Recently, platform independent software components, like JavaBeans, have appeared that allow writing reusable components and composing them in a visual builder tool into new applications. This paper describes the use of such models to transform an existing course into a modular construction kit consisting of components of teaching text and program…

This paper describes technical and educational issues related to the development of SIMMPATICO, a multimedia tool for the teaching of Portuguese as a foreign language. The first section presents an overview of the motivation for the project. Package organization is discussed in the second section, including the linguistic approach and its…

This paper discusses learner control as one of the main issues in instructional management and the importance of effectiveness and efficiency in the context of instructional/learning systems, and develops instructional prescriptions for learner control in a smorgasbord fashion. Strategies from both empirical and theoretical studies related to…

This study focuses on the relationship between teacher mental planning and instructional design (ID) skills for the graduates of the teacher education program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), which has had a two-semester sequence in instructional design (ID) and evaluation since 1976. The two courses are designed to…

This study compared the use of three instructional organizers--the advance organizer (AO), the participatory pictorial graphic organizer (PGO), and the final form pictorial graphic organizer (FGO)--in the design and use of computer-based interactive video (CBIV) programs. That is, it attempted to determine whether a less generative or more…

This paper discusses the development of computer-based business simulations designed to prepare high school students for entry-level jobs in business, and explores the implementation of feedback mechanisms in simulations. Reasons why simulations are an appropriate type of media for this application, the nature of feedback, and research on feedback…

This paper discusses four areas in the psychology literature that have important implications for the instructional design of microcomputer-based simulations. The first one examined is cognitive structures, and the following suggestions for instructional design are offered: simulations should be appropriate for students' level of understanding;…

This packet of materials for a workshop on distance education for Chapter 1 programs provides a presenter's guide, which includes a script to be read with 18 overhead transparencies; masters for the transparencies; master copies for 12 handouts; and supplemental materials, i.e., copies of four articles and a glossary. Topics covered include…

This paper presents a framework for understanding conditions of discovery learning in computer-based microworlds. It begins with a short discussion of problems related to a traditional type of microworld--i.e., learning tools for mathematics--using the Dienes Multibase Arithmetic blocks as an example. In this discussion, hypotheses are developed…

This manual outlines an instructional design technique, Harrison's Instructional Design (HID), which gives teachers of K-12 and postsecondary students a model for creating and stating the educational experiences they intend to provide for their students. Instructional design is a method of instructional planning that effectively reduces personal…

Teachers can help their students to integrate concepts from various disciplines and to develop an appreciation for the complexities of the environment through creative instructional strategies and imaginative uses of educational media. This involves teaching from an environmental perspective. This paper introduces an instructional model that uses…

This book is a collection of new works that inquire into the nature of media and technology as found and practiced in the social world of schooling. It creates a forum for investigating the social, institutional, historical, and epistemological relationships between media, education, culture, and technology. Contributions to the book include:…

The issue of whether English second language (ESL) instruction and mathematics instruction can be effectively integrated with each other in the elementary grades is discussed, and it is suggested that contrary to popular belief, mathematics has great potential for second language development. It is noted that the input hypothesis of language…

Screen design, as an inherent part of the interface within computer-based instructional programs, is a critical component to the communication potential of the medium. This paper establishes aesthetics as an essential and necessary component of screen design and of instructional design. Current screen design guidelines tend to overlook the…

Many writers suggest the use of metaphors in creating hypermedia and multimedia products. However, it is unclear how to choose an appropriate metaphor and how to avoid an inappropriate metaphor that will cause confusion and conceptual difficulties for users. A metaphor compares one thing to another without directly stating the comparison,…