This guide developed by MicroSIFT, a clearinghouse for microcomputer-based educational software and courseware, provides background information and forms to aid teachers and other educators in evaluating available microcomputer courseware. The evaluation process comprises six stages: (1) sifting, which screens out those programs that are not…

In today's complex computer-based teaching (CBT)/computer-assisted instruction market, flashy presentations frequently prove the most important purchasing element, while instructional design and content are secondary to form. Courseware purchasers must base decisions upon either a vendor's presentation or some published evaluator rating.…

This computer software program bibliography available from the National Collegiate Software Clearinghouse (NCSC) includes programs for college students and researchers in anthropology, economics and business, education, English and text analysis, foreign language, general interest, history, management, philosophy and religion, political science,…

The relative worth of any evaluation instrument depends on user needs and the material being evaluated. Potential users of a good computer assisted instruction (CAI) instrument include purchasers, authors, reviewers, and publishers of CAI materials. Although each user has unique needs, a good instrument will serve both to educate and discriminate,…

Computer courseware appropriate for instruction in grades K-12 is listed in two advisory lists. Entries, selected from materials submitted by producers which received favorable reviews by educators, are arranged in the following categories: arts education, communication skills, mathematics, science, utility (a quiz generator), word processing, and…

Describes Electronic Software Delivery System (ESDS), which allows teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District to access and preview software stored at a central location. Hardware used in the system is explained, and security of programs stored on the system is emphasized as the key to its success. (LRW)

Presents a detailed analysis of courseware design activities based upon the use of conceptual data models for content elaboration. Highlights include discussions of computerized training systems, authoring languages and authoring systems, and the distinction between processing and data. (Author/LRW)

Discusses ways of designing software to minimize the problems associated with translating the users interface from English into a foreign language. The Examiner, a test development and delivery system that was translated from English into Dutch, is used as an example, and both its design and its implementation are described. (LRW)

Outlines two elements of the process by which computers are incorporated into the social context of the classroom: (1) teachers' interpretations of the meaning of software, and (2) teachers' and students' views regarding the new learning interactions arising from work with computers. Discusses educational advantages of computer use in the…

Reviews "Bataille de Mots," a computer-assisted French vocabulary program that utilizes a database of paired associates, and finds that "Bataille de Mots" is a good selection for foreign language software. (DJD)

This review of computer-aided writing includes a brief software survey and an evaluation of current uses of educational technology. Recommendations for the future are also made. (GDC)

This study suggests a new model for the evaluation of educational software authoring systems and applies this model to a particular authoring system, CSR Trainer 4000. The model used is based on an integrated set of software engineering and instructional design principles. (Author/LRW)

Policies and practices which result in differential computer learning opportunities are discussed. Resources designed to remedy gender imbalance in computer learning are given. A list of areas where research is needed is offered. (MT)

Students can use the computer to store and compare data on their television viewing habits. Suggestions are offered for developing a database where students can research, graph, and analyze the subject of their choice. (DF)

The article describes how computer-managed learning (CML) for both on-campus and off-campus students was successfully introduced into a tertiary educational institution in conjunction with an organizational development (OD) strategy. (Author)