Four studies summarized are concerned with teacher use of secondary school libraries, the evaluation of a school/community library, selection tools for juvenile books, and effects of study of Mexican culture on students' perceptions of Mexican Americans. Three ERIC documents are also reviewed. (CMV)

This discussion of the development of database management systems specifically created to support qualitative research identifies two main problems in qualitative approaches, i.e., the issues of data collection and analysis, and the cumbersome nature of traditional qualitative approaches. These problems are reviewed with a comparison of the…

Examines relationship between popular computer games and their players to discern how games motivate their players and general outcomes of popular computer game play in terms of substantive learning. The computer game environment, game economics and software, player characteristics, and how new and familiar games are played are described. (MBR)

Discussion of electronic resources in the humanities highlights the history and development of the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, an electronic data bank of ancient Greek literature from the classical and postclassical periods. Data entry is discussed, hardware is described, and implications for the humanities and other disciplines are suggested. (LRW)

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;…

Concludes that (a) there is a lack of congruence between the actual research findings and the numerous "pronouncements and speculations" about microcomputer effects in preschool; (b) many methodological weaknesses limit the utility of research findings; and (c) little is known, empirically, about important process and outcome variables…

Describes two experiments which demonstrate improvement in reading speed as a result of an uncomplicated BASIC computer program which automatically assigns phrase structure to grammatical sentences to produce syntactically formatted text. Both experiments indicate poor readers are aided by this type of format. (MBR)

Describes experiments in which microcomputers were placed in large and small preschool classrooms to examine which free-play activities were and were not affected by microcomputer's presence, sex differences in microcomputer preference and use, social interactions occurring around microcomputers, and whether these interactions differ in frequence…

This paper argues that formative evaluation of instruction, which is generally agreed to be critical for instruction in any medium, is even more crucial when the instruction is to be delivered by interactive technologies such as computers, interactive video, hypermedia, or the various forms of interactive multimedia systems. It begins by…

The use of the modern computer has revolutionized the field of educational research. Software packages are currently available that allow almost anyone to analyze data efficiently and rapidly. Yet, caution must temper the widespread acceptance and use of these programs. It is recommended that the researcher not rely solely on the use of…

This two-part report describes a pilot study initiated by the Ontario Ministry of Education in 1981 to define the methodology for a subsequent research project on the current use of different types of instructional resources in Ontario public schools. The first section reports on case studies based on personal interviews with both staff and…

The summative evaluation of a courseware program designed to assist in writing the lower-case alphabet is described to demonstrate the effectiveness of a field test for answering specific evaluation questions, collecting maximum evidence on which to base conclusions of instructional effectiveness, and being flexible enough for use in normal…

Examines current state of Logo programming language and research on Logo and presents conclusions about the efficacy of Logo as a research and teaching tool. Conclusions discuss use of Logo to teach computer literacy; transfer of training; representativeness and reliability of Logo research results; and Logo research methodology. (Author/MBR)

This study investigated effects of microcomputer placement in three resource rooms for learning disabled elementary school children to explore student and teacher behavior changes and teacher microcomputer use. Results indicate no significant impact on student and teacher behavior. Teacher use varied, with teachers assigning different priority…

This review of the literature on computer assisted instruction (CAI) focuses on the use of CAI with grades K-13, and specifically assesses the relative merits of traditional instruction and CAI in promoting student achievement. Also assessed are the applications of CAI in the area of special education. Three types of reviews are used exclusively:…