This report was written to provide guidance in the development and evaluation of alternative instructional approaches that hold promise of improving instructional effectiveness. The main focus of the report is on how to identify and test interactive relationships between individual differences among learners and instructional conditions or…

This final report describes a 3-year project which investigated the relationship between academic learning time (ALT) and achievement in reading and mathematics of mildly handicapped students within the context of different special education delivery systems. Subjects were 24 educably mentally retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed…

Online teaching and learning has been in transition for its entire existence. The number of courses offered at a distance has grown rapidly. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (Waits & Lewis, 2003), in 2000-2001 more than 56% of four-year colleges and universities in the United States offered distance education degree…

This brochure offers answers to 13 questions about using computers in the social studies classroom. Written by teachers for teachers, its goal is to provide a foundation to consider whether or not computers have a place in the classroom and how to go about using them if they do. The questions are: "What's in this booklet?""Should I…

A sequel to the booklet "How Computers Can Be Used in Education," this booklet begins by looking at ways in which computer-based learning (CBL) materials can be used in different types of instructional situations, i.e., mass instruction, individualized learning, and group learning. The design and production of four types of conventional CBL…

Efforts to evaluate the use of technology in education tend to be inconclusive because they lack specificity about what types of technology are being considered, what types of evaluation are being used, or both. While different evaluative studies focus on different valid objectives, the studies will provide generalizable information of practical…

Discusses the current state of computer managed instruction (CMI) and the advantages it affords both teachers and students. Describes the learning objective as the focus of CMI. Notes the interaction of computer assisted instruction and CMI. Lists a directory of 16 CMI systems. (MVL)

Discusses the implementation of a student-designed integrative curriculum taught by team teachers in a middle school classroom. Considers the role of computer technology in organizing the curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Describes the process of engaging students, encouraging them to develop their curriculum, and selecting and completing…

As part of a project formulating optimal rules for decision making in computer assisted instructional systems in which the computer is used as a decision support tool, an approach that simultaneously optimizes classification of students into two treatments, each followed by a mastery decision, is presented using the framework of Bayesian decision…

The chief advantage of the use of a computer in a basic reading and writing class is that it helps the instructor do more with greater ease and comfort in less time. Initial problems associated with the use of a mainframe computer for instruction were: few programs which met the needs of community college students; lack of knowledge on how to…

To determine the effectiveness of the computer assisted instruction/computer management system (CAI/CMS) as an alternative to conventional methods of compensatory reading instruction, a cost benefit study evaluated elementary, middle, and high school reading programs in the Columbus, Ohio, school district. Analysis was based on cost outlay for the…

Describes a personalized method of instruction being used in junior-level physical chemistry classes which uses computer-aided instruction (CAI) and computer-managed instruction (CMI). Claims this results in more instructor-student interaction, better use of classroom time, and better scores on standardized examinations. (TW)

Case studies were conducted to gain a better understanding of the impact of technology in schools, focusing on schools that have had a technology-rich environment for at least 2 years. The four sites selected included a rural high school, a suburban middle school, an urban elementary school, and an urban high school. The case studies collected…

This research-based review discusses effective computer applications for students with mental disabilities. Most computer-based instruction currently in use is of a drill-and-practice variety, which is needed to develop fluency in basic academic skills. Studies conducted on math fluency indicate that when students are using counting strategies to…

The Bidwell Training Center, Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, evaluated the effectiveness of IBM's Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), an interactive instructional program to teach adolescents and adults writing and reading skills. Bidwell's goal was to use PALS to teach large numbers of adults who read below the fifth-grade level.…