Discusses artificial intelligence (AI) and the ideas of strong versus weak AI in relation to chess-playing computers. The concept of creativity is considered, and an attempt to develop a computer program capable of writing short stories is described. (LRW)

Discussion of the need for interaction in distance learning focuses on the use of response systems, an interactive network that uses phone lines and modems to facilitate communication. Experiences using a One Touch system at Grambling State University are described. (LRW)

This exploratory study investigated the impact of learning styles on human-computer interaction with undergraduate students. Measures used, including the Gregorc Style Delineator, are described, and results indicate that computer-aided instruction may not be the most appropriate method of learning for all students. (Author/LRW)

A model of the intrapersonal processes impacting computer-related performance was tested using data from 75 manufacturing employees in a computer training course. Gender, computer experience, and attributional style were predictive of computer attitudes, which were in turn related to computer efficacy, task-specific performance expectations, and…

Provides a structural definition of interactivity in instruction, with the goal of describing and delimiting a broad and general process. Examines the four major attributes to the concept of interactivity, and defines four additional variables that arise through the structural study of interaction. Outlines five common patterns that deal with…

Presents results of a study that explores factors of user-Web interaction in finding factual information, develops a conceptual framework for studying user-Web interaction, and applies a process-tracing method for conducting holistic user-Web studies. Describes measurement techniques and proposes a model consisting of the user, interface, and the…

Reviews perspectives on closed (nonnetworked) multimedia systems, identifies characteristics of meaningful interactions, and outlines some basic considerations for designers of interactive multimedia instruction. Highlights include active learning environments; learner control; feedback; learner response options; adaptability; and engagement and…

Looks at some of the electronic learning technology that has already been developed and will become common for training, including robots, lucid dreaming, tele-immersion, human interface technology, among others. (JOW)

One common objective of instructional multimedia products is enhancement of learning. It follows that one of the primary tasks of the interface designer is the creation of a user-interface that is motivating, interactive, intuitive and at the same time imposing as minimal as possible a cognitive load on the learner. To achieve this goal, qualities…

According to John Thompson, Web 2.0 is here. Having moved away from its roots in a read-only medium, the Internet is now a place where any and all users can create, upload, and transform information. A crucial consideration for Thompson is how this technological transformation will affect the pedagogical practices of institutions of higher…

Conducted in the attribution-research paradigm of social psychology, a study examined whether human-computer interaction is fundamentally social (as in human-human interaction) or parasocial (as in human-television interaction). All 30 subjects (drawn from an undergraduate class on communication) were exposed to an identical interaction with…

Associated with the cultural paradigm of postmodernism, the cyborg, in its numerous aspects, has become a predominant metaphor used to describe the relationship between humanity and technology in post-industrial information societies. This case study of Barry Levinson's 1992 comedy film, "Toys," demonstrates some of the many facets of…

Like a table of contents in print material, a computer-presented menu presents information. It informs a user of the topics that are available. Some menus present information by categories and thus communicate the organization as well as the content of the program. In addition to providing information, menus serve as a selection and retrieval…

This paper describes and critically analyzes several perspectives on interaction and computer technology, examines dimensions of interactions, and presents a framework for the design of interaction strategies. Traditional perspectives on interaction discussed are the operational and the functional. The operational perspective is described in terms…

This essay considers whether the brain can accelerate the speed with which it absorbs or dispenses information in ways similar to those of a computer, and, if so, whether any of these speed-up approaches increase the speed of the processing of the information in the brain. It is suggested that there are tasks for which speed is important in both…