This study demonstrated that abstracts composed with the aid of a computer were rated higher than those without a computer. Categories assessed included spelling/punctuation, organization/design, sentence structure, clarity, and overall quality. Subjects were 68 students participating in the 1984 Secondary Student Training (SST) Research Program…

Describes five categories of software that can be useful in the basic writing classroom: computer-assisted instruction, computer-controlled instruction, artificial intelligence, computer-based rhetorical invention, and word processing. Evaluates each type of software in terms of their ability to fulfill the goals of basic writing instruction to…

Eleven fifth- and sixth-grade learning-disabled students composed and revised stories using handwriting, dictation, and word processing. Dictated stories differed from other formats on product measures such as length, quality, and grammatical errors. Differences between handwritten and word-processed stories were found on the process measures of…

Describes the design of a microcomputer-based system at the University of Ottawa which provides teachers with the capabilities of computerized slides and transparencies. The slides are texts created with word processors which are presented to the class via a large screen video projector, and software provides regular overhead projector functions.…

Maintains that a crucial issue in hypertext design is how to give the reader new capabilities without taking any existing ones away. Discusses the conversion of traditional, printed scholarly text to hypertext. Includes recommendations for the conversion of scholarly text to hypertext. (CFR)

Focusing on ways to teach fourth-grade students the machine skills they need to make the computer a fluent writing tool, this study sought to identify the word processing skills that students need to learn and the ones that are most difficult, and the instructional approaches that work best in teaching word processing skills. The problems and…

This review focuses on microcomputer software designed to improve the writing skills of students of English as a Second Language (ESL) at the college level. It presents a case for the use of computers in teaching ESL, provides guidelines and suggestions for evaluating or creating software and programs, and reviews representative software,…

Describes Graphics Project for Foreign Language Learning at the University of Pennsylvania, which has developed ways of displaying foreign scripts on microcomputers. Character design on computer screens is explained; software for graphics, printing, and language instruction is discussed; and a text editor is described that corrects optically…

Reviews the use of computers in the teaching and practice of writing in university courses. Highlights include hardware considerations; software options for grammar, punctuation, stylistic analysis, and prewriting (or invention) skills; artificial intelligence, composition, and literature; collaborative learning; and faculty development. (LRW)

Focusing on the application of new technologies to the creation of rich environments for writing, this project entailed the assembling of a low-cost microcomputer system that included a microcomputer, speech synthesis, voice recognition, and videodisk player. A variety of alternative input devices were explored, and software that permitted the…

These guidelines for designing and operating a computer assistance facility (microlab) to teach college level composition cover the following areas: resource materials on computers for teaching English; flexibility of microlab design; microlab software and hardware (microcomputers and printers); writing microlab manuals; research potential of the…

Presents a study in which children considered alternative continuations of a text through a computer program. Reports that subjects were to monitor text production and correct coherence problems. Discusses reason levels: (1) implicit, local reasoning; (2) attention to global text characteristics; and (3) considerations on the function of…

Discusses some of the processes children use in learning words and putting them into intelligible contexts. Describes some of the difficulties children can have when trying to learn new vocabulary. Briefly reports on efforts to use interactive video technology to enable children to access new words. (TW)

Discusses the results of a survey on the usage of computers in secondary schools. Indicates that the majority of use was by computer classes; more staff development is needed for teachers of non-computer classes; and there is insufficient hardware and software available for non-computer classes. (TW)

Examines the premise that experience with computers can fundamentally alter teaching. Contends that the promise of computers and other educational technology is overstated. Presents a case study and summaries of other studies that suggest a teacher's instructional philosophy is a more powerful determinant of computer effectiveness. (CFR)