Data on computer ownership and use gathered from 121 graduate students enrolled in a course on education research were correlated with 2 measures of subjects' academic achievement: course grade and performance on a set of research analysis activities. Students who owned microcomputers had significantly higher achievement on both measures; however,…

Discusses results of a survey of 15 educational software developers, which indicate that none of the companies perform any empirical evaluation of their products as part of the development process. Importance and advantages of validation of the effectiveness of a program are considered, and suggestions for encouraging such validation are offered.…

Reviews the literature from the mid-1980s to the present on teachers' attitudes toward computers in the following areas: (1) perceptions of computers; (2) impact of computer use on attitude; and (3) impact of personal and learning environment characteristics. A generally positive attitude is noted as well as several concerns about computers in the…

Investigated the effect of computer programs that require the use of spatial skills on third and fourth graders' spatial ability. Students who used a software program that required rotation of objects scored better than other students on a measure of figural classification, but not on a measure of object rotation. (BC)

Examined the effect of providing progress reports for 24 weeks to first and second graders in a computer-based instruction environment. Results indicated that providing progress reports may produce small, short-term gains in rate of lesson completion for some students. (BC)

Followed the computer-assisted writing of three prekindergarten children for two semesters. At the beginning of the year, the children exhibited preliterate levels of writing ability and limited reading skills. At the end of the year, they were writing connected text, using a mix of invented and standard spellings. (BC)

Investigated the use of spatial relationships in the PROLOG programing language to help students express declarative thinking. Declarative thinking is a process of describing the environment that involves the recognition of relationships between entities. (BC)

Fourth graders whose written work received peer critiques wrote longer compositions than other students. Compared to students who wrote using pencil and paper, students who wrote using the WICAT computer program showed slight improvements in writing quality and attitude toward writing, and a slight increase in composition length. (BC)

Fourth graders' attitudes about using a computer for writing instruction were assessed at three points during the school year. Student attitudes were highly positive throughout the year, but no significant differences were found between attitudes at the three assessment points. (BC)

Nine research reports on the use of computers in the education of young children are reviewed. The reports appear in dissertations, journal articles, or papers that are in the ERIC database. Each report is referenced to its ERIC accession number. (BC)

Assesses the ability of tenth grade students (n=364) to acquire meanings of graphs that are frequently used in their biology textbooks. Indicates that the main source of failure to process information equally well from tables and graphs was not a lack of basic analytical skills but rather a lack of understanding of the relationship between…

Scrutinizes the assessment of students' practical skills, in an honors-level biology examination, for construct validity utilizing both correlational and factor analytical methods to explore relationships between students' practical (laboratory) and theoretical (written) performances. Indicates that teacher assessment of practical skills resulted…

Describes the use of concept mapping (CM) in design, instruction, and assessment related to microbiology lessons prepared for high school students in Israel. Indicates that students utilizing CM displayed an overall, higher achievement gain than students in traditional classes. Recognizes that some teachers did not thoroughly exploit the potential…

Compares performances of students on gas-law problems that require two distinct approaches, either the algorithmic technique or the conceptual gestalt. Indicates that student effectiveness is considerably different utilizing each approach and that training or experience with the algorithm process should not be expected to facilitate the…

Reports on findings from an interpretive team study of the teaching/learning environments in the science program at an innovative Australian high school, in which 778 students perform laboratory and classroom activities within a self-paced, independent framework. Suggests that the knowledge that teachers require to undertake effective science…