This background paper for a symposium on the school of the future reviews the current instructional applications of computers in the classroom (the computer as a means or the subject of instruction), and suggests strategies that administrators might use to move toward viewing the computer as a productivity tool for students, i.e., its use for word…

The current state of the art on the educational use of microcomputers was explored through a review of the literature, observations, and interviews with teachers and practitioners. A working taxonomy to characterize typical computer-augmented learning environments (CALEs) was developed which consisted of environmental elements, activity segments,…