This digest reviews some significant research on technology use in the classroom that examines how investment in technology will pay off in terms of student learning, and it indicates the conditions under which technology is most likely to have a positive impact on student learning. First presented are two longitudinal studies on how students…

Presents annotations from the ERIC database of nine journal articles, reports, and conference papers (published between 1991 and 1995) on computers and reading instruction. Notes that computers can be a useful tool, but warns teachers to be cautious in accepting the computer as the solution for all reading problems. Lists seven web sites. (RS)

Provides 29 citations from the ERIC database, focusing on desktop publishing, computer-assisted writing instruction, and resources for teaching business communication. (MM)

While the World Wide Web receives most of the publicity, another aspect of the Internet also draws considerable attention. IRC, more formally referred to as Internet Relay Chat, provides a means by which one user can type a message in real time to one or more Internet users, and almost instantaneously, the message appears on the monitors of all…

The process of selecting software for use with exceptional students focuses on two major issues: (1) how computers are to be used in the instructional process, and (2) whether the product selected is consistent with curricular goals. The content of instruction is shaped by its purpose: drill and practice; teaching new skills, concepts, and…

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is becoming more important to vocational education, since at least 2 million schools now have computers, and by the year 2000, 75 percent of jobs may require computer knowledge. A review of the literature about CAI in vocational education produced the following findings: (1) although CAI can be effective in…

Word processing and the LOGO programing language are two microcomputer applications that are beginning to show benefits as learning tools in elementary school classrooms. Word processing packages are especially useful with beginning writers, whose lack of motor coordination often slows down their acquisition of competence in written communication.…

Discusses the problems of teaching very young students to keyboard well enough to use a computer effectively in composition. Suggests that there is sufficient software to teach keyboarding as young as the fourth grade, and that teachers who have typing skills can teach keyboarding to their students. (JC)

Virtually every aspect of modern life has been changed and shaped by the computer's tiny, ubiquitous silicon chips. It is not surprising that computers have had a profound effect on the way students learn in the modern classroom. This topical bibliography and commentary focuses on how computers can be used to enhance the teaching of language arts.…

To be effective, technology cannot exist in a vacuum, but must become part of the whole educational environment. New measures of evaluation are under development which would help to better define the role of technology in its wider context. This ERIC digest summarizes the observed benefits of technology implementation and addresses the importance…

Computers have not revolutionized social studies curricula because so few teachers use them. But research does indicate that computers are flexible instructional tools that can assist in the development of attitudes, intellectual motivation, and inquiry skills. Social studies educators need to consider expanded computer use in their classrooms…

Presents a bibliographic listing of ERIC/ChESS citations on the use of technology in social studies. Includes studies on computer use to learn map skills, information on incorporating computer work into the classroom, and surveys of software programs and microcomputer use. Provides details for obtaining additional information. (DK)

Two factors contributing to the change in writing instruction have been (1) the research investigating the way writing is taught and (2) the computer. Proponents of the various writing models endorse writing as an ongoing, multi-stage process, with equal emphasis given to each of the stages. Educational computing has undergone a change of focus…

Addressing many aspects of the use of computers in elementary reading instruction, this annotated bibliography in six sections contains 27 items from the ERIC database from 1987 to April 1989. The first section contains items discussing the pros and cons of such use; the second section deals with organizational aspects of computer use in the…

This digest considers the role of personal computers in the education of gifted students. There is evidence that students are working "smarter," whether they are learning and using more information, understanding key concepts and relationships better, or developing higher level thinking skills. Research findings concerning the specific…