In the workplace of today which is increasingly being overloaded with information, the concept of intelligent information agents has been widely prescribed. This paper briefly looks at the United Kingdom Government's Information Society Initiative which has been fueled by the realization that information is the key component of the ongoing…

These teaching guides are meant to supplement the seventh season (1996-97) of the PBS Series "Scientific American Frontiers". Episode 701 is entitled "Inventing the Future: A Tour of the MIT Media Lab" and the teaching guide contains information and activities on a virtual pet dog, computers of the future, a smart car designed…

Education delivery systems have evolved from content delivery mechanisms to collaborative environments. The next step in this evolution is to provide greater support for asynchronous learners, those that progress through course material with little or no support from the instructional team. The integration of Web technologies with artificial…

Described are the historical uses and research involving the discipline of artifical intelligence. Topics discussed include: symbol manipulation; knowledge engineering; cognitive modeling; and language, vision and robotics. (Author/DS)

Unlike the rest of the industrialized world, educational institutions were largely untouched by last century's transportation revolution. Teachers have been workhorses pulling students in instructional wagons along well-worn curricula. Since television and the Internet already provide "horseless" classrooms and virtual-learning…

Describes the development of learning companion systems and their contributions to the class of social learning systems that integrate artificial intelligence agents and use machine learning to tutor and interact with students. Outlines initial social learning projects, their programming languages, and weakness. Future improvements will include…

Maintains that diagnosis, explanation, and tutoring, the functions of an interactive learning environment, are collaborative processes. Examines how human-computer interaction can be improved using a distributed cognition framework. Discusses situational and distributed knowledge theories and provides a model on how they can be used to redesign…

The challenges and potential benefits of automating university libraries are reviewed, with special attention given to cooperative systems. Aspects discussed include database size, the role of the university computer center, storage modes, multi-institutional systems, resource sharing, cooperative system management, networking, and intelligent…

Examines trends in the design of database management systems for microcomputers and predicts developments that may occur in the next decade. Possible developments are discussed in the areas of user interfaces, database programing, library systems, the use of MARC data, CD-ROM applications, artificial intelligence features, HyperCard, and…

A critique of a previously published article about artificial intelligence-based models for English-as-a-Second-Language instruction points out the author's failure to distinguish clearly between expert systems and connectionist models. In response, the author attempts to clarify his understanding of the usefulness of the models. (CB)

Examines the possibilities of developing computer-assisted language learning (CALL) based on the best of modern technology, arguing that artificial intelligence (AI) strategies will radically improve the kinds of exercises that can be performed. Recommends combining AI technology with other tools for delivering instruction, such as simulation and…

Explains the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, an interdisciplinary center at Carnegie Mellon University that supports experimental activities in the arts, and its Interdisciplinary Teaching Network. Three STUDIO projects are described: the Ancient Egypt Prototype application of the network; an interactive fiction system based on artificial…

Reacts to Ohlsson, Ernst, and Rees' paper by initially discussing the costs of methodology that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to model cognitive processes. Raises three concerns with the paper: insufficient clarification of the meaning of conceptual versus procedural understanding of base-10 subtraction; realism of the learning model; and…

Presents an annotated bibliography of works related to the subject of computers and the humanities. Groups items into textbooks and overviews; introductions; human and computer languages; literary and linguistic analysis; artificial intelligence and robotics; social issue debates; computers' image in fiction; anthologies; writing and the…

Survey of institutions offering a bachelor's or higher degree in library science showed that the higher the level of the program, the more likely that artificial intelligence/expert systems (AI/ES) courses would be offered. Study concludes that all master's and doctoral level programs should include AI/ES units, and that greater emphasis should be…