Community applications of instructional technology: teaching writers of instructional packages

A community education program, to develop a variety of performance competencies in large numbers of neighborhood residents, requires a technology for preparing learning units administerable by community members themselves. The effects of a writing manual, designed to teach nonprofessionals to prepare such instructional packages, were analyzed in two experiments. Experiment I employed a multiple-baseline design across three university student trainees. The results showed that appropriate program writing increased by 75% after completion of the manual. The results of Experiment II, with two low-income neighborhood residents serving as trainees, showed that packages produced by trained writers resulted in a greater increase in skill activities than sets of training stimuli produced by untrained writers.     

Strategies for instructional computing

Instructional computing in psychology has become increasingly important to undergraduate and graduate curricula. Four modes of instructional computing, drill and practice, data generators, experiment simulators, and gaming, are described and illustrated with actual programs. Implications of recent developments in cognitive psychology for instructional computing are outlined. Factors in the design of high-quality materials are described, and problems and opportunities for publication and distribution are discussed.     

Writing and publishing instructional and research software

Many psychologists who currently use computers in research and instruction will eventually consider developing software of their own. Recommendations for structuring, writing, documenting, and possibly publishing software, as well as dealing with publishers, modifying programs, and converting syntax, are presented in hopes of stimulating the writing of new software.     

The interaction of response complexity and instructional set

This study investigated the interaction of experimental instructions and response complexity in an attempt to provide a possible explanation for some of the equivocalness in the programming time literature. Response complexity was manipulated by varying the accuracy required of subjects striking circular targets in a simple reaction time paradigm. Subjects were tested on two days, one week apart, during which experimental instructions emphasized either leaving the start position as soon as possible (initiation emphasis) or completing the response with a rapid but smooth movement (form emphasis). Subjects had shorter reaction times but longer movement times when they performed under initiation-emphasis instructions rather than under form-emphasis instructions. Furthermore, in contrast to form-emphasis conditions, there was no effect of response complexity on reaction time in conditions of initiation emphasis. It appears that subtle changes in experimental instructions can lead to very different patterns of reaction time and movement time data. These findings highlight the need for caution in preparing subject instructions in response programming experiments.     

Development and transfer of interactive videodisc instructional technology

Interactive videodisc instruction is described along with issues involved in the development of the method.     

A review of macintosh-based instructional software

This paper reviews Macintosh-based instructional software. The programs that are discussed can be used as laboratory exercises for data collection and data analysis, or for computer-assisted instruction. Some suggestions for state-of-the-art software in each of these categories are made along with some comments regarding instructional objectives for each set of programs.     

Marketing measurably effective instructional methods

The failure to gain wider acceptance of measurably effective teaching methods by the educational establishment may be due to resistance to behaviorism, in particular, and to a set of contingencies that resist change, in general. The promotion of effective instructional methods is presented in terms of recommended marketing principles, including identifying and solving perceived consumer needs, using plain English, segmenting the marketplace and developing specific solutions, identifying opportunities for greatest impact, creating tangible educational products, seeking new markets, planning marketing strategy and tactics, and writing for non-technical publications. Precision Teaching is presented as a case study in the promotion of effective instructional methods. Although it is a measurably superior instructional methodology, Precision Teaching has not been widely adopted. By applying basic marketing principles and strategic planning, some of its proponents have initiated an ongoing effort of outreach and promotion.     

Overlearning and instructional control of extinction of vasomotor responding

In a previous study by the authors, immediate extinction of conditioned vasomotor responding was obtained, under conditions of both continuous and partial reinforcement, when the UCS delivery apparatus was removed and subjects were informed that there would be no further UCS presentations. The present study varied the number of continuous reinforcement trials using the same conditioning procedure. Forty human subjects were randomly divided into two groups, given thermal vasomotor conditioning procedures on either 25 or 100 continuous reinforcement trials. At the onset of extinction half of each group was given traditional noninformed extinction procedures, while the other (informed) half had the thermal stimulator removed. Immediate extinction was obtained in informed subjects given 25 conditioning trials. However, there was no significant reduction of responding in informed subjects given 100 conditioning trials. Consequences for behavior theories and therapies are discussed.     

Evaluation of instructional software: Design considerations and recommendations

The elements of desirable research design for the evaluation of educational technology are discussed with reference to the context of existing research. Sources of internal invalidity, type of compared educational activity, and outcome measures are considered. Finally, recommendations regarding the direction of evaluation research are made. Research designs that take into account the characteristics of the learner, the software, and the teacher preferably within the framework of a model of the learning process should be adopted.     

病人安全:概念与实例

病人安全是一个历史性、全球性的问题,各种各样的医疗错误威胁病人安全,至今在医疗保健背景下医疗错误以各种各样的形式在不断的出现.病人安全问题涉及广泛领域,如人力资源(人员培训、留住医疗专业人员)、提高工作绩效、环境安全和风险评估,具体有感染控制、安全使用药品、设备安全、安全的临床规范做法、安全保健环境和病人安全知识的构筑.这些都需要我们从系统论的角度,构建病人安全文化,加以综合治理.     

病人安全：概念与实例

病人安全是一个历史性、全球性的问题,各种各样的医疗错误威胁病人安全,至今在医疗保健背景下医疗错误以各种各样的形式在不断的出现。病人安全问题涉及广泛领域,如人力资源(人员培训、留住医疗专业人员)、提高工作绩效、环境安全和风险评估,具体有感染控制、安全使用药品、设备安全、安全的临床规范做法、安全保健环境和病人安全知识的构筑。这些都需要我们从系统论的角度,构建病人安全文化,加以综合治理。     

Selection of software in the instructional laboratory

In this paper, I discuss a number of issues concerning software selection in instructional laboratories. First, I describe several taxonomies of instructional software and argue that the most important dimension of instructional software is that it must be an efficient tool. Second, I discuss some elements of the context of the instructional lab, including sophistication of users. Third, I explore design features, especially those related to ease of learning to use packages. Several other issues are also considered, such as where to find software reviews.