Gateway courses in English challenge students to strengthen skills in critical thinking, reading, grammar, and writing structure and strategies -- skills that also help build competency in comprehension and composition. They can also prove to be a particular challenge to many community college students. This case study examines the efforts at…

This interview with Jane Healy, an educational psychologist and author, discusses how computers can sometimes negatively affect children's minds. Topics include instructional design in software; the need for objective research; what children will need for success in the future, including critical thinking skills; technology implementation; and…

Describes the creation and use of an interactive tutorial for college students on the Declaration of Independence, called "Political Society and You." Activities that emphasize critical reading and historical interpretation are discussed, the computer software is explained, and the response form used for student feedback is described.…

Arguing that educators may be facing their greatest challenge in decades as they seek to integrate critical thinking techniques into the computer-assisted instruction (CAI) environment, this paper discusses the crucial importance of critical thinking and explores some potential adverse effects of CAI in this area. A brief historic overview of…

Considers whether critical thinking can be trained with computer-based instruction. Reviews literature on the effects of cognitive tools, collaborative computer-supported environments, computer simulations, and logic software on critical thinking, and reports on two experimental studies at the University of Erfurt that instructed undergraduates in…

Process-centered and problem-solving software can help students develop the skills and strategies needed for independent thought. Different categories of process-centered software are described, with examples of appropriate innovative packages, as well as several classroom activities which illustrate one teacher's use of the computer to promote…

Discussion of at-risk elementary and secondary school students focuses on the use of computers and appropriate software as tools to help keep these students in school. Uses of software are described for skills building, as a motivational tool, to strengthen critical thinking, and as a tutor in specific subject areas. (LRW)

English teachers tend to welcome computers uncritically into the classroom, resulting in three problem areas: (1) a lack of critical thinking about computers and their role in writing pedagogy; (2) a limited selection of computer-assisted instruction that is both theoretically and pedagogically sound; and (3) a limited program of research on the…

Summarizes six research studies relating to computers in education. The research areas include the use of computer-generated graphs in critical evaluation and in learning distance and velocity concepts, sex differences in graphing skills, student evaluation of courseware, career paths of women with technological education, and characteristics of…

Students aged 10 to 17 years in a primary school and a secondary school in an industrial suburb of Melbourne, Australia, were observed as they worked at activities in both curriculum and non-curriculum areas using MITSI, a computer program, as a KBS (knowledge-based system) tool. Evaluations of the students' general abilities, computer abilities,…

Discusses the implementation of interactive educational software that was designed to enhance critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving in a university psychology course. Piagetian and computer learning perspectives are explained; the courseware package, PsychWare, is described; and the use of heuristics and algorithms in…

Designed to assist teachers in using the microcomputer as a tool to teach problem solving strategies, this document is divided into two sections: the first introduces the concept of problem solving as a thinking process, and suggests means by which a teacher can become an effective guide for the learning of problem solving skills; the second…

Explains the development of an instructional software package and accompanying workbook which teaches students to apply computerized statistical analysis to historical data, improving the study of social history. Concludes that the use of microcomputers and supercomputers to manipulate historical data enhances critical thinking skills and the use…

Reviews of the courseware "Discovery! Experiences with Scientific Reasoning" and "Guess My Rule" are given. Discusses the accompanying manuals, the relative ease of use, and content of the programs. (PK)

R-WISE (Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment), a computerized package for teaching critical literacy, is described, focusing on its use in developing reading comprehension. The program eases demands on short-term memory, highlights strategically important aspects of comprehending text, guides internalization and self-initiation of…