A research program was undertaken to study the functional learning environment (FLE) in which computers operate, i.e., those environments in which learning activities have a function or purpose from the child's viewpoint. Results of three projects illustrate the importance of teachers in creating and interpreting children's learning environments.…

A checklist for evaluating courseware is presented to help American Council of Evaluation (ACE) review teams determine whether a software package is suitable for use with adult learners. Courseware, which is software used in instructional programming, may include various mechanical devices (e.g., discs, tapes, computer programs), as well as…

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…

The computer revolution was expected to help American schools to teach traditionally unsuccessful students more effectively and to reduce educational inequalities. Research suggests, however, that computer technology has in many ways actually widened the gap in educational opportunity. Nevertheless, this report finds that computers and…