Designed to develop procedures and acquire information to help decision-makers establish policies for the use of microcomputers for computer-assisted instruction (CAI), this study involved the following steps: (1) a school-based research project was conducted to determine the costs and effects of microcomputer-assisted instruction; (2) an…

A study compared Penn State University's computer-aided Reticence Program, for shy/reticent public speaking students, with two existing approaches: (1) oral interpretation and (2) the lectures, demonstrations, and coached rehearsals of more traditional reticence instruction. Thirty reticent students, including 9 males and 21 females, were placed…

Based on the general lack of empirical evidence on the effects of word processors on writing quality, a study focused on changes in writing quality and syntax of first-year college writers who were taught to use word processors as part of their English composition class. The issue addressed was whether using word processors increased the syntactic…

This report documents an experiment to determine the training effectiveness of a microcomputer-based avionics system trainer as a cost-effective alternative to training in the actual aircraft. Participants--26 operationally qualified C-141 pilots with no prior knowledge of the Fuel Saving Advisory System (FSAS), a computerized fuel management…

Aware of some educators' concerns that computers isolate children and are too abstract for chilren under the age of eight, two studies investigated young children's use of LOGO and their interactions with the computer. Data were collected on kindergartners working in a public school computer lab and on preschoolers using computers in a…

The effect of computer-assisted instruction versus the traditional lecture method on final grades was compared with two groups of students taking two business organization classes at Fayetteville Technical Institute. Thirty-two students attended four 1-hour lectures per week (the control group), while 38 students received computer-assisted…

A study at a small southwestern suburban school examined specific process variables which occurred as children were taught composition skills using word processing, word processing with voice synthesis, and no word processing. Subjects were 45 second grade students, who were divided into three groups on the basis of scores on a reading…

To examine the effects of word processing on basic writers, a pilot study compared two classes of basic writers (40 students)--one class using word processors and one class using handwriting--at Glenville State College in West Virginia. At the beginning of the semester, students from both sections wrote one explanatory essay and one persuasive…

This study compared the effectiveness of the use of computer-based training (CBT) and instructor-based training (IBT) to train teaching assistants how to use the word processing program Microsoft Word. Thirteen faculty, staff, and graduate student volunteers served as subjects and were randomly assigned to either the computer-based or…

Part of an overall evaluation study of the WANDAH Project at Logan High School (Utah), this study compared the time on task of students in a computer-based English class in two conditions, the handwriting condition (any situation in which they were not involved with computers) and the computer condition. Observational techniques were used to code…

Designed to assess the effect of alternative display (CRT) screen sizes and resolution levels on user ability to identify and locate printed circuit (PC) board points, this study is the first in a protracted research program on the legibility of graphics in computer-based job aids. Air Force maintenance training pipeline students (35 male and 1…

Based on research conducted by Southwest Virginia Community College, this monograph presents information in a variety of formats on seven computerized career information systems: (1) microcomputers, which have the advantage of low cost, amenability to the production of locally generated databases, and portability; (2) the Coordinated Occupational…

THE EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL USE OF COMPUTER FACILITIES AS AN AID IN TEACHING SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS DEPENDS ON (1) ACCESS TO A TYPE OF FACILITY WHICH PERMITS PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCEDURES (I.E., ALGORITHMS DESIGNED BY A STUDENT) TO BE TESTED BY THE STUDENT AND (2) FACILITY RESPONSE TIME PER PROBLEM. THIS UNIT TIME VARIES WITH THE SIZE, TYPE,…

The advantages, feasibility and problems associated with a student-paced course were investigated, and a computer managed evaluation system compared to paper and pencil testing mode. The development of a self-paced course was facilitated by explicit behavior objectives, a variety of learning materials referenced to the objectives and a large pool…

The purpose of this study was to compare a linear strategy of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) with a tutorial strategy of CAI and to ascertain the effectiveness of each in teaching selected cognitive elements of orthographic projection to sixth grade students. The comparison was made in terms of student achievement on the final task and the…