Discusses the use of technology to help students with learning disabilities, particularly dyslexia. Highlights include BookWise, a microcomputer-based interactive reading system, and provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act that apply to employees with physical or mental limitations who are otherwise qualified workers. (LRW)

Claims that teaching writing in a computer-assisted classroom is often fraught with unforeseen and often unnecessary problems. Lists 10 commandments (and 9 helpful hints) for composition instructors using computer-assisted classrooms. (HB)

Presents a problem and a line of reasoning inspired by working in dynamic geometry environments and allowing students to make a geometric construction on the computer and then manipulate the construction by dragging points, lines, and segments. (MKR)

Using a computer-based tutorial called STUDY, students navigate through content and apply studying actions such as underlining, taking notes, requesting elaborations, and attempting test items whereas STUDY creates detailed time-stamped records of the learner's interactions in a log file. Log file data are analyzed using a methodology based on the…

Of 346 physicians participating in continuing medical education, 91% completed postprogram surveys and 49% responded to a 3-month follow-up. Participants' high ratings for quality and effectiveness were attributed to use of adult learning theory in program design. Computer-assisted instruction was thought effective because of individualization and…

Provides recommendations for designing computer screens that will have positive effects on readability and learning. Topics discussed include the use of capital versus lower case letters; interlinear space; line length; and strategies that aid recall, including the use of chunks and margins, and the location of information in relation to graphics.…

This study involved 103 kindergartners, 52 of whom received instruction on a picture-word processor system. Results indicate that students who received the picture-word processor instruction responded enthusiastically to the system and did significantly better in reading than those who received no instruction. (SH)

Discusses competencies necessary for educators using computers that were developed using a modified Delphi procedure in a project conducted by the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE) and Oregon State University. Competencies are listed for teachers, computer teachers, and computer coordinators at the elementary, middle school, and high…

Uses aesthetic criteria and artistic criticism to explore possible meanings in Writing to Read, a computer-based program for beginning readers. Findings based on over 25 hours of observation showed that the program's enactment frequently compromised balance. Control drowned out individuality, conformity diminished exploration opportunities, and…

Provides an overview of this special issue, which focuses on computer-based integrated learning systems (ILSs). Highlights include a definition of ILSs; historical background; research evidence on the effectiveness of ILSs; planning requirements; vendors' perspectives; educators' viewpoints; and the future possibilities of ILSs. (LRW)

Discusses model-based simulation for training, explains an object-oriented approach, and describes RAPIDS, an authoring system for the production of interactive graphical models and instruction based on those models. Highlights include intelligent tutoring systems; transaction shells; tools for authoring models; and a course on retinal information…

Finds that, in a multicomponent, computer-supported study environment, students using the computer study tools demonstrated a substantial performance advantage; however, they limited their activities almost exclusively to reviewing multiple-choice questions, and tended to be students with higher grade point averages who were prone to use…

Survey of 90 Virginia classrooms suggests there may be computer "crisis" in middle schools. Computers were not integral part of classrooms, teaching, or student learning. Teachers had low perceptions about computer use in classrooms and felt little commitment to increasing usage. Administrators must look beyond number of computers in…

Discusses collaborative authoring, computer-supported collaborative work and the reuse of multimedia courseware; describes a consolidated model, Open Systems for the Collaborative Authoring and Reuse (OSCAR) of courseware, that was drawn from other abstract models; and examines hypermedia systems, object-oriented communication models, and the…

Traces the history of instructional computing in music education. Describes the development of music software and hardware. Discusses potential benefits of using the newly developed software in the classroom. Suggests that educators and musicians interact with the publishing community to help define their needs in music education. (DK)