This study sought to examine the group dynamics of children working and learning collaboratively on a computer-based instructional writing task. Standard 3 and 4 children at two urban primary schools in the Dunedin area of New Zealand were assigned the task of producing illustrated interactive stories using the "Twist-a-plot" program.…

The Northwest Wisconsin Technical College Electronic Campus (NWTC/EC) is an electronic bulletin board system that delivers courses via IBM microcomputer and telephone modem. Computer-based course delivery focused on the inservice training for economic development, student services, division coordinators, and branch campus departments at NWTC to…

The problem of a high percentage of third grade students with poor study skills was addressed through a computer program designed to teach these skills. Parent participation was an important component of the program as it has been shown that parental involvement has a positive effect on student achievement and success at school. A motivational…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of replacing multiple-choice and short-answer questions in programmed tutorial courseware practice interactions with learner-generated summaries on three types of verbal information learning outcomes. The study was designed to empirically investigate the claim that the level of mental processing…

This report provides a summary of the activities of the Continuing Nursing Education in Computer Technology project conducted by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) in response to changes created by microcomputer use in health care. In addition to a discussion of the workshops offered to nurse educators, an outline of project outcomes is…

This study presents the results of a 1989 study of computers in Texas schools. Data were gathered from 65 questionnaires concerning brands currently in use, percent of computer literacy among faculty, number of computer laboratories in the school district, use of computer networking in the laboratories, and brands of computers by grade level. It…

This report presents the findings of a survey of 292 preservice teachers concerning their attitudes toward the personal use and school use of microcomputers. The students' attitudes were measured on a variety of issues including computer assisted instruction, feasibility of computer use, value of computer use, confidence in personal ability to use…

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study of the interaction between computer assisted instruction (CAI) and cooperative learning. The constructivist perspective is discussed in relation to other learning theories, and is emphasized as the theoretical basis for the study because of its focus on prior learning, student characteristics,…

Designed for community college faculty who plan to employ computers in their classrooms, this paper defines computer literacy as not only knowing how to use computers but also knowing when it is appropriate to do so. The paper provides examples of inappropriate uses of computer technology in education, presents a brief history of the…

This annotated model outline provides guidelines for writing a plan for using computers and related learning technologies in schools. It is consistent with the components of the Merrimack Education Center's technology applications planning process, and can be modified to accommodate additional components and special school district requirements.…

Originally developed as part of a project for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on computers and writing is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes an overview of the project; a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture giving an…

Recently a number of writers and researchers have praised the editing and text moving capabilities of word processing programs, proposing that they can be useful in helping students revise more readily and skillfully. With this premise, 16 eighth grade students participated in a program in which they used a text editor or word processing system to…

A comparison of the findings of an annual telephone survey of all 15,000 United States public school districts, which was conducted to update a computer database, with the results of the previous year's survey indicates that microcomputer use is growing very rapidly in schools. Since the first study, the number of schools using microcomputers has…

The last of a three-part series on computer-assisted instruction (CAI), this report describes microcomputer applications in special education, music, visual arts, speech arts and drama, home economics, and industrial/vocational arts. Under each subject heading, current and developing computer applications are discussed and specific courseware…

This volume consists of nine conference papers and journal articles concerned with microcomputer applications in the teaching of writing. After a general introduction entitled "Computer-Assisted Composition Instruction: The State of the Art," by Robert Shostak, four papers are devoted to how computers may help with the writing process. In…