Describes study of high school students that was conducted to determine whether instruction in a second programing language helps produce transfer of problem solving skills. The six dependent variables used in the study are discussed; pretests and posttests are described; and suggestions are made for further research. (36 references) (Author/LRW)

Describes a study that compared pretest to posttest differences among three groups of college freshmen: those who took a traditional library tour, those who had no formal library instruction, and those who used a computer assisted instruction (CAI) program. The results indicate that the CAI program was an effective alternative to traditional…

Describes "Getting Clean with Herkimer," a software package designed to teach elementary special education students to classify personal grooming objects. A study compared this software program with another one, including results of pretests and posttests and computer use and attitude measures. (32 references) (LRW)

This article argues that computer literacy is especially useful for medical students because it supports cognitive processes needed for effective learning and professional practice. Three approaches are compared: learning about computers, using computer-assisted instruction, and using computers in daily work. It is concluded that none is…

Discussion of the writing process of elementary students with learning disabilities focuses on studies of a HyperCard stack that was developed to help beginning writers and their teachers. Texts created with the hypermedia are compared with texts created using paper and pencil and word processing. (Author/LRW)

Describes a pilot project to develop and test a method for determining whether DAPPOR, a computer-assisted instruction drill program, and a print drill program produce a measurable difference in test scores of students learning the DIALOG command language. Recommendations for full-scale research and for modifying DAPPOR are provided. (Contains 17…

A comparison of three popular computer programs for text analysis examined their effectiveness in analyzing texts written by students of English as a Second Language (ESL). Results indicate occasional incorrect advice and emphasis on relatively trivial issues, raising doubts about their effectiveness as a stand-alone revision aid for ESL writers.…

Describes a study that investigated the performance of preschoolers and children in the first three years of formal education on tasks that involved skills using a mouse-based control of a graphical computer interface. The children's performance is compared with that of novice adult users and expert users. (five references) (LRW)

Describes a study of college students that investigated the interaction between instructional mode and testing mode. Computer learning and testing versus paper-and-pencil methods are compared, and treatments for the experimental and control groups are described. Areas for further research are suggested. (20 references) (LRW)

Reports the results of research conducted to evaluate the combined effect of cooperative learning and computer-assisted language learning/interactive videodisc (CALL/IVD) (i.e., individuals alone, monads, versus pairs of learners, dyads, studying at CALL/IVD workstations) and its relative impact on achievement in beginning Spanish. (28 references)…

Review of the research literature focuses on research comparing computer-assisted instruction with conventional instruction; basic research issues for instructional technology; implications of the information processing model; implications of cognitive strategies and knowledge organization for instructional technology; computers as tools for…

Describes a survey that was conducted to identify the range of software programs in use in a sample of higher education institutions, examine usage patterns, and identify those programs reported as most useful to students, including foreign students. Gender differences and perceptions of Macintosh versus IBM hardware are also considered. (LRW)

Discussion of the cost effectiveness of distance education highlights an investigation that explored both the cost and the instructional effectiveness of using computer-mediated communication (CMC) for two courses in the U.S. Army Reserve Component. Student performance is compared and evaluated for CMC versus traditional resident courses. (24…

Nineteen fifth and 11 sixth graders given preliminary instruction about a computer-based problem-solving game received additional problem-solving training, problem-solving and self-monitoring training, or no further training. The beneficial impact of the monitoring training is discussed as evidence of the importance of the monitoring strategy in…

Describes a study that was conducted to determine whether learning to program a computer in Pascal or FORTRAN improved problem-solving skills of college students when compared to a control group and to determine which programing language was more effective in the development of problem-solving abilities. (26 references) (LRW)