A research project was undertaken to explore the effects of using a microcomputer equipped with a speech synthesizer to enhance and aid in the individualization of the language experience approach in beginning reading instruction. A prototypic program was developed and pilot-tested with 12 kindergarten children over a three-week period, with each…

A study was conducted to gather information about the use of microcomputers within the learning disabilities (LD) programs in California community colleges. Surveys were sent to all 106 two-year colleges in the state, requesting information on the number of students enrolled in LD programs, the kind and number of computers used in the LD programs,…

The paper examines ways in which computers have radically altered and improved the lives of handicapped students. The visually impaired have been helped through the use of computerized braillers, embossers, and readers. Both adaptations of off-the-shelf software and specialized software have provided the visually impaired with magnification of…

This paper examines the effect of using a systems thinking approach in existing secondary school curricula to teach content-specific knowledge as well as general problem solving skills, and the effect of using STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation), a simulation-modeling software program, as a tool by which to…

This is the second of two reports on the first year activities and results of the Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Project (STACI), a two-year project which is examining the cognitive demands and consequences of using the STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation) software to teach systems thinking,…

A study was conducted to determine if computers are viable alternatives to textbooks for teaching spelling and related skills at the third grade level and to compare the change in attitude toward spelling of students in a computer assisted program with that of students in a textbook learning program. The 18 experimental and 18 control group…

Policies on microcomputers are presented for four colleges. For Clemson University, purchasing computer hardware and software is addressed. Attention is directed to obtaining approval for purchasing hardware and the policy regarding connecting terminals and modems. Eight steps required for obtaining computers are listed, including those relevant…

This "how to" workshop guide provides an overview of the entire videodisc authoring and production process through six individual modules. Focusing on project planning, the first module provides guidelines, procedures, and job aids to help each instructional development team member effectively use the videodisc medium. The second module…

This third and final report on a 3-year project, which developed authoring and production procedures for interactive videodisc based on the Interservice Procedures for Instructional Systems Development (IPISD), reviews the current state of the art, provides an overview of the project, and describes two videodiscs made for the project and the…

Firsthand classroom observations on the use of computers in instruction reveal some excellent uses of the computer, particularly with reading and writing instruction. Yet there are many schools in which most children are denied access to computers. The children most likely to be using computers are those who attend suburban or small city schools…

As microcomputers have become increasingly more economical to purchase, vocational teachers have found that they have the equipment but little courseware for vocational-technical education areas. To help solve this problem, the staff of the Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech Center (Oklahoma) decided to develop their own vocational software and established…

Efficient and convenient comprehensive information systems, long kept from coming into being by a variety of obstacles, are now made possible by the concept of distributive processing and the technology of micro- and mini-computer networks. Such systems can individualize instruction, group students efficiently, cut administrative costs, streamline…

This book contains directions for creating learning centers for use in grades 1-3 which use both computer and traditional activities. Information on each center includes goals and objectives, a time requirement, and specific guidelines for management of the activity. Required materials, including software, are indicated, and masters to duplicate…

An overview of the NovaNET Computer System, a time-sharing networking computer system for the delivery of computer-based education, is followed by a description of the SYS IV system, which is used for management and record keeping in mathematics, reading, language arts, and spelling curricula. A description of lesson design features follows, along…

This document provides critical reviews of 18 computer software programs designed to provide some form of substance abuse education for students in elementary and secondary schools. Evaluation and review procedures used to create this publication are discussed in the introduction and the products which were evaluated are listed. Overall results of…