This two-part report describes a pilot study initiated by the Ontario Ministry of Education in 1981 to define the methodology for a subsequent research project on the current use of different types of instructional resources in Ontario public schools. The first section reports on case studies based on personal interviews with both staff and students in six representative schools. Eight recommendations on the appropriate methodology for a more comprehensive study resulting from the experiences of the interviewer are provided. The second section focuses on a search of the literature on the effectiveness of the new media, especially the microcomputer, as compared with traditional methods. Summaries are provided both of the procedures used and the findings of searches of the databases of the Ontario Educational Research Information System (ONTERIS) and ERIC, as well as vertical files and manual searches. A review of the literature which includes suggested questions that emerged from the search process concludes the report. Appendices contain a paper comparing the effectiveness of textbook and non-textbook approaches to learning, abstracts of selected documents from the searches, and the guidelines for the interviewer together with questions suggested for use with various groups. (LMM)