SPARS is a computer data base management system designed to aid the college professor in handling his students' grades and other classroom data. It can handle multiple sections and labs, and allows the professor to combine and separate these components in a variety of ways. SPARS seeks to meet the sometimes competing goals of simplicity of use and…

Learner-controlled instruction (LCI provides a model for developing the self-directed learners modern society requires. LCI allows the student to specify goals, to control significant resources to attain them, and to choose learning strategies, thus enabling him to learn how to learn. It appears that the environment needed to support this model…

Two studies involving 27 learning-disabled middle-school students and 30 mildly handicapped junior high students investigated use of Teacher Net, a computer networking system that facilitates immediate feedback. Teacher Net reduced the teachers' administrative workload, effectively monitored student understanding, provided feedback to teachers,…

Explores theoretical reasons for consistent relationship between successful self-paced teaching methods and adequate opportunities for student/instructor interaction and the incorporation of group activities within individualized training. Practical ways in which critical instructor and group process roles can be integrated within an…

Today's educational software has transcended original drill and practice functions to provide enjoyable learning experiences through simulation, tutorial, and special education programs that develop reasoning and problem-solving skills. Teacher and administrator effectiveness can be enhanced by lesson design, scheduling, attendance, grade…

This paper was written to assist institutions in understanding the costs associated with providing online courses. An accompanying Web site was created to allow users to enter data specific to their institution in order to estimate costs associated with a venture into online courses. The paper addresses: (1) background of online courses…

"Learning" magazine evaluated computer software marketed in 1982 for: (1) accuracy of content; (2) quality of instructional design; (3) audience suitability; (4) creative use of technology; and (5) value of instructional information. Judging included field-tests with students. Award-winning products are listed by subject area, along with other…

Checklists cover six important dimensions of computer use in social studies: (1) what a computer can do to achieve educational goals, (2) planning for implementation, (3) major modes of computer uses in education, (4) important qualities, (5) technical features of good educational computer programs, and (6) checking out software. (RM)

Part 1 (SE 533 635) presented programs for use in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry. This part presents an annotated list of 64 additional programs, focusing on introductory geology, mapping, and statistical packages for geological analyses. A brief description, source, suggested use(s), programing language, and other information are…

Criteria for evaluating and selecting computer software programs are given, based on the author's research at Teachers College, Columbia University (New York). Specific attributes of programs which either motivate students or directly encourage learning are examined. Shortcomings of existing software are also noted. (PP)

Twenty-five outstanding new computer software programs for drill and practice, simulation, and tutoring are reviewed. Programs deal with classroom management and with the teaching of language arts, computer literacy, social studies, science and logic, and mathematics. (PP)

To determine whether individual differences in student achievement and learning rate are reduced or eliminated by mastery instruction, 166 navy trainees who completed a computer-managed course in basic electricity and electronics were cluster analyzed using 24 measures of cognitive characteristics. Discriminant analyses were computed between two…

Describes computer-assisted instruction and testing system used at University of Wisconsin which gives students opportunity to take individualized quizzes via interactive terminal, assigns individual students remedial work based on quiz performance, and accumulates student performance data for immediate use by instructor. Conversions to several…

Helping teachers understand the relationship between the message of instructional content and the medium of instructional technology is a legitimate focus for colleges of education. Colleges of education can respond to the need for computer sophistication by creating survey courses on the uses of computers in education. (JN)

Described are two interactive computer-assisted-instruction (CAI) programs that were developed for use in quantitative analysis and in general chemistry. The purpose of these modules is to help students learn to calculate the points along a titration curve for the titration of an acid with a strong base. (Author/DS)