This guide contains a list of commercially available microcomputer software programs for instructional use in preschool through grade 12 that has been favorably reviewed by the Educational Software Evaluation Consortium, which represents 29 organizations involved in computer education throughout North America. Only commercially available software…

This guide lists favorably reviewed microcomputer software for K-12 student instruction. It is not intended for use as a buying guide, but as an aid to educators in locating commercially available software they may want to preview to determine its suitability for their instructional program and students. Each annual edition of this guide is an…

Discusses what to look for in training materials, focusing on educational value, cost effectiveness, and user support. The special advantages of the computer for training are also considered. (JN)

Designed to assist the educator in making informed decisions about the quality and selection of instructional microcomputer software, this annotated bibliography examines literature dealing with the need for software evaluation, evaluation criteria, and the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction. Introductory materials provide a brief…

Some of the advantages of using computer simulations in social studies are examined, and criteria to help social studies teachers select worthwhile social studies simulations are discussed. (RM)

Describes a computer-assisted instructional (CAI) program to accompany a 15-week, college-level, introductory lecture course on the scientific principles of mammalian nutrition. The nature of the program is discussed, and examples of how it operates are provided. Comments on the evaluation of the program are also provided. (JN)

Guidelines developed by the National Council for the Social Studies to help teachers eveluate and select social studies microcomputer software are presented. The guidelines are organized around three areas: knowledge, skills, and values. Additional systems for evaluating technical and instructional computer courseware issues are cited. (RM)

Examines computer software currently available with most introductory economics textbooks. Compares what is available with what should be available in order to meet the goal of effectively using the microcomputer to teach economic principles. Recommends 14 specific pedagogical changes that should be made in order to improve current designs. (LS)

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…

More than 10,000 instructional software packages have been published for elementary and secondary schools--thousands in each discipline. Unfortunately, not all sources of courseware evaluations are equally reliable; therefore, it is important to determine that evaluations include: (1) critical appraisal of content accuracy; (2) in-depth…

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,…

These proceedings include 31 papers presented at the 1985 conference of the Alaska Association for Computers in Education. Generally oriented toward the use of microcomputers in elementary and secondary schools, papers deal with both administrative and instructional microcomputer applications. Topics addressed include: microcomputer literacy…

This paper contains summaries of the findings of research and meta analyses conducted on the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) on student achievement. Eight conclusions, based on the CBI research are then given: (1) when CBI and traditional instruction are compared, students receiving CBI demonstrate equal or better achievement;…

Reprinted from the "The Computing Teacher," this collection of nine articles presents information on computer software selection and evaluation. The articles include: (1) "The DISC Model for Software Evaluation and Support Material Design" (Shelley Yorke Rose and Carol Klenow); (2) "Selecting Computer Software--We Take It…

A computer-assisted instructional program, which was developed for teaching beginning computer maintenance to employees of Unisys, covered external hardware maintenance, proper diskette care, making software backups, and electro-static discharge prevention. The procedure used in developing the program was based upon the Dick and Carey (1985) model…