Describes the CALM (Computer Aided Learning in Mathematics) Project developed at the Heriot-Watt University (Scotland) for teaching calculus; reports on the next phase of CALM following further funding from British industry; and discusses future possibilities through the work of the United Kingdom Mathematics Courseware Consortium. (Contains eight…

This overview of the current status of computer-based learning in the United Kingdom (U.K.) begins with a discussion of the Microelectronics Education Program (MEP), which was implemented in 1981 to: (1) provide inservice teacher training in the educational aspects of microelectronics; (2) stimulate and service curriculum development efforts using…

Hardware for computer-assisted learning is discussed in three papers. Two papers report on projects using computer graphics, one for teaching structural analysis to university students and the other to teach graph concepts at the secondary level. Guidelines for selecting microcomputers focus on analyzing applications and matching them with…

Discusses the effectiveness of classroom trials as a method of providing feedback in the development process for educational software. The impact of formative evaluation on the development of computer-assisted learning (CAL) by a team is discussed, criteria for software selection are described, and steps toward successful implementation are…

Describes a study of undergraduates at Aston University (United Kingdom) that investigated whether maps were an appropriate navigational aid for searching in a hypertext environment. Task performance, system use, previous computer experience, perceptions of the system, and cognitive map data are examined; and implications for hypertext system…

Describes major program activities of Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP) for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which is designed to help schools prepare children for society with microelectronics. The core elements and potential consequences of the Microelectronics Support Unit, a follow-up to MEP which will conclude activities in…

Describes the Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP), a plan developed to help British secondary school students learn about microcomputers and the role of technology in society, and its successor, the Microelectronics Support Unit (MESU). Highlights include curriculum development, teacher training, computer assisted instruction and the…

Reports the development of a classification system for microcomputer-based software according to the depth and type of involvement of the user with the software. Three studies are discussed that used the facet approach, multivariate statistical procedures, and questionnaires to investigate types of involvement produced by computer programs. (18…

Discusses distance learning, describes the Open University in the United Kingdom, and describes the incorporation of home computing into computer courses at the Open University. Industrial training is discussed, a course using televised classes and one using video and printed materials are described, and future possibilities are suggested. (Three…

Compares results of a current survey with an earlier one conducted in the United Kingdom to examine microcomputer use in primary schools. Highlights include the effect of experience; teacher training; influences on software use; individual versus group use; influences on cooperative behavior; teachers' aims in using microcomputers; and future…