The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype expert instructional design system (ID Expert) which would demonstrate the feasibility of a consultation system for use by inexperienced instructional designers. The prototype gathers information from the designer and then makes recommendations for instructional design decisions. The output of…

The present study investigated the effects of using different forms of material with 100 eleventh grade students enrolled in a 5-week CBI (computer based instruction) summer enrichment program in Memphis, Tennessee. The basic design consisted of two conditions of instructional support (text and questions vs. questions only), two testings…

This paper offers a critique of elaboration theory (ET) based on recent cognitive research and offers suggestions for updating the model to reflect new knowledge. It begins by summarizing the basic strategies of this model for sequencing and organizing courses of instruction: (1) organizing structure; (2) simple-to-complex sequence; (3) sequencing…

This guide is designed to help teachers and administrators in higher education who are responsible for developing courses and other instructional products to become more aware of current research and thinking on systematic instructional development. Taken together, the five modules of the guide present a model for planning instruction and offer a…

This paper argues that Merrill's instructional transaction theory provides a framework that can decrease learners' problems in using computer simulations by specifying transaction shells rather than frames in designing interactive courseware. The three types of data used in a transaction, i.e., an instructional algorithm, are identified as a…

The United States Coast Guard Academy has integrated a successful senior-level ship design course sequence into an undergraduate engineering curriculum in order to achieve specifically desired academic and professional outcomes. The Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) curriculum discussed is designed to allow for efficient use of…

This paper reviews the literature on screen design used for instructional purposes. The following topics are reviewed: definition of screen design; foundations of screen design; elements of screen design; functions of screen design; screen design research and problems; and criteria for evaluation. Conclusions drawn from this review are: screen…

Designed to further the movement of Minnesota's schools toward an outcome-based system, this publication offers: (1) a definition of outcome-based education (OBE); (2) a brief history of Minnesota's involvement in the development of OBE; and (3) a set of terms and definitions for OBE in Minnesota. In addition, the document describes OBE as…

The Take a Trip program is an authoring and storage system for designing challenging curriculum. Using the power of hypermedia, specifically Apple Computer's HyperCard, Take a Trip provides course file stacks, help stacks, and personalized learning plan stacks. Designed to assist the user when new units are written, the help stacks provide an…

Based on reviews of 10 examples of multimedia design, this paper presents an introductory framework for reflecting on the issues involved in the design of interactive multimedia instructional programs for discovery learning. High school students, junior and senior high school teachers, and Center for Technology in Education (CTE) staff reviewed…

This paper discusses two related areas in which recent advancements in cognitive science and educational technology may affect instructional design theory. These are: (1) the analysis of information-to-be-learned; and (2) the linkage of learning theory to instructional prescriptions. The first area proposes extensions to current methods of…

Arguing that what sets the computer apart from all other teaching devices is its potential for interactivity, this paper examines the concept of interactivity and explores ways in which its power can be harnessed and put to work. A discussion of interactivity in human-to-human communication sets a context within which to view human/computer…

Traditionally, illustrations used in instruction have been concrete in nature with the learning outcome not always considered in the design of the illustrations. This study investigated whether concrete or abstract illustrations were more effective for supporting acquisition of abstract concepts in print media when evaluated by immediate and…

This survey was designed to obtain information on jobs and task requirements for instructional design (ID) professionals and relate positions in the field to academic programs. Data were collected via a questionnaire that combined needs assessment and analysis of instructional requirements, including the demographics of ID positions, the…

Change by school restructuring has followed quickly on the heels of school reform that sought to mandate improvement upon teachers by bureaucratic control and compliance. It did not take long for problems of the reform paradigm to surface as teacher improvement could not be mandated. A complete restructuring of teaching and learning organization…