Abstract:

This article describes the genesis of the Libra authoring system and provides a detailed view of the design of a courseware program created by means of it. Funds from multiyear grants supported the development and subsequent dissemination of the authoring system. Lessons learned during the dissemination of the authoring system underscore the need for more in-depth understanding of instructional design and the implementation of pedagogical principles by faculty authors in multimedia materials. Development of the courseware program described here reveals the substantial benefits to be gained by collection and analysis of various forms of student use data.

Author: Robert Fischer, Michael Farris