative imagery are reviewed; and the learner's use of visual imagery is discussed. Several studies have supported the idea that imagery is an active mental process that gives birth to learning. The concept of mathemagenic control or manipulation is of interest to the instructional designer.…

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…

The criteria in this guide for evaluating interactive video instructional programs are based on principles of learning and motivation, and emphasize the design, production, presentation, and usage of interactive video programs. Presented in the format of a rating scale, the criteria are grouped into nine broad categories: (1) information about the…

This report describes the process and results of a collaborative annotation process for inserting internal, conceptual linking in a book about hypertext design and the implications of that process for designing collaborative hypertext environments. The book was the product of a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)-sponsored Advanced Research…

This paper describes the teaching skills workshops at Purdue University (Indiana), which were originally developed in 1980 to train graduate assistants to teach college classes but are now being used by the faculty--instructors through full professors--to improve their teaching. It is noted that the workshops have been successfully modified for…

This literature review examines a hypermedia learning environment from a semantic network basis and the application of such an environment to second language learning. (A semantic network is defined as a conceptual representation of knowledge in human memory). The discussion is organized under the following headings and subheadings: (1) Advantages…

This paper describes the conceptual base for the development of a computer-based expert system. After reviewing developments in computer-based learning and experiments with computer-assisted learning in statistics, the paper describes the nature of expert systems and desired attributes of expert systems in statistics. An overview of proposed…

A discussion of the use of thematic modules in content-based second language instruction argues that the approach has a number of advantages over others. Thematic modules are defined as longer than lessons and shorter than a course, and it is suggested that in a content-based approach, the module constitutes the basic unit of study. Content-based…

While innovation advocates have focused on the need to reform Philippine schools to meet the needs and demands of society, little has been done to change the teachers' practices. Recent studies have pointed to inadequate teacher training as one of the reasons for Filipino students' low achievement. This study was conducted to identify specific…

Developmental research, as opposed to simple instructional development, has been defined as the systematic study of designing, developing, and evaluating instructional programs, processes, and products that must meet criteria of internal consistency and effectiveness. Developmental research is particularly important in the field of instructional…

Instructional design issues related to the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of instruction are gaining increased recognition at the tertiary level in health science educational areas such as pharmacy. However, what has been lacking in the available literature on pharmaceutical education is a comprehensive review aimed at characterizing…

Developing instruction is a critical part of the education process. For instruction to be effective it should be organized and well planned. Development of an effective program should include careful consideration of the need for instruction, the audience, and the course content. Instruction delivered via telecommunications can be even more…

This study of the patterns of communication in the field of instructional technology examined the reference lists provided with each article or review in three journals for a period of five years to determine: (1) who the most cited authors in the field are; (2) whether invisible colleges exist in the field; and (3) if invisible colleges do exist,…

This symposium paper is concerned with curriculum theory and development and the place of curriculum theory within the area of instructional technology. It first identifies the central questions of curriculum (e.g., what should we teach?) and discusses the implications of the resulting issues: (1) why should we teach this rather than that? (2) who…