Advantages of having children use microcomputers at school and home include learning about sophisticated concepts early in life without a great deal of prodding, playing games that expand knowledge, and becoming literate in computer knowledge needed later in life. Includes comments from parents on their experiences with microcomputers and…

Discusses the history and development of teaching machines, invented to restore the important features of personalized instruction as public school class size increased. Examines teaching and learning problems over the past 50 years, including motivation, attention, appreciation, discovery, and creativity in relation to programmed instruction.…

Under normal instructional circumstances, some youngsters learn programming in BASIC or LOGO better than others. Clinical investigations of novice programmers suggest that this happens in part because different students bring different patterns of learning to the programming context. Many students disengage from the task whenever trouble occurs,…

Three general areas in which technology (microcomputers and video technology) can facilitate learning are discussed: (1) helping students develop fluency (rapid recognition of familiar patterns); (2) providing rich problem-solving contexts that invite thinking; and (3) enabling students to create products that catch the attention of their teachers…

Presents floor plans and activity schedules for primary grade, middle grade, and secondary school classrooms as a guide for teachers who wish to maximize access to classroom microcomputers through the use of small interactive learning centers. (MBR)

Presents results of a survey on numbers of students and teachers using microcomputers in elementary and secondary schools, number of hours per week that microcomputers are in use, and the amount of time that each student-user has with the machine, both in general and for specific learning activities. (JN)

Computer programers need to understand educational theory about how children learn in order to devise software that will incorporate a multisensory approach for students' unique learning styles. (CL)

This paper focuses on the applications which best suit the microcomputer in an educational setting with emphasis on adapting effective pedagogical practice to the computer's programability and delivery capabilities. Discovery learning and "being told" are identified as two types of computer assisted instruction (CAI) and sample uses of…

The two studies established an empirically derived set of guidelines for producing and evaluating microcomputer courseware for students with learning disabilities. About 100 teachers of learning disabled students in Pennsylvania and Virginia participated in field testing the guidelines. The first study was conducted in four steps: first,…

Designed to assist media specialists in planning computer-related library instruction for students, this guide emphasizes the use of the computer as a teaching tool and contains activities which teach students how to use the computer to store, access, and manipulate data. A scope and sequence chart indicates the skills required to meet 10…

Describes computer simulation programs that take elementary and secondary students exploring. One has students act as Magellan commanding his ship to reinforce history, geography, decision-making, and resource management skills. Another has students use problem-solving skills to venture across oceans and find trading routes to the Orient. (SM)

Computers in non-school settings, educational computer games, and education without schools are the primary topics covered in this three-section paper. The first section describes the use of personal computers in two different, non-school environments: the home and computer clubs. A "diary study" by Yaakov Kareev is summarized, in which…

The paper discusses 10 educational uses for the microcomputer in acquisition and maintenance of learning with communication-disordered children. Specific needs of communication and communication-related disordered learners are presented. Language arts, reading, and math as academic areas are viewed for remediation using, in part, microcomputer…

The paper describes principles and techniques for using microcomputers to enhance the motor development of learning disabled students. Among the guiding principles that the author suggests be kept foremost as educational uses of microcomputers are explored are (1) the fact that microcomputers do not think and cannot replace teachers and (2) that…

Discusses database searching as a method for developing thinking skills, and describes an activity suitable for fifth grade through high school using a president's and vice president's database. Teaching methods are presented, including student team activities, and worksheets designed for the AppleWorks database are included. (LRW)