Reviews

edited by Philip Barker

Authoring-Systems Software for Computer-
Based Training, edited by William D. Wilheim,
Educational Technology Publications,
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, ISBN: 0-
87778-274-1, 1994.

Traditionally, the development of computer-
based instructional materials has relied on the
use of programming languages and computer
programmers. This has often made development
prohibitively difficult, time-consuming and
expensive. It has also meant that it has been
difficult for enthusiastic subject experts to
develop their own teaching materials. In order
to address these problems a wide variety of
authoring systems have been produced which
allow the rapid development of instructional
materials by reducing the amount of low-level
coding necessary for their implementation. A
problem which arises from this proliferation,
however, is that subject experts find it hard to
identify the best tool for a particular develop-
ment task. This book has been written
essentially with the aim of providing potential
educational software authors with a brief
background to instructional design, an overview
of some currently available authoring systems,
and a means by which an informed choice of
authoring system can be made.

The preface (outlining the content and
objectives, of the book) is followed by the main
body which is divided into nine chapters. The
first chapter outlines an approach to instruc-

tional design. The method follows a traditional
software life-cycle model, though detail has
been included to apply the model specifically to
the authoring of computer-based learning
materials which may employ multimedia
techniques.

Chapters 2 through 8 each address a particular
authoring environment. The aim here is to
provide an overview of some of the more
popular authoring environments namely Hyper-
Card, ToolBook, LinkWay, Spinnaker Plus,
Authorware Professional, Quest and TenCore.
Although each chapter is written by a different
author, the topics covered within each are
relatively consistent. Notably, each chapter
provides specific examples of the authoring
process, and some short illustrative code
segments are provided where appropriate. In
addition, screen-shots of the types of product
which may be developed using the various
systems are presented. This allows potential
authors to visualize the style of their future
product even before a prototype has been
created.

The final chapter looks at the process of
concurrent authoring. This is the idea that an
authoring tool can be made which will allow the
seamless integration of training materials within
any software application. In this way, training
facilities can be integrated into existing
computer applications so that users can access
real-time on-the-job training. Such training can

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be used to assist in the completion of tasks
currently being undertaken, and can also be
used within a pure training context. These just-
in-time training techniques have become known
as electronic performance support systems and
there is a growing need for tools to facilitate
their production.

Two useful appendices are provided at the end
of the book. The first of" these provides a
checklist to assist in choosing an appropriate
authoring system for a particular task, and
although rather simple, the checklist does detail
some of the important features to look out for
when choosing an authoring environment. The
second appendix provides a list of authoring
systems and addresses from which to obtain
further information, or the software itself.

Although useful for prospective authors of
computer-based learning materials, books of
this kind tend to date rapidly, the result of
constant upgrades being made to software of all
kinds. As a result, the authoring environment
descriptions which make up the bulk of the
book will rapidly cease to describe accurately
the current features and facilities offered by the
systems treated. It tends to be the advanced
features, which may well have a crucial impact
on the choice of authoring environment, that
become outdated. Indeed, this has already
happened in the case of both HyperCard and
ToolBook. Nevertheless, the basic strategies
adopted by such systems remain the same, and
therefore value is retained.

Stephen Richards, University of Teesside

Designing Instructional Text by James Hartley,
third edition, Kogan Page, London, ISBN 0-
7494-1037-X, 1994.

This book is intended to give general guidelines
for the production of instructional materials.
Three main areas are covered: the design and
layout of instructional materials, the language
in which they are written, and how to evaluate
the finished products.

The first five chapters cover the traditional
typographic conventions which evolved before
the advent of the desktop-publishing era.
Factors affecting the choice of page size, type
size and typeface are discussed in detail;

effective use of white space is also described.
Following the basic rules outlined in these
chapters would enable readers to produce
materials free of the amateurish horrors which
have become, sadly, all too familiar. One useful
addition to this part of the book might have
been a discussion of the advantages and dis-
advantages of different binding methods.

Chapter 6 goes on to discuss the production of
instructional text in terms of clarity and
organization. Where possible, recommendations
and conclusions are drawn from actual research
studies. Hartley is careful to stress the difference
between improving the appearance of text, and
improving the degree of reader comprehension.

The principles outlined are then illustrated by
means of worked examples in chapter 7, while
chapters 8 and 9 consider ways of enhancing
instructional text by means of diagrams,
illustrations, tables and graphs. Displaying
numerical data by graphical means frequently
results in readers being misled; this may be
intentional or unintentional on the part of those
presenting the information. Although this book
provides guidelines to improve the legibility of
graphs, there is, unfortunately, little discussion
of the relationship between numerical signi-
ficance and appearance. This is an important
omission, now that computer charting programs
enable users to present the same set of data in a
variety of ways at the touch of a button.

Chapters 10 to 13 cover specific topics: the
design of forms and questionnaires; text for the
visually impaired; text for older readers, and
electronic text (i.e. screen design). The chapters
focusing on the visually impaired and the older
reader are particularly useful, as this material is
often omitted from mainstream textbooks.

Chapter 14 discusses the evaluation of instruc-
tional text in terms of content, presentation and
teaching effectiveness. Some examples of
checklists for assessing the layout and technical
quality of school text books are provided, along
with measures to gauge the suitability of a text
for its intended readers (readability indices and
cloze tests, for example). Hartley rightly
emphasizes the limitations of such measures, yet
illustrates their usefulness in the decision-
making process by means of case studies.

Overall, the book presents a great deal of useful

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Reviews

information and illustrative examples, and there
are ample references to primary source material
for those requiring more in-depth knowledge.
The clarity of the presentation would be
improved if the separation of figures from their
corresponding reference in the text could be
avoided, and the inclusion of section numbers
would also be helpful. Yet despite these minor
reservations, I would have no hesitation in
recommending this book as a useful resource
for anyone involved in the design of
instructional materials.

