Outlines how the National Education Association's Educational Computer Service program for evaluation of educational software is run, and responds to critics of the program. (MD)

This document consists of 68 microcomputer software package evaluations prepared by MicroSIFT (Microcomputer Software and Information for Teachers) Clearinghouse at the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory. There are 26 packages in set 13 and 42 in set 14. Each software review lists producer, time and place of evaluation, cost, ability level,…

Presents and evaluates the National Education Association's for-pay software review program. Also reviews the 98th Congress's legislation relating to school software. (MD)

This courseware evaluation rates the "Grab a Byte" program developed by tne National Dairy Council. (The program--not included in this document--is divided into three sections: Grab-a-Grape uses a quiz-show format to examine students' knowledge of food groups; Nutrition Sleuth reinforces students' nutrient knowledge; and Have-a-Byte…

The relative worth of any evaluation instrument depends on user needs and the material being evaluated. Potential users of a good computer assisted instruction (CAI) instrument include purchasers, authors, reviewers, and publishers of CAI materials. Although each user has unique needs, a good instrument will serve both to educate and discriminate,…

This courseware evaluation rates the Nutri-Calc microcomputer program developed by CAMDE of Tempe, Arizona. (The program--not included in this document--consists of Nutri-Calc, which calculates total nutritional intake and Recommended Daily Allowances, and Calorie-Magic, which calculates individual ideal caloric intake.) Part A describes…

Instructional materials are mediocre and inflexible because (1) education agencies leave important decisions to materials producers; (2) students, parents, and teachers lack influence; and (3) schools depend excessively on such materials. Cites research supporting this view, and suggests broad criteria and actions to improve textbooks. (MCG)

Describes two video discs for classroom use. Explains that the discs present collections of still images representing Western civilization and non-European world history. Suggests that the discs be used for individual student reports or in cooperative learning groups. Discusses hardware necessary for using the materials. (DK)

The first of three parts of this booklet, which assumes no previous knowledge of computers or programming, explains what computers are and briefly describes the components of a computer system. The second section examines the different ways in which the computer can be used in higher education, including its use: (1) as a "super calculator"; (2)…

This document, the second of two volumes, completes the report of a Lilly Endowment, Inc. funded project whose major objective was to establish a process for both teachers and students to be involved in the field testing or evaluation of microcomputer software. Workshops were held in nine Indiana school corporations where more than 2,300 students…

This courseware evaluation rates the "Pregnancy and You" program, developed by Intellectual Software and sold by Career Aids, Inc. The courseware was rated by a team of home economists participating in a network designed to identify and evaluate courseware and disseminate reviews for vocational and technical teachers, media staff, and…

The article discusses concerns of producers and users of computer software for those with special needs, reviews current research findings and projects, and reports on a survey of special educators (N=22) that identifies characteristics of desirable software. (Author/DB)

Briefly describes the benefits of computer-assisted instruction for library applications in bibliographic instruction and staff training and notes that little quality software is available that is appropriate. Detailed guidelines are provided for librarians to design their own courseware, including planning, designing, writing, programming, and…

Reviews the current status of educational software. Only a small percentage of programs available is of high quality. The potential of educational computing is at a crucial juncture during the next two years. (MD)

Describes a SYSTAT macro that generates sufficient information from the data available to compute an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc analysis. Suggests the macro procedure as a tool for those who want to explore relations among the results of published studies when raw data are not available. Recommends classroom uses. (DK)