The article reviews the importance of computer assisted instruction for hearing impaired students and suggests four criteria for identifying appropriate applications for the microcomputer: purposes of the application, role of the computer in instruction, appropriate software, and effectiveness. (Author/CL)

Describes special considerations to be accounted for by evaluator of computer assisted instruction (CAI) materials, outlines a recommended approach to formative evaluation of CAI (one-to-one evaluations, small group evaluations, field tests), and offers suggestions to evaluators of CAI concerning how process can be simplified. Five references are…

Reports on student use and reaction to computer software adapted for a course in business communication at the University of Wisconsin--Whitewater. (JOW)

Three computer software packages from Krell, Borg-Warner, and Edu-ware are reviewed in terms of their improving users' vocabulary, verbal analogy, and mathematical skills in preparation for the SATs. Students benefitting most are those who know the subject but do poorly on tests. (MBR)

Although microcomputers will undoubtedly make a contribution to special education, educators face problems because of the poor quality of some of the available computer assisted instruction software and the limited supply of hardware. Careful implementation of the strengths of computer technology is necessary. (Author)

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.

Argues against using prepared computer programs for school instruction and proposes PASCAL as the most instructionally apt choice for a first computer language. Includes tips on resources for teacher training and textbooks in PASCAL. (JW)

Reviews several objections to the use of computers in the English classroom, then describes three English programs. (FL)

Examines requirements for successful computerized instruction in second language acquisition including relationship between teachers and programers, analyzes limitations of computerized instruction, and examines new technologies. (BK)

The paper indicates major features of microcomputer systems and suggests limitations of the current microcomputer systems for special education applications. Many questions about the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction with special populations remain. Teachers must become computer literate, knowledgeable in instructional classroom…

Computers, if programed to respond to writer-generated content with heuristic strategies, can guide the writer in the prewriting stage. Heuristics are problem solving strategies that can aid the writer in exploring a topic either through a systematic posting of relevant questions or through an unsystematic process of free-association. To date the…

B. F. Skinner provides advice for educators on several issues related to computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Some pitfalls of programed instruction in the 1960s which CAI may also face today, aversive control, courseware design, and use of computer graphics are among the areas explored. (JN)

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 sources of information on materials for teaching reasoning with a microcomputer. Suggests microcomputer magazines, catalogs of commercial materials, CONDUIT (a nonprofit organization devoted to educational computer use), and local microcomputer users groups. Lists Apple II software for strategy games with reasoning applications. (DMM)

Computers have become complex enough to be both reliable and simple to use. As a result, it is less important for teachers to understand computer hardware than educational software. At bottom, computers are merely devices that allow teachers one more (albeit highly flexible) way of presenting information to students. (PGD)