This study reports the effects of different types of instructional preparation strategies on the problem solving performance of college students taking an introductory physics class. Students were divided into four equally skilled groups and solved the same physics problems after receiving different instructional preparations (engaging in…

This critical examination of the assumption that computer-based instruction enhances student learning and performance over traditional means summarizes arguments from past and present analyses of research, examines media attributes or symbol system theories, and presents evidence that much research is susceptible to rival hypotheses. (MBR)

Describes study of junior high school students in Israel that tested the effectiveness of microcomputer-based software designed to shape students' intuitions in the understanding of graphs of quantitative relationships. Retention and integration of microcomputer activities are discussed, and treatments for the experimental and control groups are…

A study of the effects of microcomputer use in classrooms and homes on the growth of school-readiness skills of kindergartners used pre- and posttested experimental and control groups to assess reading readiness, mathematics readiness, Piagetian operations, and keyboard knowledge. Teacher implementation strategies and techniques used by nonreaders…

Compares the use of four different versions of a map by fourth and fifth grade students with a computerized adventure game which simulated an environmental exploration. Variables examined included type of map and student gender, ability to learn place location information while playing the game, and enjoyment of the game. (RP)

This study investigated the degree to which seventh- and eighth-grade students of different abilities acquired strategic planning knowledge from a problem-solving computer game called Wumpus. Regression analysis was used to determine the influences of individual differences and either activating or modeling instruction, and to assess transfer of…

Describes a study that evaluated a network-based hypertext discussion tool (HDT) for teaching literature to adolescents by investigating whether the incorporation of the HDT into students' homework routine raised achievement over traditional discussion and text-based homework. Considers student feedback and attitudes toward learning with the HDT.…

Conducted to determine whether use of computerized file-management programs can enhance the development of information processing skills, this two-treatment experiment found that seventh through twelfth grade students in the computer-using/structured activities group received significantly higher mean scores than the…

Discusses study that was designed to examine the effects of microcomputers on the ecology of secondary special education classrooms and explains the MICROS Observation System, which was used to collect observational data. The effects of microcomputer use on student behavior and teacher behavior are described. (25 references) (Author/LRW)

Describes a study conducted in a Hong Kong primary school that compared the effects of learning LOGO programing with a process-oriented approach and a content-oriented approach to problem-solving skills. Transfer of training to nonprograming problem solving is discussed, and instruments used to assess students are explained. (33 references) (LRW)

Describes a study of undergraduates studying genetics that compared the effectiveness of a computer simulation used before and after formal instruction. Treatment of the experimental and control groups is explained, and results are reported which support the theory that the effectiveness of the simulation is dependent on the sequence of…

Compares the effects of peer tutoring and computer-based instruction on student achievement and motivation through a meta-analysis of research. Cost effectiveness is also investigated via ratios which combine the effects of the intervention with estimates of implementation costs, and an appendix includes reviews of 10 cost-effectiveness research…

Discusses knowledge base development as a pedagogical activity and describes a study of eighth graders that compared three instructional conditions: (1) expert system development work; (2) problem-solving activities using computer-assisted instruction; and (3) a control group that used traditional noncomputer methods. Pretest and posttest scores…

Discussion of the use of color in microcomputer-based educational software focuses on a study of Israeli ninth graders that examined the differential effects of three color treatments on the learning of geometric concepts by students with differential aptitudes. Hypotheses tested are described and results are analyzed. (28 references) (Author/LRW)

Discussion of appropriate feedback in an instructional setting focuses on a study of undergraduates learning graphics materials production techniques that investigated whether internal feedback, provided by an expert system, differed in effectiveness from external feedback, provided by an instructor. The effects of each on processing activities…