A multimedia software package, ASTOUND, has been used by the University of South Carolina (USC) Sumter in the development of lectures and support learning materials in a computer literacy course. A hardware setup, known as the Tech Commander, which provides immediate feedback for both students and instructor as work is being done in the lab, has…

A demonstration project explored the use of speech synthesis and speech recognition in writing-based classes held by two Philadelphia literacy providers. The project examined the use of high quality speech synthesis (the computer reads words from the screen in an understandable voice) and speech recognition (the computer responds to verbal…

Collaboration in the classroom is a major theme of educational reform today. Electronically-supported conversation (ESC) is one way of using technology to support collaboration in the classroom. ESC offers several instructional benefits over simple spoken discourse. We describe a simple model ("two cans and a string") for how ESC could…

Since the mid-1980's, computers in elementary and middle grade schools have functioned to a large extent as a medium for student practice in the skills and concepts of basic mathematics and logic. This report presents the results of a 2-year nationwide field experiment designed to provide credible evidence about the effects of using computers in…

In response to the rapid growth of computer crime and such illegitimate practices as piracy and fraud, the National Institute of Justice and the Office for Educational Research and Improvement have formed a partnership to promote school programs on the ethical uses of new technologies. This report, the first of the partnership, is designed to…

This document combines a students' manual and a manual for teachers. The students' manual is a self-teaching guided discovery manual for junior high, high school, and college students that provides self-paced explorations into recursion. It includes a disk with lessons that are to be used with the written material. There are eight lessons…

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for teaching problem solving skills. It was conducted in three phases. During the first phase, two pieces of problem solving software, "The King's Rule" and "Safari Search," were identified and analyzed. During the second phase, two groups of six…

This study aims to report the effort on teaching vector algebra using free open source software (FOSS). Recent studies showed that students have difficulties in learning basic physics concepts. Constructivist learning theories suggest the use of visual and hands-on activities in learning. We will report on the software used for this purpose. The…

This paper discusses a "language lab" strategy in which traditional studio learning may be supplemented by language lessons using computer graphics techniques to teach architectural grammar, a body of elements and principles that govern the design of buildings belonging to a particular architectural theory or style. Two methods of…

It is argued that if whole language teachers are to use computers in their reading and writing programs, they will need both software and strategies for using computers that are consistent with their beliefs and goals. For whole language teachers, as for other good teachers, it is the teacher's beliefs about curriculum and instruction rather than…

The techniques used for teaching college economics have remained relatively unchanged over the past few decades. These techniques do not give the students an opportunity to apply, to develop, or to practice the economic theory they read about and hear in lectures. They tend to reinforce student assumptions about the subject's "givenness"…

An examination of the value of using more sophisticated computer programs in the language arts program led to the design and development of "Thinking Networks," which provide the teacher with a new tool for teaching through nonverbal representation. Using microcomputers to improve reading and writing instruction can incorporate the…

Noting that teachers in all disciplines and at all educational levels will likely make some use of computers in their courses, this annotated bibliography provides a guide for English teachers wishing to learn how computers (particularly word processing capabilities) can be of use in the teaching of writing. Following an introduction on word…

Three major approaches to the use of computers in education are examined, serious limitations of each are presented, and questions are raised as to the efficacy of technologolizing education. The drill and practice approach is shown to embody a deterministic, behavioral technology that turns learning into a systematically-designed and…

Four philosophies of computer use in the social studies field are discussed, each representing a unique school of thought in teaching and learning. They are idealism, realism, experimentation, and existentialism. Idealists believe in an idea-centered social studies curriculum. Tutorial programs, carefully selected to achieve relevant goals, may…