A report on the efforts made to describe the range of human-computer interaction skills necessary to complete a program of study in Instructional Design Technology. Educators responsible for instructional media production courses have not yet articulated which among the wide range of possible interactions students must master for instructional…

Address presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York City, April 1971. Research started under a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and completed and reported under a grant from the National Science Foundation, Office of Science Information Service. (VM)

In distance education, interactivity refers to mutual influence of objects and actions, particularly with reference to the relationship of learner, instructor, content, and technology. Instructors should build interactivity into distance learning to increase participation, develop communication, receive feedback, enhance elaboration and retention,…

Discussion of the social role that computers play in the classroom focuses on an empirical study of human-computer interaction. Classes of high school and undergraduate students are described that were chosen to examine interactivity patterns among students with significantly different social characteristics. (11 references) (LRW)

An exploration of the rhetorical contract--i.e., the expectations for appropriate interaction--as it develops in human-computer interaction revealed that direct manipulation interfaces were more likely to establish social expectations. Study results suggest that the social nature of human-computer interactions can be examined with reference to the…

An adventure game is a role-playing game that usually, but not always, has some fantasy aspect. The role-playing aspect is the key element because players become personally involved when they assume a role, and defeat becomes personal and less acceptable than in other types of games. Computer-based role-playing games are extremely popular because…

The design and operation of a time-sharing monitor are described. It runs under OS/360 MVT that supports multiple application program interaction with operators of CRT (cathode ray tube) display stations and of a teletype. Key design features discussed include: 1) an interface allowing application programs to be coded in either PL/I or assembler…

To improve the instructional process, time shared computer-assisted instructional methods were developed to teach upper division undergraduate chemical engineering students the concepts of process simulation and analysis. The interactive computer simulation aimed at enabling the student to learn the difficult concepts of process dynamics by…

It is possible to separate the use of computers for instructional purposes into four modes, distinguished by the style of user interaction and sometimes by the implementation methods used. The four major modes are: 1) conversational, in which the interaction resembles an exchange between two persons; 2) data-based, wherein one component of the…

Discusses the CODER system, which was developed to investigate the application of artificial intelligence methods to increase the effectiveness of information retrieval systems, particularly those involving heterogeneous documents. Highlights include the use of PROLOG programing, blackboard-based designs, knowledge engineering, lexicological…

The effectiveness of distance education methods that involve direct interaction between the student and communications satellite technology is discussed, drawing on experiences in British Columbia adult distance education programs using interactive instructional television and other modern technologies. (MSE)

Claims that computer programs are needed that operate on commonly available microcomputers and provide guidance in the generation and interrogation of a writer's ideas. Discusses Hugh Burns' program "TOPOI" as an example. Describes ways in which a computer and operator can interact. Criticizes those who view open-response software merely…

Presents a series of six prescriptions for constructing an authoring system that guides the instructional design process used to create computer-based lessons. The importance of providing opportunities for dynamic interaction between the program and the student is emphasized. (Author/LRW)

Describes the computing environment and command language for a new programing language called OUSBASIC which is designed to enable naive users to interact usefully, with little assistance, with a computer system. (Author/CHC)

Briefly describes some experiments in human-machine interaction in the context of its relevance to multimedia audiovisual instruction, with emphasis on the use of microcomputer systems augmented with slides or audiocassettes. Fifteen references are listed. (Author/LLS)