Analyzes requirements for text-based online conferencing through the use of a minimal prototype. Topics discussed include prototyping with a minimal system; text-based communication; the system as a message passer versus the system as a shared data structure; and three exercises that showed how users worked with the prototype. (Contains 61…

Describes how, when Intel Corporation undertook development of a line of desktop conferencing products, the company's writers assumed active roles in the process, conducting usability testing, identifying usability issues for the engineering teams, testing products, and using their findings in the design of both online and hard copy help systems,…

Discusses the need to expand spatial analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and display methods to encompass group decision-making processes. Descriptions of enhancements and additions to software that will enable GIS technology to be used by groups are included. Issues highlighted include implementation and design. (54 references)…

Discusses the use of expert systems for the development of instructional design and recommends instead the cognitive approach of an instructional design workbench. Distinctions between expert systems and advisory systems are examined, the problem-solving process of instructional design is described, and design requirements for an instructional…

Offers principles for purchasing a new personal computer, and discusses matching principles with needs. (SR)

Discussion of the use of microcomputers in political campaigns focuses on the Jesse Jackson presidential primary campaign in New York State in 1988. User needs analysis is described, guidelines for the organization of a campaign information system are suggested, and the use of microcomputers for voter targeting is described. (LRW)

This issue contains nine articles that provide an overview of trends and research in parallel information retrieval. Topics discussed include network design for text searching; the Connection Machine System; PThomas, an adaptive information retrieval system on the Connection Machine; algorithms for document clustering; and system architecture for…

Discussion of context focuses on the various contexts surrounding the design and use of intelligent tutoring systems and proposes an initial framework of contexts by classifying them into three major groupings: interactional; environmental, including classifications of knowledge and social environment; and objectival contexts. (Author/LRW)

Describes a system for using the World Wide Web to distribute computational tasks to multiple hosts on the Web that is written in Java programming language. Describes the programs written to carry out the load distribution, the structure of a "distriblet" class, and experiences in using this system. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the design of the National Taiwan University Digital Library and Museum that addresses both content and knowledge management. Describes a two-tier repository architecture that facilitates content management, includes an object-oriented model to facilitate the management of temporal information, and eliminates the need to manually…

Explores how one private liberal arts university fulfilled its commitment to extend computing power to every student, faculty member, and staff person. Stresses the importance of planning for hardware and software standardization and creating a broad range of support mechanisms. (GR)

In the case of cars and other engineered objects, humans go about the design process in a very intentional way. They pretty much know what they are aiming for. The activity described in this article demonstrates how a computer can simulate biological evolution and the laws of natural selection. The article is divided into the following sections:…

More than eight years ago, the Internet was a new frontier with a limited number of visitors. Websites on gifted topics were few and far between. With a new interest in the world of gifted children, the author needed more, and it seemed that others did, too. So, to serve her own needs, she created "Hoagies' Gifted Education Page." During this…

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) that employ a model-tracing methodology have consistently shown their effectiveness. However, what evidently makes these tutors effective, the cognitive model embedded within them, has traditionally been difficult to create, requiring great expertise and time, both of which come at a cost. Furthermore, an…

Today's technology-enhanced learning practices cater to students and teachers who use many different learning tools and environments and are used to a paradigm of interaction derived from open, ubiquitous, and socially oriented services. In this context, a crucial issue for education systems in general, and for Intelligent Learning Environments…