Discusses the Internet and how it works, beginning with its origins in the U.S. military and covering such issues as clients and servers, upload and download, and the World Wide Web. (Author/PVD)

Compares humanlike versus machinelike interactional styles of computer interfaces, testing hypotheses that evaluative feedback conveyed through a humanlike interface will have greater impact on individuals' self-appraisals. Reflected appraisals were more influenced by computer feedback than were self-appraisals. Humanlike and machinelike interface…

Describes a new model for quantitatively assessing screen formats. Results of applying the model to data entry screens support the use of the model. Also described is a critiquing mechanism embedded in a user interface design environment as a demonstration of this approach. (Author/AEF)

Discusses the history of the graphical user interface (GUI) and the growing realization that adaptations must be made to it lest its visual nature discriminate against nonsighted or sight-impaired users. One of the most popular commercially developed adaptations is to develop sounds that signal the location of icons or menus to mouse users.…

Describes features of a Training Innovations computer-based training system in which guided paths can be dynamically adapted to learning style or capacity, skill or knowledge level, and cultural background. It also allows program authors to work with scripted graphics and desktop publishing tagging without extensive expertise, and even exhibits…

Analyzes videotapes of people using the Illinois Digital Library system during tests as well as transcripts and audiotapes from the sessions. Identifies how users learn to uncover new features and what assumptions they have about systems. What first appeared to be a random trial-and-error use of the interface was actually structured exploration…

Describes the design of a prototype for the graphical user interface component of an electronic classroom (ECR) application that supports real-time lectures and question-and-answer sessions between an instructor and students. Based on requirements analysis and an analysis of competing products, a Web-based ECR prototype was produced. Findings show…

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…

Examines the Museum Educational Site Licensing (MESL) Project--a cooperative project between seven cultural heritage repositories and seven universities--as well as other developments of cultural heritage image databases for academic use. Reviews recent literature on image indexing and retrieval, interface design, and tool development, urging a…

Describes a study of graduate students that examined how Web interfaces impact the quality or outcome of online searches, as well as the information seeking behavior of the searcher. Examines how two search interfaces work to noticeably increase or decrease the impact of the emotive aspects of search behavior. (LRW)

Describes the development of Web portals, or interfaces, to allow users at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Library to tailor library resources and services more closely to their needs. Topics include defining the users; user group needs assessment; identifying and evaluating resources; access issues; and future enhancements. (LRW)

Discussion of educational software focuses on a model of educational software that was derived from a case study of two elementary school teachers participating in a software design process. Considers human-computer interface, interaction, software browsing strategies, and implications for teacher training. (Author/LRW)

Describes an experimental system designed to organize and provide access to Web documents using a faceted pre-coordinate indexing system based on the Deep Structure Indexing System (DSIS) derived from POPSI (Postulate based Permuted Subject Indexing) of Bhattacharyya, and the facet analysis and chain indexing system of Ranganathan. (AEF)

Discussion of the effectiveness of distance education focuses on Moore's Theory of Transactional Distance and a study of learners' experiences with the World Wide Web in a university course in Taiwan. Highlights include learner-instructor interaction; learner-content interaction; learner-learner interaction; learner-interface interaction; results…

The article reports the results of a usability study of an EAD interface. Findings indicate that subjects had trouble understanding archival terminology and how best to search for information in finding aids. Furthermore, they were not familiar with the structure or contents of finding aids. In addition to building interfaces that minimize…