Discusses results of two 1983 educational microcoputer use studies which indicate schools are acquiring microcomputers but lightly utilizing them, and concludes that this may be due to lack of research on the intelligent use of microcomputers. Research questions needing answers are noted and scarcity and problems of research are discussed. (MBR)

The dramatic and increasing availabilty of relatively cheap computer power has led people to tout microcomputers as the solution to education and training problems. However, such panaceas for educational problems fail because they do not address the real ingredients for successful instruction or the problems of large-scale implementation.…

Reported in this conference proceedings are educational activities related to mathematics education from several countries. The conference was devoted primarily to two major topics closely connected with the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project (UCSMP): (1) Development of an applications-oriented mathematics curriculum for all…

This study identified teachers' attitudes about educational computing and investigated the effects of a university-offered inservice teacher education course on these concerns. Affective changes in teachers enrolled in the course were measured using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, and implications of the findings for designers of such courses…

Utilizing nine schools located in the San Francisco Bay area, a study was conducted to examine the patterns by which microcomputers are accepted and implemented in high schools. Rather than the educational or social effects of this new academic resource, the study focused on: (1) the process of the behaviors and decisions leading to the…

Implementation of educational computing in schools is dependent upon teachers' attitudes toward computers as well as their expertise. Most inservice activities focus on increasing teacher expertise, while paying little attention to teachers' attitudes towards the technology. To investigate teachers' concerns about educational computing, two…

This discussion first analyzes major claims of a cognitive-developmentalist perspective on the use of microcomputers in early childhood education. Five topics are specifically addressed: microcomputers and intellectual structures, microcomputers as cultural events, microcomputers and strategy repetoires, instruction and the self-construction of…

Proposes new model for study of microcomputer technology in agriculture in which diffusion/adoption of innovations is conceptualized as a structural process affected by "access conditions" resulting from research and development, intrinsic technology characteristics, and distributional characteristics. Examines thesis that potential adopters…

Identifies recurring limitations of instructional technologies often overlooked by proponents, examines barriers to educational innovation and the political context of change, and presents guidelines for optimizing instructional technologies and consolidating change. References are made to educational technology articles and texts throughout.…

This document reports results from an exploratory investigation into the adoption and use of microcomputers in the home, which involved interviews with 77 home computer owners, 19 individuals who were in the process of computer adoption, and a small sample of home computer manufacturers and retailers. The first two chapters provide information on…

This study used the Stages of Concern Questionnaire to investigate concerns of elementary and secondary school teachers at the onset of the process of implementing microcomputers in their schools. Results are discussed in terms of gender and teaching grade level differences, and the design of effective inservice education. (MBR)

Discusses results of research on the introduction of microcomputers into a secondary school which focused on teachers' views and opinions toward computers in general and in teaching. The analysis utilized to determine teachers' attitudes is described, and the spectrum of teachers' views is discussed. Two specific teachers' opinions are reviewed.…

Factors which may impede or promote development of computer assisted instruction are identified through interviews with teachers to ascertain attitudes and learn how computer experience had been gained, visiting a school to track computer usage, and recording first experiences of computer software use in classrooms. Suggestions for initiation…

Reports on study of the adoption of particular innovation, a software cataloging system, in central Ohio elementary school of approximately 500 students and 22 teachers. Discussion covers rationale for developing innovation, relationship between attributes of innovation and its adoption, use of cataloging components, consequences, recommendations,…

One of the most recent technological systems to be adopted for use in distance education is computer-mediated communication (CMC), which typically includes computer conferencing, electronic mail, and electronic bulletin boards. The purpose of this review is to provide teachers, researchers and administrators with a practical summary of current…