Differences between letters of adolescent mildly mentally handicapped (MMH) students written by hand and those composed on a microcomputer using a word processor were examined. The subjects spent significantly more time, produced noticeably longer letters, and made substantially more revisions when writing letters on a microcomputer. However, the mean number of words written per unit of time spent completing a letter was substantially higher for subjects' handwritten letters, while judges' holistic evaluations of letter quality did not differ significantly between the two production modes.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BradleyV. N. (1982). Improving students' writing with microcomputers. Language Arts, 58, 18–22.
2.
BurnsP. K., & BozemanW. C. (1981). Computer-assisted instruction and mathematics achievement: Is there a relationship?Educational Technology, 21, 32–39.
3.
CainE. J. (1984). The challenge of technology: Educating the exceptional child for the world of tomorrow. Teaching Exceptional Children, 16, 239–241.
4.
CooperC. R., & OdellL., (Eds.) (1978). Research on composing: Points of departure. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
5.
FletcherJ. D., & AtkinsonR. C. (1972). Evaluation of the Stanford CAI program in initial reading. Journal of Educational Psychology, 63, 597–602.
6.
GlassG. V., & HopkinsK. D. (1984). Statistical methods in education and psychology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
7.
GouldJ. D. (1981). Composing letters with computer-based text editors. Human Factors, 23, 593–606.
8.
HallJ. K. (1981). Evaluating and improving written expression: A practical guide for teachers. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
9.
HoweH. (1983). Computers: The new kick in the schools. The College Board Review, 128, 24–32.
10.
JamisonD.SuppesP., & WellsS. (1974). The effectiveness of alternative instructional media: A survey. Review of Educational Research, 44, 1–67.
11.
KulikJ. A. (1983). Synthesis of research on computer-based instruction. Educational Leadership, 41, 19–21.
12.
MedinnusG. R. (1976). Child study and observation guide. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
13.
Micropro. (1979). Wordstar [Computer program]San Rafael, CA: MicroPro International Corporation.
14.
MorsinkC. V. (1984). Teaching special needs students in regular classrooms. Boston: Little, Brown & Company.
15.
MullisI. V. S. (1984). Scoring direct writing assessments: What are the alternatives?Educational Measurement: Issues and Practices, 14, 16–18.
PapertS. (1981). Society will balk, but the future may demand a computer for each child. Electronic Education, 1, 23–26.
18.
RagostaM.HollandP. W., & JamisonD. T. (1982). Computer-assisted instruction and compensatory education: The ETS/LAUSD Study (Contract No. 400-78-0065). Washington, DC: National Institute of Education.
19.
RubensteinR., & RollinsA. (1978). Demonstration of the use of computer assisted instruction with handicapped children: Final report. Cambridge, MA: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc.
20.
Rules governing programs and services for children with special needs. (1978). Raleigh, NC: State Department of Public Instruction.
21.
StowitschekJ. J., & StowitschekC. E. (1984). Once more with feeling: The absence of research on teacher use of microcomputers. Exceptional Education Quarterly, 4, 23–39.
