This newsletter special issue provides a compendium of information, strategies, and resources concerning the use of technology by individuals with special needs. A section on strategies for the effective use of technology contains the following papers: "A Philosophy for the Use of Technology in Special Education" (A. Edward Blackhurst…

This module provides information on development and use of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) software program that seeks to link literacy skills education, safety training, and human-centered design. Section 1 discusses the development of the software program that helps workers understand the MSDSs that accompany the chemicals with which they…

The hardware and software system used to create the National Opinion Research Center/Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (NORC/CRESST) item databases and test booklets for the 12th-grade science assessment are described. A general description of the capabilities of the system is given, with some specific information…

A survey of 498 elementary and secondary teachers was coordinated by the National Engineering Consortium (NEC) in order to determine what educational technologies are used and valued by teachers and what they need to help make educational technology a more valuable resource. The questionnaire included two closed-end questions rating 36…

This report reviews student usage of microcomputers in schools and the effects of microcomputer use on their academic achievement. Data was collected using: (1) a national survey from the 1989 international "CompEd" survey of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement; (2) a 1989 survey of teacher attitudes…

The California Agriculture Education Computer Network was developed to provide agricultural educators and support staff in agricultural education with the most up-to-date and comprehensive agricultural information possible. The network allows secondary instructors to access databases that contain information about the most recent agricultural…

This curriculum guide is one of five developed as part of the Illinois Plan for Business, Marketing, and Management Education for use in 9th and 10th grades. The curriculum guide includes teacher and student activities that can be implemented in many ways. Information on how to integrate the activity objectives of the Illinois Plan into the State…

This curriculum guide, developed for high schools in Connecticut, outlines a 4-year program for training microcomputer software technicians. Following a list of nine general objectives of the program, the guide provides a list of competencies that students are expected to develop in each of the courses of the 4-year program. The guide then…

Over the last decade, the development of computer software and hardware directed toward education and the teaching and learning process has had tremendous impact on course delivery (Glahn and Gen, 2002; Katz, 2003). During this period, higher education has been witness to fundamental changes from courses delivered in the traditional face-to-face…

The controversy over appropriate educational uses of computers is framed along a continuum based on the amount of support provided to the user. Software programs in which the user's role is to respond in a pre-determined structure (program controlled software) anchors one end of the continuum, while software which empowers the user to create new…

In "The Research University of the Future," the first of five papers compiled here, Kenneth R. R. Gros Louis chronicles the history of research universities with emphasis on the past two decades and discusses issues and concerns related to the future of the university as well as the research library. In the second paper, "The Future…

This resource guide lists 47 computer software and 29 instructional video programs recommended for use in grades K through 12 to help teachers achieve the learning objectives set forth by their school districts and the State of California. Programs are organized in six curriculum areas: foreign language, history-social science, language arts,…

This book describes the practice of using learner-centered software in special education. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 provides a discussion of software that goes beyond drill and practice and at the same time fits easily into the existing subject areas of reading/language arts and mathematics. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss using word…

This guide reports the opinions of a group of five computer coordinators from educational software and preview agencies about software products that seem promising, but have not necessarily been tested. The 22 software packages reviewed include applications for math, language arts, science, social studies, health, graphics, authoring, and database…

The purpose of this project was to design and develop simulation materials utilizing vocational situations) in mildly/moderately handicapped young adults. The final product, a set of materials titled "Social Skills on the Job," includes a videotape of 15 lessons, a computer software package, and a teacher's guide, and was marketed to a…