Microcomputers In Schools Research Articles

Attitudes of Egyptian Teachers towards Computers

Appraisal of teacher attitudes towards computers has gained importance following the widespread availability of microcomputers in schools all around the world. This study aims at investigating Egyptian teachers' attitudes towards computers in terms of gender and years of teaching experience. Attitudes of a sample of 118 public school teachers, 53 (45%) male and 65 (55%) female, were assessed using ‘The Attitude Towards Computer Instrument’ (ATCI), developed by Shaft et al (2004), which is a Likert type instrument with three factors of affective, cognitive, and behavioral. The gathered data were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings showed that the Egyptian public school teachers' attitudes towards computers are positive. There were no significant differences in terms of gender and teaching experience. Recommendations for further research are provided.

Teachers’ experience and practices using microcomputers in schools in Malaysia

This paper aims to focus on teachers’ perceptions pertaining to their experience in using microcomputers, which includes the types of software used, the frequency of the type used by the teachers, content areas in which computers were being used, and the degree of integration of computer use with the rest of the instruction in the curriculum. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews and through classroom observation. This study thus tries to relate teachers’ perceptions in teaching to their computer experience and practice.

Fourth international school—Microcomputer '91

Fourth international school—Microcomputer '91

Teacher Training Model for the Introduction of Informatics into the Secondary Schools of Bahrain

The proliferation of microcomputers in schools has by far outpaced the ability oi colleges, government and schools to train teachers to use computers effectively as teaching aids for their own subjects.

Young Children's Perception of Colour on a School Microcomputer

Abstract It is known that colour influences childen's performance on both perceptual and cognitive tasks. The present study investigates colour combination preferences on a VDU by young children performing a simple perceptual task. A comparison with Swedish research indicates a number of important correlations between colour combination preferences by the subjects of this study and reported improved legibility of text on a VDU by the much older Swedish cohort. Some of the ramifications for the production of educational materials for use by young children working with microcomputers are discussed. Suggestions are provided for further research in the area which might provide evidence for correlations between perceptual preference and improved learning.

Microcomputer networking in an inexpensive way

M icrocomputers are found in almost every school, and the number of users in schools is rising. A study by Market Data Retrieval, Inc. shows that almost 96% of K-12 public schools during the 1986/87 academic year used one or more microcomputers in their teaching/learning process. The Apple computer had 80.3 percent of the market share (Electronic Learning, 1987). Many reasons contributed to the increase of public school microcomputer use. Among those, the decrease of microcomputer prices, availability of funds, diversity of educational software, and improvement of computer literacy are worth mentioning. Meanwhile, the school's approaches to housing microcomputers differed. Some schools followed the trend toward decentralization of microcomputers and put them in the classrooms, while others centralized the micros in the lab. Argument about the advantages or disadvantages of one system over the other are not the scope of this manuscript (that decision is administrative). The purpose of this study is to describe a practical microcomputer networking procedure for schools. California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) has employed an inexpensive method of connecting microcomputers together in the Apple Lab. In this lab, students are able to watch the instructor's demonstration while they are sitting in front of their CRTs without a need for computer projection or complicated and costly network facilities. To help the reader understand the system, we will briefly explain the networking systems. One of the characteristics of network systems is resource sharing. This means a computer can be shared by a group of users. Networking shows a lot of promise in educational computing. Through these systems students can access public databases for computer-assisted instruction purposes. Tutorial lessons and homework exercises can be

The use of computer assisted learning in primary schools: Some factors affecting the uptake

This paper describes some of the findings of an ongoing research project into the use of microcomputers in primary schools. Case study investigations were carried out in eight Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) schools. Headteachers and teachers were interviewed and observations were recorded of children working with microcomputers wherever possible. Factors were isolated which promoted or inhibited the uptake of computer assisted learning (CAL) in primary schools. Many teachers of infant children believed that microcomputers were inappropriate for children of this age. Some teachers lacked the confidence to initiate microcomputer use in their teaching without some initial training. The level of uptake was higher in schools where the headteacher had a positive attitude to the value of CAL in the primary curriculum. The extent of use of microcomputers in schools was found to be affected by a number of factors, some of which are described in this paper.

