Research investigated the utility of an alternative technique for the study of vigilance performance. The usual approach has been to study how well subjects responded to a signal of given difficulty; this technique altered the difficulty of the task to ensure a fixed level of performance. A computer-based, self-adjusting program presented…

A basic unsolved problem in science is that of understanding learning, the process by which people and machines use their experience in a situation to guide future action in similar situations. The ideas of Piaget, Pavlov, Hull, and other learning theorists, as well as previous heuristic programing models of human intelligence, stimulated this…

Abstracts of over 300 unclassified Rand Corporation studies dealing with various aspects of computing technology are presented in this bibliography. The studies selected were all issued during the period January 1963 through December 1971. A subject index which includes a brief annotation and code number for each entry and an author index are…

Traces the effects of advancing technologies on civilization and education, arguing that radical changes are underway, such as reliance on tele-education and distance learning, that will have a profound effect on teachers and the United States educational system. (HOD)

Discusses current issues in the design of information systems, noting contributions from three professions--computer science, human factors engineering, and information science. The eclectic nature of human factors engineering and the difficulty of drawing together studies with human engineering or software psychological components from diverse…

Argues that gaming-simulation is an appropriate vehicle for conveying research knowledge to policymakers. The appropriateness of scientific inquiry as a means for dealing with problems of a systemic nature is discussed, and questions concerning the conveyance of research knowledge in a useful format are addressed. Thirty references are cited.…

Describes four major types of learning theories (behavioral, cognitive, cybernetic, and andragogical); examines pertinent literature for each; and traces links between the literature of learning theory and that of the design of online public access catalog instructional systems. (32 references) (Author/CLB)

Recently the University of Wisconsin-Madison merged three existing but disparate technology-related units into a single division reporting to a chief information officer. The new division faced many challenges, beginning with the need to restructure the old units into a cohesive new organization. The restructuring process, based on structural…

Discussion of the impact of the use of information technology on democratic potential highlights the concept of the autopoietic state as a basis for determining appropriate communication policy principles in a network environment. Topics addressed include the relationship between information and power; systems theory; chaos theory; and the…

Explains virtual reality as a computer-synthesized three-dimensional environment (cyberspace) in which human participants, appropriately interfaced, appear to be enveloped. Cyberspace in science fiction is discussed; contributions of aerospace and military simulation trainers, digital imaging, and motion picture special effects are described; and…

After surveying the history and current status of online database searching, this report offers a timeline describing four stages of possible developments for online systems. In the first stage, an expert interface assists CD-ROM-based searching by offering advice about search strategies. Advantages are that search logic can be refined with the…

Clarifying the influences determining how and to what extent highly qualified personnel are employed, this study discusses those sorts of economic and technological advances affecting employment potentials. Two main trends in scientific and technological progress--computerized industries and the high science-content of production--have so…

This paper presents an overview of biocybernetic communication research, which deals with the information impact of films, television, photographic pictures, paintings, exhibitions, texts, and verbal stimuli on human beings. The first section describes the biocybernetic basics of biometric research, and clarifies terms used in the field. The…

Ideas that may help college and university administrators develop a more coherent and integrated view of the institutions they inhabit and, therefore, be more effective as they work in them are presented. Suggestions are made to help them think in more complex ways about their work and improving their performance. Thoughts are based on ideas that…

The purpose of this paper is to present a brief review of the various streams of constructivism in studies of education, society, science and technology. It is intended to present a number of answers to the question (what really is constructivism?) in the context of various disciplines from the humanities and the sciences (both natural and…