This is the fourth and final installment in a series of articles presenting a new outlook on the methods of instructional design. These articles examine the nature of the process of instructional design and are meant to stimulate discussion about the roles of designers in the fields of instructional design, the learning sciences, and interaction…

The danger of computers is not that people will be controlled by them but that they may imitate them, mistaking data for wisdom. Unobstructed access to facts can produce unlimited good only if matched by the desire and ability to discover what they mean and where they would lead. (MSE)

This discussion of the utilization by computer designers and users of metaphors as organizing structures for dealing with the complexity of behavior of human/computer interfaces begins by identifying three types of metaphor that describe various aspects of human-computer interface design, i.e., activity, mode of interaction, and task domain. The…

Describes human-computer interface needs for empowering environments in computer usage in which the machine handles the routine mechanics of problem solving while the user concentrates on its higher order meanings. A closed-loop model of interaction is described, interface as illusion is discussed, and metaphors for human-computer interaction are…

This essay compares two recent books on computer technology in terms of their usage of gendered or gender-free language. The two books examined are "Turing's Man: Western Culture in the Computer Age" by J. David Bolter and "The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit" by Sherry Turkle. It is argued that the two authors' gender differences in…

Several pilot projects that use videodiscs for educational purposes are described, and other sources that are currently planning or producing instructional videodiscs are discussed. (CHC)

Clifford Nass, one of the authors of "The Media Equation: How to Treat Computers, Television and New Media Like Real People and Places," observes that, when people interact with computers, television, and other new media, they tend to display the same social behaviors as when they react to other humans. (JOW)

The discipline of software engineering can be extended in a natural way to deal with the issues raised by a systematic approach to the design of human-machine interfaces. The user should be treated as part of the system being designed and projects should be organized to take into account the current lack of a priori knowledge of user interface…

Outlines the need for the development of computer-based curriculum in a trial set of courses that incorporates interactive technology. If the trial courses are successful it could lead to a major national curriculum development effort. (MD)

This paper presents a cognitive account of both the advantages and disadvantages of direct manipulation interfaces, i.e., the use of icons to manipulate and interact directly with data rather than writing programs or calling on a set of statistical subroutines. Two underlying phenomena that give rise to the sensation of directness are identified.…

The design, development and use of computer systems to support decision making within human service organizations and the conceptual background of decision support systems are discussed. (Author/BL)

This essay considers whether the brain can accelerate the speed with which it absorbs or dispenses information in ways similar to those of a computer, and, if so, whether any of these speed-up approaches increase the speed of the processing of the information in the brain. It is suggested that there are tasks for which speed is important in both…

This document presents hypotheses about how much understanding a user needs to perform skillfully using a computer or a computer program. A framework for characterizing user understanding is presented which includes three criteria for evaluating the representation generated during problem solving: (1) internal coherence--whether the components of…

This presentation addresses three basic social issues generated by the computer revolution. The first section, "Money Matters," focuses on the economic effects of computer technology. These include the replacement of workers by fully automated machines, the threat to professionals posed by expanded access to specialized information, and the…

This 21-paper collection examines various issues in electronic networking and conferencing with computers, including design issues, conferencing in education, electronic messaging, computer conferencing applications, social issues of computer conferencing, and distributed computer conferencing. In addition to a keynote address, "Computer…