This paper suggests that considering fundamental issues in educational research may help researchers conceptualize more productive research methodologies for computer based instruction (CBI). Inconsistent findings and methodological shortcomings in media research, including CBI, raise the possibility that current research methodologies may be…

This paper calls for a close examination of the interface between technology and education. First, it examines previous research in the field of instructional technology. Secondly, it critiques the current body of research, dominated by those in a rather separate field, educational technology. The bodies of research are compared, and a critical…

This paper reviews the empirical research that has been done with computer assisted instruction (CAI) in an attempt to gain an overview that will allow the effectiveness of CAI to be evaluated. In the review, the area of CAI is divided into four basic modes: drill and practice, problem solving, tutorial, and simulation. Each mode is defined, and…

Current research on direct instruction is reviewed with a particular emphasis on studies of instructional design and technology and research on effective staff development. Among conclusions was that the same instructional variables affecting learner performance with traditional materials affect learning with computer-assisted instruction and…

This collection of papers presents strategies for teaching students with mental retardation. An introduction by Robert A. Gable and Steven F. Warren titled "The Enduring Value of Instructional Research" reviews problems besetting special education instructional research and outlines the papers' approach to the field from both an empirical research…