The microcomputer is a tool that puts the power of computer technology in the hands of individuals and institutions at remarkably low costs. It can be used to support conventional teaching efforts or to revolutionize educational systems. (Author)

Demonstrates that instruction software is a public good, in the economic sense, and that the instruction programs now in use make up a stock which will be fully utilized only if certain public overhead is incurred. The implications of this analysis are examined. (Author/CMV)

Summarizes the role of student models in computer assisted learning (CAL); lists difficulties preventing their widespread use in practical teaching systems; and describes problems, using a simple subtraction model, associated with the representation, content, creation, change, growth, execution, comparison, use for planning and monitoring, and…

Introduces a checklist of instructional design and programing guidelines developed for use by authors of CAI materials. It provides a practical formative evaluation tool for nonspecialists desiring to improve their own CAI materials with minimal support from consultants or more experienced authors. (Author)

A short course on the heart comprising film and still pictures, with questions, explanations, and a glossary, were recorded on videodisc, then offered to 12 subjects via a videodisc player interfaced with a Philips P857 minicomputer. The system is described and recommendations made for future computer-interactive videodisc courses. (RAO)

Briefly reviews research on the effectiveness of CAI in instruction, and describes a study comparing the performance of students using one program for basic marketing--TRMP (Tutorial Review of Marketing Principles)--with or without a study guide, the study guide alone, and a traditional class. (BBM)

The use of a computer program to provide a simulated genetics laboratory for students in an introductory course in genetics is described. (Author)

In this study, which used a statistics teaching program, feedback providing the correct answer was found to be superior to feedback simply saying whether the student's answer was correct or wrong. This in turn was superior to no feedback. (Author)

Describes applications of HyperCard, including SuperDuper Gradebook and HyperMedia Information Retrieval System (HIRS). Also described is the creation of an instructional software library called the HyperMedia and Instructional StackWare Clearinghouse (HISC), which will evaluate programs for educators, trainers, and instructional technologists.…

Presents a BASIC program that can be useful in explaining physicochemical phenomena underlying the generation of membrane potential in excitable cells. Its simplicity allows students to understand the nature of these processes through a direct, hands-on approach. Also, the simulated voltage and concentration kinetics agree well with those…

Describes how a software program for DOS/Windows manages a collection of pictures such as photographic slides, overheads, or computer images in one or more databases. Explains how it transforms image files to raw binary files that can then be displayed like flash cards, or as an animated series of images. (Author/LRW)

Discusses changes in accepted approaches to teaching and learning, shifts in psychological and pedagogical theory towards a constructivist view of learning, and the consequences of these theoretical shifts for computer assisted learning. Explains a classification scheme for constructivism that provides a framework for looking at constructivist…

Discusses equity in access to Internet technology. Highlights include equity at school; the Internet factor, including the e-rate; access in the community, including computer camps; home access to the Internet; and the importance of technological literacy, for education or for work. (LRW)

Lists 21 Web sites that are helpful for school librarians. Includes general search engines and how they determine hits; specialized search engines on specific topics; and other topical sites. (LRW)

Describes videoconferencing using Sorensen EnVision, a hardware-accelerated desktop videoconferencing solution that allows low bandwidth communication using the Internet. Presents example of its use for conducting meetings and in a variety of educational settings. (LRW)