Use of computers by young children may increase cognitive development and motivation. Computer use may also increase capabilities of disabled children. Concerns about young children's use of computers center on the nature of software, cultural values reflected in software, and equity of computer use. (NH)

Abstracts of seven selected papers from the 7th Annual Microcomputers in Education Conference are presented. Papers are included on microcomputer-based labs, teaching science with robots, microcomputer software, problem solving, computer integrated math activities, and computer assisted mathematics. (RH)

Contains annotations for resources on the history of computing. Includes resources for technical computing history, general computing history, precomputer era, the impact of computing and series. (CW)

Describes the use of transparency theory in second language acquisition and, in particular, its use as applied to a survival- or entry-level Spanish-language training effort called the EXITO project. The use of audio and video equipment to enhance the application of transparency theory concepts is also described. (Author/CB)

Offers three examples of how low cost and innovative methods can be planned to bring expertise and resources to rural school districts: hosting a state/regional educational conference, arranging local evening classes from nearby small colleges/universities, and building/maintaining working contacts with computer software representatives. (NEC)

Presents three specific examples of chemical engineering problems which can be interactively solved on personal computers with commercially available software. Illustrates the potential impact of interactive problem solving on chemical engineering. Discusses how this has been accomplished at Ben Gurion University (Israel) and the University of…

Describes three models of CALL (computer assisted language learning) activity--games, the expert system, and the prosthetic approaches. A case is made for CALL development within a more instrumental view of the role of computers. (Author/CB)

Effectiveness of two versions of computer software used as an electronic blackboard to present geometric concepts to ninth grade students was compared. The experimental version incorporated color, animation, and nonverbal sounds as stimuli; the no-stimulus version was monochrome. Both immediate and delayed learning were significantly better for…

Reviews the research concerning young children's use of computers in terms of their social/emotional development (peer interaction and cooperation, peer teaching and helping, social and cognitive interaction, and attitudes), language skills (language development, prereading reading, and writing skills), and mathematical and problem-solving skills.…

Provides information and reviews of geography computer software classified as drill-and-practice, simulations, and databases. Includes title, publisher, hardware needed, suggested grade level, geographic area covered, content emphasized, and the strengths and weaknesses of each program. (TW)

Presents results of a 1984 survey of microcomputer applications, hardware, and software utilization in the libraries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Findings--which are summarized separately for each country as well as for the group--indicate microcomputer uses are neither as sophisticated nor as varied as expected. (MBR)

Describes several ways to build data collection devices for microcomputers. The interface devices connect with either the computer's game port or an analog-to-digital converter. Discusses how teachers have designed the equipment and appropriate software to use with the computer in biology teaching. (TW)

Provides practical information for librarians beginning to use online searching for reference services at the high school level. Selection of equipment, software, and database vendors are discussed, as well as financing, involvement of the school administration, and working with users to determine their information needs. (CDD)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) software research and development project described explores information seeking behavior of end-user energy experts and develops software offering tutorials on front-end use of DOE/RECON databases and active help in performing online searches. Software development is described and results of prototype testing…

Using data from High School and Beyond, this study empirically investigated the extent of within-variable, between-occasion error covariances among variables included in educational achievement models. Little evidence was found to support the statement that reliability estimates for social background variables are inflated because of correlated…