The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of replacing multiple-choice and short-answer questions in programmed tutorial courseware practice interactions with learner-generated summaries on three types of verbal information learning outcomes. The study was designed to empirically investigate the claim that the level of mental processing…

The computer can improve writing instruction only if it is integrated into a systematic pedagogy that distinguishes between writing behavior and higher order cognitive skills. Underlying the present concern with the writing process is the behaviorist assumption that promoting a certain writing behavior can provoke thought. Unfortunately, while…

eCMS is a web-based federated content management system for the support of distributed teaching based on an open, distributed middleware architecture for the publication, discovery, retrieval, and integration of educational material. The infrastructure supports the management of both standalone material and structured courses, as well as the…

Targeted at special education administrators who are involved in making decisions regarding the use of microcomputers in instructional programs for handicapped students, this document offers guidelines which synthesize relevant data on computer technology in special education and provide a framework for implementing classroom use of the…

Noting that the computer software cataloging system at the media center of the Washington (Illinois) Center for Continuing Education is essentially a card catalog in notebook form, this article describes aspects of the development and utilization of the system. Major sections describe: (1) software cataloging system terminology; (2) steps for…

A study of 228 undergraduate psychology students examined the effectiveness of a prototype of "heatlab," a laboratory simulation written in PCE-PROLOG, intended for remedying misconceptions of the concepts "heat" and "temperature." The effect of varying the amount of structure on students' understanding and the…

A computer assisted instructional program was developed for teaching the rules of filing to library student assistants in the New York Institute of Technology. The procedure used in developing the program was based upon the Interservice Model of Instructional Systems Design (ISD) developed at Florida State University. The first of seven chapters…

Primarily a collection of lesson plans covering various topics in geography, this document is divided into seven sections. The first section includes three short papers on geography and its place in the curriculum. The second section deals with teaching map skills, evaluating computer software to be used in teaching geography, and ideas for field…

The December 1990 Media Evaluation Services list of computer courseware includes the following: (1) Group Grammar: grades 5-10 identify elements of grammar and mechanics; (2) Ready-Set-Read: Sequence: grades K-2 put pictures or sentences in order; (3) Write-On! Sarah, Plain and Tall: grades 4-7 develop reading, writing, and thinking skills through…

This final report in the MicroSIFT series reviews 10 software packages that deal mainly with the areas of electricity, magnetism, and heat energy. Software titles appearing in this report were selected because they were judged to be exemplary according to various criteria in the MicroSIFT Evaluator's Guide, with some additions to address science…

This report of a seminar on information technology (IT) and language development begins by presenting background on language skills and information technology in order to define the scope of the topic. The report then pulls together and elaborates on the output of the seminar. The first section discusses media-centered issues, including the design…

A project titled "Word of Mouth" was conducted to develop and evaluate model computer courseware to teach word attack skills to adult basic education students. The project was based on the use of multiple strategies to figure out unknown words, the importance of breaking down multisyllabic words, and the necessity of the use of audio in…

This booklet presents a comprehensive list of microcomputer software, along with evaluations, that may be beneficial to others seeking assistance in initiating a resource center for computer-assisted instruction. A summary of the project that developed this listing appears first. The software bibliography is arranged according to instructional…

Designed to assist educators in planning for the use of microcomputers in their schools, this guide begins with a brief statement of a philosophy for the use of computers in education. The main positions expressed by this philosophy are that students must have the opportunity to learn about the role of technology in society and to acquire the…

The present research addresses the issues of whether there exist certain cognitive skills that facilitate transfer, and whether such skills are themselves transferable across domains. Of primary concern is the instructability of such skills. The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Project (STACI) is a two-year research project testing the…