Discusses the main categories of instructional software, including drill/practice, tutorials, simulation/problem solving, games, and management, along with factors involved in their design. (Author/MBR)

Argues that with project prices of courseware surpassing those of hardware, the National Science Foundation (NSF) must promote transportability if computer-based instruction is to gain widespread implementation.

Research on the characteristics of effective computer-based education (CBE) courseware suggests that content structure and levels of questions presented determine whether the deep cognitive processing requisite for learning takes place. A decision table of types of instructional questions covering Bloom's taxonomy is presented and discussed.…

Reviews reasons for the decision to change from a timeshare minicomputer to microcomputers, financial considerations involved, the purchase of hardware, the problem posed by the lack of compatible software for the microcomputers, and the development of the Assisted Instructional Development System (AIDS) for adapting minicomputer software and…

The guidelines in this article help in developing educational software. The first rule is that educators should not develop software for education, but should develop an "educational system" that uses software. The distinction is that the former is primarily concerned with the computer and its requirements while the latter focuses on…

Suggestions offered to improve the quality of instructional computing software created by computer programming instructors cover analysis of the problem, program design, the development of each module, writing and debugging the program, and final testing and development. (EJS)

Innovative and interesting energy awareness computer simulations are developed to demonstrate how rapidly world energy reserves are depleted, how quickly and enormously the demand for energy grows, and the importance of energy conservation and conversion. (Author/CMV)

Reviews some of the assumptions underlying authoring guides and evaluation instruments for computer assisted instructional materials and recommends that software design and evaluation criteria be derived from a consistent learning theory base which considers the type of learning, type of learner, and instructional context. (Author/JJD)

Discusses creation of computer classroom environment by implementing Logo, a computer program language designed to develop knowledge of programing, mathematics, and problem solving. Five questions are examined concerning Logo environment, attributes, elements absent in Logo environment, reasons for creating environment, and how to begin. Six…

Considers the design and production of a computer assisted learning (CAL) or computer managed learning (CML) package from the point of view of a programer assisting the teacher who is willing to use it. The stages of production are illustrated by reference to two case studies. (Author/CMV)

Enumerates some of the unconventional and innovative activities of the community college learning resources center (LRC). Delineates the guidelines established by two professional associations for the LRC, and outlines steps for fulfilling its identified role. Suggests future trends in the areas of audiovisual services, software collections,…

Reports on an informal round-table discussion with educators and computer science experts about computer literacy and the role of computers in education, which was conducted at the National Educational Computing Conference. (Author/JJD)

Students in experimental group received continuous feedback on learning performance and were allowed to make instructional decisions to determine whether learner control of instruction can be facilitated by directly affecting the student's perception of learning need. Results are discussed in reference to an information-processing approach to the…

Describes developments in Scottish computer education, highlighting overall policy for information technologies, Scottish Microelectronics Development Programme supporting production of educational software, Department of Industry initiatives, regional initiatives, teacher training in colleges of education, role of Microelectronics Educational…

Technical aspects of the PLATO system, the language work done on PLATO thus far (specifically in foreign languages), and areas for further research in computer-based language instruction are reviewed. PLATO-IV, designed and implemented by the Computer-Based Educational Research Laboratory of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is…