Factors affecting the impact of inservice courses for teachers: Implications for policy

A central component of government strategies for improving the quality of education and the implementation of new programs and policies is often the short inservice course. The context for this particular study was the National Computer Education Program in the State of Victoria, Australia. Week-long courses were provided from 1984 to 1986 for over 2,000 teachers on the applications of microcomputers in schools at a cost of approximately $2m. Policy-makers within the State Program had a second agenda: that course participants would act as “change-agents” when they returned to their schools. Teachers were surveyed up to 2 years after attending the course about the extent to which they had implemented course objectives. What had been done varied greatly from school to school and the factors which mainly accounted for this variation were the levels of administrative support and follow-up assistance teachers received after their course. The study indicates that returns from investments in inservice education by school systems will be limited if the need for such support and assistance is not anticipated; that is, if planning for policy implementation goes no further than the provision of inservice courses alone, without the orchestration of follow-up support, both from within the school and from external sources.

Developments in the use of microcomputers in North American schools: To what extent is the teacher's role changing?

Many North American educators have stated that the computer is making a profound impact on the role of the teacher. It has been predicted that 'within twenty years the computer will be the major delivery system for education at all levels and in practically all subject areas' (Bork, 1984). Teachers are told that computers are causing a 'revolution' in schools and that, because of computers, teachers 'must evolve or dissolve' (Kelley, 1985), and, 'as the world is being revolutionized by computers, the future of schools and teachers, it seems, will be digital as well' (Oakes and Schneider, 1984). In some ways the view that computers are causing a revolution for North American teachers appears to be supported. Whereas in 1979 even a single microcomputer was a novelty in most North American elementary schools, today multiple microcomputer systems are commonplace in educational settings. Between Spring 1983 and Spring 1985 the number of microcomputers in use in U.S. schools quadrupled, from about 250,000 to over one million; the median number of computers in elementary schools rose from 2 to 6, and in secondary schools rose from 5 to 21 (Becket, 1986). In addition, approximately 85% of U.S. secondary schools and 30°7o of U.S. elementary schools now have a computer laboratory (Becker, 1986). In Canada, computer activity is comparably well established (Simair, 1985). For example, the province of Ontario supports the ambitious integration of hardware support, software development, and teacher training through its Computers in Education Project which, among other activities, subsidizes Ontario schools in their acquisitions of networked microsystems and locally developed software (Penny, 1986). Other Canadian provinces also support innovative developments in the application of computers in education, notably Manitoba with its software development and distribution project (Sandals, 1986), and Alberta with its activity in both localarea and wide-area networking (Bell, 1986). Teacher training opportunities relative to computer use in education have also proliferated. For example, a survey of Canadian teacher training institutions (Collis and Muir, 1986) found all but one of them to offer credit courses in some aspect of computer use for teachers. In addition, less formal computer-related training is now readily accessible to the majority of teachers. 'Computers in education' conferences appear throughout North America, with virtually every state and province hosting annual computer-using teachers' meetings or conferences. And yet, despite all this activity, there is little evidence of many, or even any, substantial overall changes having occurred in the essential aspects of education; in what students learn, or how they learn, or in how teachers teach (Oakes and Schneider, 1984; Tucker, 1985). The average North American elementary school microcomputer is likely to stand idle 75% of the time (Becker, 1983); only 15% of secondary school teachers, including those teaching computer science, use computers with any regularity (Becker, 1986); the typical science teacher has never once used a computer as part of the science laboratory or lesson (Lehman, 1985); only about 6% of

Computer Guided Teaching: The Microcomputer Revolution

Recent surveys of school applications of computers show that in contradiction to early expectations, the availability of microcomputers in schools does not have substantial impact on traditional teaching. In this article we identify conditions necessary for teachers to adopt changes in their instruction, and specifically to adopt technological innovations. We argue that the CAI—the use of computers for individualized learning or drill and practice—which is the most common application of computers for teaching and learning, does not satisfy most conditions necessary for teacher adoption. This may explain why the “microcomputer revolution” has not materialized. Finally, we suggest another type of microcomputer applications: Computer-Guided-Teaching, which satisfies most conditions for wide adoption by teachers, and which has potential for substantial teaching improvement.

