A project reviewed 54 commercially available multimedia products with literature as the subject matter, to determine what pedagogical approaches steered the design of literature software, and whether these were aligned with response-based views of literature teaching/learning. Findings indicated that the design of commercial products advocates an approach to literature that is more information-based than response-based. Specifically, commercial applications do not provide adequate support for discourse among students concerning the literary works they read, a central aspect of response-based practice. The project developed "The Beats," an open-ended "ToolBook" program which centers on the works of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. It includes recorded readings, jazz music, period radio interviews, and databases of biographical and visual information, and was designed as a tool with which high school and community college students could explore personal and collaborative readings in a multimedia environment. Undergraduates (n=26) in a writing class at Hudson Valley Community College participated in the initial piloting of "The Beats." The teacher was experienced with computers, and specific assignments for the software were at his discretion. Preliminary data revealed that on-line collaborations in a literature-based multimedia environment are not only viable, but potentially powerful. Observations also suggest that the nature of these on-line responses and collaborations are qualitatively and quantitatively different from in-class discussions. (Contains one table and one figure and 25 references.) (NKA)