One of the great strengths of Jim Kaput's research program was his relentless drive towards scaling up his innovative approach to teaching the mathematics of change and variation. The SimCalc mission, "democratizing access to the mathematics of change," was enacted by deliberate efforts to reach an increasing number of teachers and students each…

The dramatic and increasing availabilty of relatively cheap computer power has led people to tout microcomputers as the solution to education and training problems. However, such panaceas for educational problems fail because they do not address the real ingredients for successful instruction or the problems of large-scale implementation.…

This study was designed to ascertain the relationships between the steps of a tool designed to link knowledge production and the needs of knowledge users (the Wolf-Welsh Linkage Methodology or WWLM) with milestones in the evolution of an innovative computer-assisted instructional system called PLATO (Programming Logic for Advanced Teaching…

Designed initially for use in college computer science courses, the model and computer-aided instructional environment (CAIE) described helps students develop algorithmic problem solving skills. Cognitive skills required are discussed, and implications for developing computer-based design environments in other disciplines are suggested by…

This review of the findings of recent cognitive science research pertaining to learning and teaching focuses on how science and mathematics are being taught, analyzes how the presence of the computer demonstrates a need for radical rethinking of both the theory and the practice of learning, and points out that if educators fail to consider the…

Reviews articles appearing in this issue, which focus on the influence of computers on teaching design to undergraduates, and discusses involvement of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), EDUCOM, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), and the FIPSE Technology Study Group (FTSG) in work that led to these papers. (LRW)

A review of computer assisted instruction research and recent meta-analytical reports suggests that all research on the learning benefits of the instructional uses of computers should be halted until there is a plausible reason to expect that computers are instrumental in learning, since all existing evidence indicates that computers do not yield…

Examines similarities between composition and programming processes, and reviews two studies that linked instruction in computer programming and freshman composition to help students understand writing as a design discipline. Projects at the University of Montana and Bryn Mawr College which improved students' writing abilities are described. (LRW)

Separate meta-analyses have been completed recently on the effectiveness of computer-based education (CBE) in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and nontraditional postsecondary institutions. Several conclusions can be drawn from these meta-analyses. First, although CBA has not been uniformly successful in all its guises and at all…

This paper describes the implementation of educational computing in three schools located in the suburban belt of a large metropolis. One school included grades K-6; one grades 5-6; and one grades 7-8. The schools were similar in that they were well financed and the staff and students felt they were doing well; however, they were different in the…

Critiques comparative research and evaluation methods used to assess effectiveness of interactive video and proposes alternative models of research design that go beyond comparative analysis into understanding and control of the effective dimensions of interactive video, i.e., controlled correlation; instructional events, cognitive psychology, and…

Project DISC (Developing Indian Software Curriculum) was initiated in the Rapid City (South Dakota) school district to improve Native American children's reading and language arts ability and to provide them with microcomputer skills. During the summer of 1982, introductory computer activities were planned, a computer specialist was hired, and…

A quantitative or meta-analytic review was conducted of studies comparing computer-based education (CBE) to conventional instruction in precollege classrooms. Seventy-four studies were included in the review; sources included earlier reviews by Hartley, Burns, and authors from the University of Michigan, and the ERIC and Comprehensive Dissertation…

Three major educational revolutions have been the advent of writing, the use of books as teaching tools, and the shift in educational responsibility from the home to the school. The fourth revolution, which is based on the use of electronic technology in teaching, began with programmed teaching machines, individualized instruction, and the…

Outlines elements of instruction--knowledge, information, action--and describes each in the context of writing instruction, reviews writing research, and uses these components of instruction to explore possibilities for automated writing instruction. The Writer's Workbench language analysis programs are used to illustrate major points. Program…