This publication provides guidance for the introduction of computer software tools within agencies of the United States government or within other installations where there has been little or no prior use of software tools. From a survey of current tool usage, it is concluded that the greatest obstacles to effective use of software tools are…

The Subject Access Research Project was initiated by OCLC in August 1979 to study the process of subject searching in the library catalog, with the objective of identifying features for an automated subject retrieval system which would support the present search tactics employed by library users performing manual subject searches at the library…

This paper describes how a language for building information systems that is being developed by the Office for Research at OCLC can be linked to an artificial intelligence environment, Poplog. The demonstration system--ISIS (Intelligent Support for Interface systems)--shows how Poplog could provide some intelligent support for a D interface,…

Planning for a computer-based personnel job opportunities system for the Air Force led to a requirement for a procedure to generate a "payoff" or "value" of the assignment of each person to each possible job. This report discusses three methods of weighting different information to form a single indicator "payoff" or "value," explicit weighting…

Part of a sustained program that has involved the design of personally tailored information systems responsive to the needs of scientists performing common research and teaching tasks, this project focuses on the procedural and content requirements for accomplishing need diagnosis and presents these requirements as specifications for an…

Students ask "why?" questions in the survey stage of using TICCIT lessons either because (1) they have holistic learning strategies, (2) they are searching for familiar bases upon which to attach new material, or (3) they desire to find out what relevance the lesson has for their future lives. In the design phase of TICCIT, an effort was…

The TICCIT command language is a synthesis between work in instructional psychology and cybernetics, and broadens the degrees of control available to students well beyond the capabilities of existing CAI systems. Student control commands manipulate important instructional variables and information is provided to guide the student's choice of…

A translating-computer-interface approach to providing a common, or virtual-system, mode of access to a network of heterogeneous online bibliographic retrieval systems has been investigated. Enhanced access to such systems by end users has been demonstrated through test usage of an experimental interface. A table-driven, rule-based message…

A major obstacle to the effective educational use of computers is the lack of a natural means of communication between the student and the computer. This report describes a technique for generating such natural language front-ends for advanced instructional systems. It discusses: (1) the essential properties of a natural language front-end, (2)…

This article provides a tutorial introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) research for those involved in Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The general theme is that much of the current work in AI, particularly in the areas of natural language understanding systems, rule induction, programming languages, and socratic systems, has important…

A proposed interdisciplinary course linking the areas of English and data processing is described in this paper. Expertise in both fields is perceived as a function of the processes of defining, recreating metaphors and models, locating assumptions within messages, and becoming aware of meaning. Potential enrollees include both students in the…

Studies of natural dialogue indicate that people interact according to established patterns which are organized around the participants' goals. These patterns have been represented by a set of knowledge structures called "Dialogue-games" which are founded on conventional knowledge about communication and its uses to achieve goals. The…

Presents a four-stage hypothesis of information systems development based on computational capability, storage capability, communications capability, and effective voice input. Moore's Law and Mooers' Law are explained, the interface between the system and the user is discussed, and projections for the future are suggested. (21 references)…

Describes prototype system that provides retrieval from hierarchically structured full-text databases such as legal statutes and regulations and engineering standards. Enhanced retrieval is provided through integration of three different access techniques dependent on inherent hierarchical text structure: menu, Boolean combination of keywords,…

Data from the first national study of technological change show that proportionately more women than men operate machines, are more exposed to machines that have alienating effects, and suffer more from the negative effects of technological change. (Author/SSH)