In a study to determine whether a male/female difference existed in the type of software preschool children selected and preferred (drill and practice or problem solving), results indicate no preference by sex was expressed; rather, there was an overwhelming preference for problem solving software by both males and females. (MBR)

Proposes a taxonomy which describes interactivity and adaptation outside the context of any particular medium. Designed to facilitate the instructional design and media selection processes, this taxonomy is represented as a cube whose axes represent interactivity and internal and external adaptation levels. Levels of interactivity and adaptation…

Describes a study conducted to determine prevalence of educational software field testing by producers, number of teachers and students participating, evaluation criteria used, whether documentation includes field test results, field test value, and other evaluation methods utilized during product development. Textbook versus software evaluation,…

Describes a study of Israeli ninth graders who answered a questionnaire on scientific attitudes, curiosity, and computer studies, to determine whether computers have an effect on development of student attitudes toward science by encouraging students' curiosity levels. Results indicate computers provide an opportunity to develop curiosity, thus…

Based on intuitive speculation, a literature review, and trial situations with students, this comprehensive listing describes, explains, and classifies the functions that visuals might perform when used to support verbal narration. This summary will be followed in the future by establishment and testing of the functions' validity. (MBR)

The effectiveness of a media workshop for elementary and secondary level student teachers was evaluated through a survey designed to determine the extent to which the student teachers (1) utilized media, and (2) produced instructional materials for use in their teaching. Use of specific types of media was also investigated. (MBR)

Describes evolution of an in-house database search service developed by University of British Columbia's Educational Research Services and Computing Center. The tryout phase in developing a model for downloading citations to serve end users as a beginning nucleus for use in microcomputer accessed personal information systems is highlighted. (MBR)

Administrator and teacher attitudes toward and trends in their use of various types of instructional materials were elicited through focus group interviews and a rating form. Results reported include discernable trends, suggestions for improvement in media use, ratings of instructional materials, and highlights of data analysis using various…

Discusses the focus group interview as an effective method of eliciting public opinions at three points in the media production process--concept development, script completion, and completion of rough cut. Interview characteristics, objectives, respondent characteristics, moderator role, physical arrangements, interview techniques, and data…

Discusses results of a national survey of teachers and administrators at all grade levels to determine availability and use of audiovisual materials. Results indicate audiovisual material use seems stable between 1982 and 1983, probably due to large expenditures for microcomputers leaving less to spend on other categories of instructional…

Describes field test findings of a project funded by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium and the Rockefeller Family Fund to demonstrate that microcomputers and home videodisc players can deliver instruction to students. Basic research questions and field testing procedures for a high school economics course are provided. (MBR)

Effective display of organized content is demonstrated through the Organized Content Technique (OCT), which synthesizes, collates, and organizes information into a sound conceptual configuration, including layout, display, typography, descriptors, and style. The result is a content page that has entity and unity and is pleasing and effective with…

A modified set of criteria based on sociology is suggested as a framework for evaluating the social implications of educational software. Six analytic categories are discussed: language usage, knowledge, ideology, profit, culture, and ethics. Procedures for applying the critical framework are outlined, and 32 references are listed. (MBR)

Discusses the meaning of change, purposes and models for measuring it, matching models to purposes and types of data, and using more than one model to measure change. Twenty-one references are listed. (Author/MBR)

A survey of students and instructors in the Physiology Department of London University showed that students preferred lectures to acquire information needed to pass examinations. Instructors had positive attitudes toward using computers, but none used the programs written in accordance with their expressed aims of teaching to improve student…