The modern, miniaturized computer as in information processor has radically altered the logic of three commonplaces regarding computer-based learning: (1) that the machine exerts a dehumanizing effect on the educational process, (2) that computers are too expensive to prove cost-effective in education, and (3) that the computer's facility in reiterating lessons violates the principle of individualization. The specific coumputer-assisted instruction (CAI) system at Whitworth College suggests point-for-point counter-arguments: (1) that careful CAI lesson design can actually enhance the humanization of course material, (2) that time-shared minicomputer systems have dramatically reduced user costs, and (3) that a coumputer-driven lesson sequence can prove to be unique (and thus individualized) each time it is run. The computer therefore can be humane, feasible, and can serve as a semi-intelligent extension of the instructor. The paper includes comments by student users plus a brief discussion of how instructors determine the appropriateness of curricular material for CAI. (Author)