Stephen T. Kerr

Goals and objectives for user interface software

This written report summarizes the discussions an d conclusions of the goals and objectives group at th e ACM/SIGGRAPH Workshop on Software Tools for Use r Interface Development . The report is organized into th e following sections : e Section 1 — Overview of group goals and discussions Section 2 — Definition and characteristics of a UIM S ® Section 3 — Criteria used to develop a taxonomy of a UIM S Section 4 — Tasks and tools fo r user interface developmen t o Section 5 — Suggested topics and areas of research

Knowledge management support for teachers

Business organizations worldwide are implementing techniques and technologies to better manage their knowledge. Their objective is to improve the quality of the contributions people make to their organizations by helping them to make sense of the context within which the organization exists; to take responsibility, cooperate, and share what they know and learn; and to effectively challenge, negotiate, and learn from others. We consider how the concepts, tools, and techniques of organizational knowledge management can be applied to the professional practices and development of teachers. We describe a framework for knowledge management support for teachers where the sharing of concrete knowledge scaffolds the attainment of more abstract levels of knowledge sharing. We describe the development of a knowledge management support system emphasizing long-term participatory design relationships between technologists and teachers, regional cooperation among teachers in adjacent school divisions, the integration of communication and practice, synchronous and asynchronous interactions, and multiple metaphors for organizing knowledge resources and activities.

Wayfinding in an electronic database: the relative importance of navigational cues vs. mental models

Abstract Difficulties with “wayfinding” are common among users of electronic information systems. A study of strategies (textual, graphic, color) for cuing users to their location in a database showed that the presence or absence of physical cues was less important to successful searching than the users ability to represent internally the structure of the information. Users with more detailed and complete impressions of the database searched faster. But the variety of different representations of the database suggest it may be very difficult to create generic models as a help to novice users.

How Teachers Design Their Materials: Implications for Instructional Design.

Research on teacher thinking and teacher planning conducted over the past few years suggests that teachers rarely proceed in a “systematic” fashion when planning or carrying out instruction. What happens when teachers become designers of instructional materials? In a series of studies of teachers and novice instructional designers, data were collected on: the form taken by initial ideas for materials; elements involved in initial thinking; constraints perceived; the train of the design process; and reflections on the design after completing it. Results showed that prescriptive models of how instructional design should proceed frequently do not match the reality of instructional design in practice. Several changes in instructional design procedures might take these differences into account: designers might engage in “synectics” sessions, for example, rather than focusing immediately on objectives. And incompleteness in a design appears to have particular fascination for instructors. Finally, the studies point out the need for more careful and comprehensive treatments of what “design” is, and of why some are more successful at it than others.

Why we all want it to work : towards a culturally based model for technology and educational change

This paper explores reasons why the use of technology in education may be so attractive to so many people. Two emerging perspectives-memetics, and the social history of technology-are explored, and a typology of technology-as-cultural-tool is presented. Finally, implications of these ideas for educational change are considered.

Soviet Applications of Microcomputers in Education: Developments in Research and Practice during the Gorbachev Era.

In 1985, the USSR inaugurated a major program to teach computer literacy to all secondary school students in the country. That program is discussed here first in light of several trends in Soviet education during the past twenty years; the courses and resources which support the program are then characterized, and the system of hardware and software development that supports the effort is described. Some research directions that are related to the program are then discussed. These include: a broad attempt to use computing to encourage the development of a variety of cognitive functions; a series of efforts intended to link research in pedagogy to the design of computerized instructional programs; and, as an example of the latter, a specific project to design intelligent computer-based tutoring systems. Finally, the likelihood of success for the program is assessed in the context of limited resources, limited goals, and centralized control. Soviet educators probably have a good chance to add computer literacy to the curriculum, but in a narrower sense than the way that subject is commonly conceived in the West.

The Soviet Reform of Higher Education

In June 1986, the Soviet Union published a draft decree on the restructuring of higher education and released the final version in March 1987. This study first characterizes the main purposes of the reform: linking higher education more directly to the economy through work experiences for students and faculty; improving the quality and quantity of scientific research; tightening admissions requirements and improving student services; refitting universities with advanced technology and new laboratory facilities; revising procedures for ideological education; and changing the administrative structure of the postsecondary education system. Next, it examines the wellsprings of the current reform: population and demographic changes, shifts in technology and popular attitudes about education, and the need to improve economic output. Finally, it considers the discussion that the reform proposal itself generated. The long-term fate of the reform is linked to other changes now under way in Soviet society. If fully enacted, the reform could provide the USSR with a quite different and powerful system of higher education.

An Analysis of Design Strategies for Creating Educational Experiences in Virtual Environments

The focus of this chapter is to analyze and compare design methodologies used in developing video games and e-learning. The purpose of this comparative exploration is to discover design strategies that have the potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of e-learning courses. The comparative perspectives are drawn from recommended instructional design practices, video game design practices, and video game analysis and theory. This reevaluation of the design methodologies and assumptions used in e-learning design suggests that these approaches could benefit by incorporating the proven successful design methods used in game design to increase learner engagement. However, to do so successfully, requires a significant conceptual shift in how instructional designers conceive, organize, and treat e-learning content. The shift away from traditional e-learning design methods includes viewing the e-learning course as a potential virtual environment and adopting the methods inherent in game design which support experiential learning.

Creating educational software and transforming the curriculum: Projects that are changing the face of the Russian school

ConclusionFew would doubt that education is the only way to deal with those global problems that are being felt today in virtually all countries of the world. It is sad that everywhere both the educational system and the researchers who work in it are experiencing difficult times. This is especially true for Russian researchers and teachers. The work I have discussed above is being carried out by true professionals and enthusiasts for their cause. The work continues. The authors of these programs believe that the time has arrived for serious international projects on the design of methodological support and typical modules for a system of global education in the context of the developing global information society.

Referral in Education and Medicine Differing Patterns of Development in Specialized Professions

Referral is a complex problem for generalist and specialist professionals. This study explored how generalist and specialist physicians and educators handle referrals. A content analysis of interview responses shows: (1) the extent of agreement on grounds for referral and causes of disagreement; (2) how practitioners handle disagreements; and (3) how clients deal with transitions during referral. The results indicate that educators view referral as a legalistic process, that physicians accept a limited specialist role more readily, and that educators have difficulty seeing their peers as responsible professional colleagues. The differences may be explained by the diverse systems of ethics and norms of practice among educators and physicians, and by the different historical roots of these systems.