Lorraine Warren, University of Humberside

Preparing Materials for Open and Distance
Learning: An Action Guide for Teachers and
Trainers by Derek Rowntree, Kogan Page,
London (in association with the Institute of
Educational Technology, Open University),
ISBN: 0-7494-1159-7, 1994.

The author of this guide needs no introduction.
He has contributed extensively to the field of
educational technology, curriculum develop-
ment, and open and distance learning.

The delivery of learning has changed over the
last 25 years with the development of open
learning, flexible delivery courses, and the
widening of student access to courses and
institutions. This change has resulted in the
need for materials to be available in a more
diverse and flexible form in order to be sym-
pathetic to different learner characteristics and
to promote deeper learning.

This guide is aimed at those who are about to
design and produce largely print-based
materials and/or adapt existing materials for
particular students. It is not, in my view, to be
read from cover to cover, but to be used as a
structured guide for the preparation, production
and adaptation of materials, and for the
support of learners using such materials. There
are many useful checklists that can be adapted
for existing courses whether face-to-face or at a
distance.

The guide is divided into four main sections: an
introduction plus sections (called stages) on
planning materials, preparing for writing, and
writing and re-writing.

The introductory section lists the types of
materials that could be used from print-based
materials to technology-based materials, and
includes a comprehensive section of sample
pages from existing flexible learning courses.

Stage 1 deals with planning, and contains some
useful suggestions and tactics for finding out
about intended recipients, because the belief is
that this information will directly dictate
presentation and design strategies. The question
of framing objectives is considered briefly but
concisely, together with how to derive content
from these objectives. And advice is given on
making the material more learner-centred, on
choosing media, and on supporting students,
with some useful checklists on where this
support might come from.

In Stage 2, there are suggestions and checklists
on time management, on scheduling work, and
on determining what resources might be
available to enable you to develop your own
materials. Sequencing of learning is considered,
together with suggestions on developing
activities for students, and the types of feedback
you might use. There are also suggestions on the
physical layout of printed text with the aim of
allowing students to access information and
ideas .quickly (Rowntree refers to making the
prose 'clearer' and more 'cheering' to the
reader). There is stress for the need to include
meaningful examples in the text, with a good list
of possible sources, although it is somewhat
surprising that assessment is not really con-
sidered here (or indeed in Stage 1), and is dealt
with in the last section on writing and re-
writing. Inclusion here would have emphasized
the need to consider assessment very early in the
development of flexible learning materials (or
any other learning materials for that matter).

Stage 3 contains some useful tips and advice on
language style and how to get started, how to
check for readability, and for completing and
editing for first draft. And finally on piloting:
Write + Try it out + Improve it.

Although the section on further reading could
have been more comprehensive, it is sufficient
for the purposes of this guide, and there are
references to the texts throughout at appro-
priate points, though I did find the use of some
abbreviations rather irritating.

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I certainly think the guide is interesting, and
indeed could be invaluable for those considering
developing flexible learning materials.

Gareth Jones, University of Teesside

Teach Yourself with Open Learning by Derek
Rowntree, Kogan Page, London, ISBN: 0-7494-
1153-8, 1993

This is an extremely practical and usable book,
again by Rowntree. While generally aimed at
readers who are new to open learning, it has
much wider applicability, offering much to
those already experienced or, indeed, to any
educationist interested in preparing open-
learning materials.

Interestingly, the book is itself written in the
form of an open-learning text. Each chapter is
focused, with very clear, boldly titled sections
with specific objectives. The nine chapters cover
topics such as 'You and your learning', 'What
open learning can offer you', 'How does open
learning work', 'Choosing your open learning
programme', 'Getting organized', 'How to
tackle your package', 'Getting help from other
people', and 'Getting value for money'. The
style of each chapter is interactive, with simple
activities where the reader is required to
respond to check boxes or make written
responses to questions. The objectives of the
book are clearly stated at the beginning, and the
reader is invited to identify appropriate
objectives. This involves the reader immediately.
However, although there is no requirement to
study all the material in sequence, and dipping
into chapters and sections is quite possible, this
is a book that demands a certain degree of
reflection and commitment.

The style and layout are light and informative,
and the book is easy and fun to read. For
example, Chapter 4 takes the reader into topics

on course evaluation, what one might hope to
gain from an open-learning course, how such
material might be presented, the use of different
media, and possible learning techniques.
Cleverly, the author does this partly by making
explicit the very techniques used in writing the
book itself, as well as including nine sample
pages from a diverse range of open-learning
courses.

The book contains a list of useful addresses and
a short bibliography, but it is in any case
immensely informative without being a fact-
book as such. It raises issues and encourages
valuable reflection and self-evaluation. It is also
a manual for constant support and revision as
well as a one-off read. Chapter 5, for example,
deals with specific providers of open-learning
packages, and has an excellent section on
talking to providers. It is suggested that the
book itself with checklists and readers' notes
might even be taken to an interview with a
course provider. Chapter 6 includes clear and
useful directives on time planning, and
introduces the concept of a learning diary to
record both personal reflections and questions
to be raised with a tutor or friends. Chapter 7
deals with readers' real fears about coping with
materials, and offers some very useful tips on
subjects such as making materials on your own
by annotation and talking about the course. It
also has an excellent section on learning from a
workbook through the stages of previewing,
reading and reflecting.

This book must be regarded as an excellent
resource to be used not only as an introduction
to open learning, but also throughout any
course for reminders and practical support. It
could certainly make the difference between
success and failure on an open-learning course,
and for this reason is highly recommended.

Terry King, University of Portsmouth

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