Presents the results of a survey of small and medium-sized academic libraries conducted to determine the features of an online catalog considered most important by academic librarians. The major requirements of an online catalog most commonly cited by the librarians are discussed and a ranked list of desirable features is included.

Identifies five design requirements for electronic encyclopedias, based on the content and structure of printed encyclopedias and the uses that people make of them. Three existing hypertext programs (Owl International's Guide, HyperCard, and HyperTIES) are compared in terms of their ability to satisfy these design requirements. (CLB)

Addresses concerns of both facilities planners and instructional designers in planning for the audio component of group presentations. Factors in the architectural design of enclosures for the reproduction of sound are described, including frequency, amplitude, and reverberation; and a case study for creating an acceptable enclosure is presented.…

Describes the methods and results of a user-centered field study that investigated the design requirements for a Web-based research library, a digital library representing a collection of large domain-specific documents that can be accessed remotely to support scholarly research. Results provide insight into Web-based inquiry and requirements for…

Describes an investigation of students' problem-solving strategies as seventh-grade students (n=10) attempted to design a solution to a technological problem. Concludes that novice designers use highly iterative rather than linear strategies, develop their ideas using three-dimensional materials rather than two-dimensional sketches, and develop…

Even as weblogs, content management systems, and other forms of automated Web posting and journals are changing the way people create and place content on the Web, new Web pages mushroom overnight. However, many new Web designers produce Web pages that seem to ignore fundamental principles of "good design": full of colored backgrounds, animated…

Cognitive Structures and Linguistic Sequential Memory or Memory of Serial Order are not very well developed among illiterate people contrary to educated people. It affects the comprehension of abstract ideas and the usability of the system. Therefore the cognitive limitations of illiterate must be considered for instructional design and user…

This report provides an overview of public playground equipment injuries, identifies risks associated with different types of equipment and surfaces, and examines the possible effects of approaches to reducing these injuries. Findings include the following: (1) falls are the most common type of playground equipment accident, (2) the proportion of…

Psychological approaches to the troubleshooting of complex military equipments are designed to improve the selection, motivation, and training of technicians. Methods for enhancing the understanding of the physical relations in equipment, the hierarchical analysis and practice of sub-skills, and the general logic of searching behavior are aspects…

A research study was conducted to determine the feasibility and desirability of developing generalized training equipment for use in avionic systems maintenance training. The study consisted of a group of survey and analytic tasks to provide useful guidance to serve the needs of the Naval Aviation community in future years. The study had four…

Presents a technique for assessing elderly residents' priorities and desired environmental characteristics for in-unit activities. Considered three components in design priority for activities: time spent, unit adequacy, and importance. Residents' high priority activites were sleeping, watching television, preparing food, resting, and eating. (NRB)

Presents a formal model for specification of logical requirements of computer-based information systems that incorporates structural and dynamic aspects based on two separate models: the Logical Information Processing Structure and the Logical Information Processing Network. The model's role in systems development is discussed. (MBR)

Schools seem to be the logical place to serve the health needs of students, since children spend a majority of their time there. Design standards were not available for health clinics in Georgia elementary schools; therefore, this study examined key characteristics of an elementary school clinic in order to determine the importance of each design…

Outlines a research framework, in which emphasis is placed upon validity, reliability, and utility, for the systematic evaluation of simulation and gaming instruments and suggests how this framework can be employed in the selection and use of instructional simulations and games. Three tables accompany the text. (Author/JL)

Presents an overview of user-centered design and usability testing. Describes a Web site evaluation project at a university, the iterative process of rapid prototyping and usability testing, and how the findings helped to improve the design. Discusses recommendations for university Web site design and reflects on problems faced in usability…