Journal of Educational Computing Research

American schools steadily increased their stock of microcomputers during the latter half of the 1980s, but made only modest changes in their pattern of hardware and software use between 1985 and 1989. Early in the decade, computers were valued for providing highly motivational skills practice and for enriching the curriculum with the subject of “computer literacy,” and late in the decade those two activities still dominated school computer use even though the range of skills practiced and the range of computer literacy activities expanded significantly during the decade. Moreover, computer-using teachers, although twice as numerous as five years ago, still only rarely provide a computer-centered classroom where students use computers for a large fraction of the time they spend on any one type of learning activity. A hint that computers will begin to take on new functions as general intellectual and information resource tools is visible in the increasing portion of computer time being spent on word processing; but most student word processing time is spent learning how to use the software rather than using it as a matter of course to draft and revise papers and essays.

This study attempted to enhance 8th grade students' acquisition of basic geometrical concepts through an instructional intervention which focused on constructing meaningful definitions by incorporating the use of the GEOMETRIC SUPPOSER software. Results of a test administered subsequent to the learning indicated that students in the experimental group did not exhibit the widely held misconceptions demonstrated in a comparison group's performance, thus acquired a more complete and correct concept image, apparently induced by the intervention.

Teachers' exhibition of selected teaching behaviors related to inquiry instruction in secondary United States History classes was compared under the conditions of 1) use and non-use of microcomputers and specially developed software, and 2) high and low preparation of teachers to teach inquiry-based lessons. Results, which are discussed in terms of assertions amenable to further testing, suggest that the support of microcomputers may be beneficial to success of inquiry teaching. They also indicate, however, that such support may not be sufficient for successful inquiry teaching in the absence of appropriate teacher preparation.

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of learning Logo programming on the transfer of problem solving skills. Sixty children (of 8 to 12 years) were divided into three groups (Logo Process-Oriented Group, Logo Content-Oriented Group, and Typing Control Group). All children were assessed on a variety of problem solving tasks before and after training. All groups were given twenty-five hours of small-group instruction in either Logo programming or typing lessons with a computer. Significant group × prepost interaction was observed in one of the problem solving tasks used in measuring the transfer of problem solving skills from the Logo context to a noncomputing context, leading to the conclusion that learning Logo with a Process-oriented approach might enhance general problem solving skills. However, much more empirical work will be required before it can be established what conditions will foster the transfer of problem solving skills.

Research into the instructional effectiveness of computer-based simulations has yielded inconsistent results. Part of this inconsistency can be attributed to the inappropriate instructional roles for which simulations are used. Two of the most promising roles of simulations in instruction are to: 1) establish a cognitive framework or structure to accommodate further learning in a related subject area, and 2) provide an opportunity for reinforcing, integrating and extending previously learned material. Thus, the effectiveness of a given simulation may depend upon when it is administered within an instructional sequence. The purpose of these two studies was to: 1) ascertain the value of a particular simulation to the learning of genetics principles, and 2) determine whether the position of the simulation, within the sequence of instructional events, altered its effectiveness. In both studies, students receiving the stimulation as a framework for understanding prior to formal classroom instruction scored significantly higher on an applications posttest than did students using the simulation as an integrating activity following formal instruction. Both groups scored higher than a control group which did not use the simulation prior to the posttest.

This study examined the effects of systematic computer programming and problem-solving instruction on problem-solving skills and attitudes. Two hundred seventy-two elementary and junior high students were exposed to one of four computer programming and problem-solving treatments for a period of twenty weeks. Elementary students received programming instruction in Logo, while junior high students studied BASIC. Results indicated that computer programming alone was ineffective in teaching problem solving. However, when paired with systematic problem-solving instruction, learners demonstrated significant learning gains.