Language arts skills and writing projects can be combined with activities that teach the fundamentals of word processing to improve the language arts curriculum. Suggested lessons cover five writing and editing operations common to most word processing software. (DF)

Discusses the uses of the computer and how it is changing society. In the classroom computers teach new skills and can provide instructional microworlds and minilaboratories in which students carry out experiments. Includes suggestions for preparing written assignments and an outline for a course on preparing teachers for using computers. (MD)

Analyzes various kinds of student reactions to computer-assisted instruction. Types of computer exercises are discussed, as are the use and integration of courseware into a college foreign language program. (Author/SED)

Discussion of intelligent computer assisted learning (CAL) systems considers both those that offer natural language communication to the user and those that are adaptive, generative, or self-improving. Current interest in student-built learning environments (exemplified by work with LOGO and PROLOG) is examined, and obstacles to future intelligent…

Steps to simplify and evaluate software selection are provided, with specific guidelines for selection criteria. Included are four sample evaluations of educational courseware. (MD)

Presents author's view of how computer graphics produced in the classroom enhance mathematical concepts teaching. Specific concepts and related graphics presented include the convergence of power series and the Central Limit Theorem. Formal versus informal instruction, computer assisted instruction versus teaching, and requirements for future…

Discusses standards developed by the Educational Computer Service of the National Education Association that incorporate technical, educational, and documentation components to guide authors in the development of quality educational software. (Author/MBR)

A research project identified and prototyped critical elements of an automated development system for interactive courseware (ICW) for job training. The prototype system incorporated a multimedia database that contained all completed, planned, and partially completed media elements. A web-based approach was taken to overcome the problems of…

XML, the extensible markup language, is a quickly evolving technology that presents a viable alternative to courseware products and promises to ease the burden of Web authors, who edit their course pages directly. XML uses tags to label kinds of contents, rather than format information. The use of XML enables faculty to focus on providing…

Discusses the use of multimedia software and the need to apply constructivist theories so students become more involved with the software, progressing from simply watching presentations to creating simulations. A project-based learning environment that uses MicroWorlds software is described that focuses on marine biology and oceanography. (LRW)

Discusses writing instruction and the use of educational computer programs; provides a theoretical framework that includes cognitive tool partnerships, learning theory, writing research, and the Vygotskian theory of mediated learning; and describes a prompting tool that used the macro language of IBM's WordPerfect with college and middle school…

Discusses instructional design, focusing on the use of instructional tactics and their effects on cognitive processes. Describes a study of undergraduates using computer programs that investigated whether the effectiveness of an instructional adjunct, in this case maps, may sometimes be undermined when used concurrently with another instructional…

Discusses the role of the teacher in effectively using technology in education based on the Technology Integration Project (TIP). Topics include why use technology; types of computer software; how to select software; software integration strategies; and effectively planning lessons that integrate the chosen software and integration strategy. (LRW)

This exploratory study investigated the influence of two recreational computer games on children's subsequent performance on computer-based instructional tasks. Examined speed, correct solutions, and cognitive processes; and suggests that the extent of recreational game influence depends on how closely the game type matches the design of the tasks…

Discusses the concept of intelligence and the extent to which it is present in intelligent tutoring systems and intelligent computer-assisted instruction. Topics discussed include courseware evaluation; artificial intelligence; the degree of learner control; knowledge acquisition; fault tolerance; and feedback and self-evaluation. (23 references)…