This critical examination of the assumption that computer-based instruction enhances student learning and performance over traditional means summarizes arguments from past and present analyses of research, examines media attributes or symbol system theories, and presents evidence that much research is susceptible to rival hypotheses. (MBR)

A study of the effects of microcomputer use in classrooms and homes on the growth of school-readiness skills of kindergartners used pre- and posttested experimental and control groups to assess reading readiness, mathematics readiness, Piagetian operations, and keyboard knowledge. Teacher implementation strategies and techniques used by nonreaders…

Describes study of 315 secondary school students that investigated their reactions to computerized testing and assessed the practicability of this testing method in the classroom. Two versions of a standardized aptitude test battery used are described, one computerized and one printed, and a survey assessing students' reactions is discussed. (9…

Compares the use of four different versions of a map by fourth and fifth grade students with a computerized adventure game which simulated an environmental exploration. Variables examined included type of map and student gender, ability to learn place location information while playing the game, and enjoyment of the game. (RP)

This study investigated the degree to which seventh- and eighth-grade students of different abilities acquired strategic planning knowledge from a problem-solving computer game called Wumpus. Regression analysis was used to determine the influences of individual differences and either activating or modeling instruction, and to assess transfer of…

Conducted to determine whether use of computerized file-management programs can enhance the development of information processing skills, this two-treatment experiment found that seventh through twelfth grade students in the computer-using/structured activities group received significantly higher mean scores than the…

This study, which assessed the effectiveness of microcomputer-assisted instruction in assisting low achieving fourth to sixth graders to attain mathematics and reading mastery, found performance of only one experimental group statistically superior to that of the control groups, but no significant differences in attitudes toward school or sense of…

Describes a study of junior high students which investigated academic achievement and higher cognitive skill development outcomes of a computer programming course in which two augmentations to traditional BASIC instruction were compared. A model for understanding learning outcomes is presented, suggesting ways to augment instruction to focus on…

This study of drill-and-practice computer-assisted instruction (CAI) compares CAI with reinforcement, CAI with formal classroom instruction, and CAI alone to determine which is most effective for gains in achievement. Results are analyzed for remedial students in grades four to eight who studied reading and math, and future research needs are…

An experimental study compared the instructional effectiveness of Logo programming, commercially available software designed to aid composition and problem solving, and traditional teaching methods for low socioeconomic status first-grade students. Both software environments enhanced problem solving performance for a novel task, but Logo was most…

Discussion of computer-assisted instruction and cognitive style focuses on a study of college students that investigated the relationship of student success in algebra and field independence-dependence. Topics discussed include the effectiveness of computers as instructional tools; treatments for experimental and control groups; courseware; and…