Authoring systems are defined as tools used by an educator to translate intents and purposes from his head into a computer program. Alternate ways of preparing code are examined and charts of these coding formats are displayed. (Author/RAO)

Describes an in-house project run by students and local school staff studying the feasibility of microcomputers for school management, computer assisted instruction, computer literacy, computer programing, and community services. Hardware tested, rationale for system choice, and hardware problems, are also discussed. (RAO)

Suggestions for writing computer-assisted instructional programs are offered through an examination of the goals and structure of these programs. Discussed are problems one may encounter in creating such programs. (RAO)

Focuses on the advantages of using the microcomputer rather than the minicomputer. Descriptions of the programing process and system components for the microcomputer are followed by a list of 11 types of computer programs that can be processed at this time, and a brief discussion of research goals. (RAO)

Routines developed for an ongoing course in research methods and statistics provides examples of the custom instructional applications that can be created using extended BASIC and a light pen, including title and transition displays, progressive disclosure, animation, overlays, and simulations. Strengths of this technique are reviewed. (MBR)

Presents a survey of user needs for microcomputer software in elementary and secondary schools. Approaches to software development are highlighted and the future of microcomputers is discussed. (RAO)

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of the Apple microcomputer version of the authoring language Programmed Inquiry, Learning, or Teaching (PILOT) and provides suggestions as to how it might best be used for computer- assisted instruction. Eleven references are cited. (EJS)

Reviews reasons for the decision to change from a timeshare minicomputer to microcomputers, financial considerations involved, the purchase of hardware, the problem posed by the lack of compatible software for the microcomputers, and the development of the Assisted Instructional Development System (AIDS) for adapting minicomputer software and…

Describes use of authoring systems--software packages which guide authors through the programming process, eliminating the need to know how to program--as a practical solution to the problem of teachers developing their own microcomputer courseware. Some representative authoring systems, their benefits and costs, and specific products are…

Suggests criteria for choosing a programing language in courseware development. Authoring languages (PILOT, TUTOR, BASIC, and PASCAL) are compared; driver programs' compilers and interpreters are discussed; and the tasks of an authoring system are presented. (RAO)

Discussion of technological innovations in education focuses on the potentials of the microcomputer as a classroom instructional method. Programing, computer literacy, software applications, and problem solving are suggested as ways to incorporate computers into the curriculum, and examples of applications of computers in elementary and secondary…

Describes an interactive computer program used in comparing any two sets of similar data for which linear order must be maintained and suggests further applications for which the program might be used. (Author)

A study of the kinds of computer programs children write and the types of programming concepts with which they have difficulty. (DAG)

Summarizes the results of six studies that examined differences between courses in computer programming and computer literacy, and the relationships between achievement in these courses, student personality traits, cognitive styles, and gender. Suggestions for future research are made. (7 references) (CLB)