The Instructional Design Environment: technology to support design problem solving

The problems of efficiently producing effective instruction in areas such as industry, military, and vocational education are exacerbated by several complex factors: increasingly rapid change in technology; substantial variation in training needs and target populations within large organizations; inefficient mechanisms for performing formative evaluations; and a lack of means for efficiently incorporating new models of design into practice. In the context of these increasingly difficult problems, we present the Instructional Design Environment (IDE), a hypermedia system for designing and developing instructional material, including texts, interactive video disk, and intelligent tutoring systems. The representation of design analyses and specifications, and the design activities of IDE users are not constrained by any particular model of instructional design, but can be tailored to suit a wide range of such models. Although the system is continually evolving and exists in several forms, (Swartz and Russell, 1989) we discuss how the features of IDE suggest how computer-based design environments may provide ways simplifying the design problems for technical training in rapidly changing areas.     

Seeking insights into young children’s beliefs about mathematics and learning

Challenges for researchers wishing to gain insights into student beliefs about mathematics and learning include the identification of prompts to which young children can respond easily and which have the potential to provide meaningful insights into their beliefs. This article reports on a selection of such prompts used within an exploratory study that investigated beliefs about mathematics, learning and helping factors for learning mathematics of eight children of 8 to 9 years of age. These prompts, described as creative interviewing procedures, are classified under the key categories of visual, verbal and text-based. The article provides brief details of the study as background but focuses on discussing the nature of the tasks, and, through the inclusion of a selection of responses, illustrates their potential value as research tools for gaining insights into young children’s beliefs about mathematics and learning. It seems that teachers could use the prompts to gain alternate perspectives into children’s beliefs which in turn might inform their instruction.     

Shareholder returns and the exploration-exploitation dilemma: R&D announcements by biotechnology firms

We explore a financial returns dimension of the exploration-exploitation dilemma. Using 1277 R&D announcements by 178 listed bio-pharmaceutical firms, we examine whether investors are myopic along the continuum of exploration (patenting and preclinical trials) to exploitation (human clinical trials and NDA). We find that investors respond positively at every stage, but there are differences between small and large firms. For small firms exploration is favored, provided it is focused. For large firms, there is value in both exploration and exploitation. Projects which are part of an alliance are no more likely to generate abnormal returns. Policy implications are discussed.     

Spelling: do the eyes have it?

This paper explores the question of whether the ability to spell depends mainly on visual perception and visual imagery, or on other equally important auditory, cognitive, and motor processes. The writer examines the evidence suggesting that accurate spelling draws on a combination of visual processing, visual memory, phonological awareness, phonic knowledge, handwriting, knowledge of morphemic principles, and strategic thinking. Implications for teaching and intervention are presented.