As a means of providing suggestions for improving the quality of the courseware used in computer based education (CBE), this report reviews and evaluates current thought and research on the origins, characteristics, and effectiveness of existing approaches to courseware design. After a brief summary of some of the general problems encountered in courseware design, instructional strategies based upon the structure of knowledge, levels of learning, learner differences, and questioning techniques are outlined and the implications of each type of strategy for courseware development are discussed. A summary of trends indicated by the literature concludes the report, and a 37-item reference list is attached. (JL)