Reports the development of a classification system for microcomputer-based software according to the depth and type of involvement of the user with the software. Three studies are discussed that used the facet approach, multivariate statistical procedures, and questionnaires to investigate types of involvement produced by computer programs. (18…

Identifies factors that reduce the effectiveness of computers as intermediaries and discusses possible negative effects on user satisfaction and the interaction between users and librarians. A set of guidelines for the improvement of online catalogs, based on user needs and abilities, is presented. (41 references) (CLB)

Discussion of graphical user interfaces for online public access catalogs (OPACs) covers the history of OPACs; OPAC front-end design, including examples from Indiana University and the University of Illinois; and planning and implementation of a user interface. (10 references) (EA)

Describes the design of a prototype adaptive online catalog that was implemented as a transparent workstation-based front end system to MELVYL, the online catalog for the University of California libraries. Problems with searching bibliographic retrieval systems are reviewed, including irrelevant retrievals and the inexperience of most users.…

Discussion of search strategy formulation focuses on a study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that analyzed how medical students developed and revised search strategies for microbiology database searches. Implications for future research on search behavior, for system interface design, and for end user training are suggested. (16…

Discusses virtual reality (VR) technology and its possible uses in military training, medical education, industrial design and development, the media industry, and education. Three primary applications of VR in the learning process--visualization, simulation, and construction of virtual worlds--are described, and pedagogical and moral issues are…

Discusses reasons for staff resistance to library CD-ROM services based on responses on electronic bulletin boards from primarily academic libraries in North America and the United Kingdom. Highlights include psychological reasons; problems of multiple interfaces; increased teaching load; increased costs; increased stress; maintenance time; and…

Presents an overview of research issues that have confronted the Interactive Technologies Division (ITD) of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) and proposes a model for integrating research into the software design process. Highlights include the role of research literature; and formative research relating to software, interactive compact…

This study of 40 undergraduates examined whether aiding as cognitive support (i.e., offering computer users knowledge they are missing) can supplement lack of knowledge and capacity under tasks with high mental loading, such as dealing with irregularities in process control. Users of a railway traffic control simulator dealt better and faster with…

Research in human-computer interaction is evolving a user-centered methodology for system design and instruction that focuses on integrating affective and cognitive user variables to increase productivity, creativity, and human growth. Discussion includes the survey approach, the experimental-ethnographic approach; theory-building; and the future…

E-learning is expected to support organizations and individuals so they can become more adaptable and competitive. However, in order for organizations to realize the full potential of this technology, they should create and sustain the right context to foster learning in articulation with business objectives. This requires active participation and…

This report presents the objectives, methodology, and results of a study which assessed the selection and utilization of four MEDLINE search systems by faculty and medical residents at the George Washington University Medical Center. The four systems, which were provided or sponsored by the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, offer a wide range of…

This 22-paper collection addresses a variety of issues related to representation and transfer of knowledge. Individual papers include an explanation of the usefulness of general scientific models versus case-specific approaches and a discussion of different empirical approaches to the general problem of knowledge representation for information…

This paper presents a critical review of computer assisted instruction (CAI); an overview of recent intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), including current perceived shortcomings; major activities of the field, i.e., analysis of teaching/learning processes, and extending and developing artificial intelligence techniques for use in intelligent…

This paper focuses on the applications which best suit the microcomputer in an educational setting with emphasis on adapting effective pedagogical practice to the computer's programability and delivery capabilities. Discovery learning and "being told" are identified as two types of computer assisted instruction (CAI) and sample uses of…