Explains bandwidth in non-technical terms and why its conservation is important. Network performance is discussed, Australian networks are reviewed, and actions that can be taken by personal computer end users on the Internet and World Wide Web in the interest of conserving bandwidth are listed. (Author/LRW)

A study assessed the effectiveness of a satellite training program developed for the United States Postal Service and compared it with traditional classroom training for the same courses. Results show slight but statistically significant differences between the two methods of instruction for learning job-related skills. (Author/LRW)

Reviews color research and considers its implications for the design of instructional materials. Topics include physiological and psychological effects; color and learning, including attention, search tasks, retention and other objective measures, and non-objective measures; color and the cathode ray tube (CRT); and further research needs.…

This paper describes a rationale for, and conceptual framework of, learning via open-ended learning environments (OELEs). It highlights development of theories-in-action with OELEs, including the roles of context, system response/feedback, and levels of processing. Discussion also includes examples of theory building via OELEs and implications for…

Reviews changes in the original Dick and Carey model of instructional design and considers its future usefulness. Topics include alternative instructional design textbooks, the influence of constructivist theory on the 1996 version of the model with its systems approach, and the influence of constructivist and objectivist models. (Author/LRW)

Describes an application of an integrated learning system (ILS) that takes into account learning theory research, principles of instructional design, and other factors related to human learning. The application presented utilizes IBM's "Advanced Technology Classroom" to verify the efficacy of ILSs from the perspectives of student users and…

A study examined the skills and knowledge that television production specialists, with no previous experience or educational background prior to their employment at four-year universities, had to learn in order to perform jobs in distance education. Topics include technical skills, personal and interpersonal skills, and instructional design…

Discusses writing instruction and the use of educational computer programs; provides a theoretical framework that includes cognitive tool partnerships, learning theory, writing research, and the Vygotskian theory of mediated learning; and describes a prompting tool that used the macro language of IBM's WordPerfect with college and middle school…

Describes a study that investigated the effects of search tools and learner cognitive styles on performance in searches for information within a hypermedia database. Students in a university English-as-a-Second-Language program were assigned to one of four treatment groups, and results show a significant interaction between search tool and…

Describes a study of seventh graders that examined the effect of self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS) on performance in learner-controlled and program-controlled computer-based instruction. Program control seemed to minimize the performance difference between low and high levels of SRLS. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the differential effects of strategy orientation (memory strategy, organization strategy, application strategy, and read-and-study control) orthogonally crossed with learner activity (guided versus active) and outcomes. Transfer-appropriate processing theory, encoding specificity, and…

Provides a brief overview of the history, research, and theory related to play. Research from education, psychology, and anthropology suggests that play is a powerful mediator for lifelong learning, and the design of hybrid learning environments is suggested based on the constructivist concept of microworlds and supported with games and…

Describes the development of a set of Internet-based instructional materials on frog dissection and anatomy for high schools, and reports on the effectiveness of Internet delivery for encouraging high levels of use and user satisfaction. The importance of the World Wide Web for distribution and use of educational materials is discussed.…

Two evaluations of video programs that involved groups of learners interacting with LaserVision software are presented. One concerns counselling skills for student teachers. The other is a geography simulation program. Program structure, group interaction, and the role of the instructor are discussed. Learners in both studies found the visual…

Students ages 11-16 using 4 different educational multimedia packages were observed to determine how children make sense of interactive media. Design implications include the need to create a dynamic narrative which is motivating and absorbing by integrating the rhetoric with strong mythical elements. The interrelationship of narrative, linearity,…