Book Reviews : Children and Microcomputers

This book draws together ideas and activities about research concerning the use of microcomputers in schools and the corresponding interest in measuring the extent of this use, and its nature, purpose, and results. A historical framework and a look at the future are also provided.

Microcomputers in Schools: Questions to Be Asked

(1986). Microcomputers in Schools: Questions to Be Asked. The Educational Forum: Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 87-97.

Survey of Microcomputer Access and Use by Mildly Handicapped Students in Southern California

A study was conducted to determine the accessibility of microcomputer instruction to learning handicapped (LH) students relative to their nonhandicapped peers. This was attempted through a survey of schools with special education students in which computers were available for general instructional purposes. The extent to which higher levels of school microcomputer resources increased microcomputer opportunities for LH students was also studied. Three hundred elementary schools were selected for the survey through a stratified random sampling of schools in 52 districts in Southern California. Only two-thirds of the sites with the potential for microcomputer use by resource room students allowed them access, while half of the schools with computers and special day class students provided them with instruction. Nevertheless, a significant correlation was found between computer availability at a school (the ADA/micro ratio) and the likelihood that LH students would have access to computers.

The evolution of an effective home—school microcomputer connection

The roles that parents and teachers play in the young child's development have been studied extensively. A brief look at the findings related to the education of the “disadvantaged” children, thus identified in the United States in the 1960s, offers several paradigms which may be applicable to the challenge of preventing “computer illiteracy” in the 1980s. Models of home-school-community interaction are reviewed which introduce the microcomputer as a tool with which parents and children can explore together, learn together, and gain self-esteem together.

Designing and Implementing the Use of Microcomputers in a Program for Hearing-Impaired Students

Two years ago a computer committee of teachers and dormitory representatives at the New York School for the Deaf (NYSD) studied the use of microcomputers in schools for hearing and hearing-impaired students. Upon completion of this study, the committee made plans for including microcomputers in the curriculum at NYSD. Administrative approval and support was received. The first stage, investigation, was critical. Not only did it set the tone for the design and implementation of the program to follow, but it also proved a time and money saver throughout the program. Another vital aspect was the role of in-service training for teachers, teacher assistants, dormitory personnel, supervisors, and administrators. All staff members associated with the educational process at the school needed to know about computers and be comfortable with them. The strategies employed at NYSD in meeting the goals and objectives identified for the students are discussed in this paper.

Patterns of Microcomputer Use in Teaching Mathematics and Science

This study describes how teachers nominated as “successful” in their microcomputer-based instruction teach mathematics and science, and how their computer use differs in response to district, school, classroom, and individual characteristics. Research carried out in sixty classrooms, forty-nine schools, and twenty-five districts in California provided data on district and school microcomputer policies; classroom contexts; and teachers' characteristics, instructional decisions, and practices. Teachers' microcomputer-based instruction systematically varied according to their goals; extent of microcomputer use, integration into the curriculum, and coordination with other activities; and the extent to which they varied the modes of computer instruction, ranging from almost exclusive drill and practice to the orchestration of drill and practice, tutorials, simulations, microworlds, and games. This diversity was related to teachers' subject matter and computer knowledge, and the student composition of their classrooms. Teachers with extensive undergraduate coursework in science tended to use drill and practice, whereas teachers with substantial courseware knowledge tended to orchestrate various modes. Students in classrooms characterized as low in ability and high in minority percentages received drill-and-practice instruction while students in classrooms characterized as high in ability and low in minority percentages received “orchestrated” instruction.

Teachers as role models: Are there gender differences in microcomputer-based mathematics and science instruction?

This study examines whether male and female teachers differ in (a) their background or training for instructional uses of microcomputers and (b) their uses of microcomputers to teach mathematics and science. Research carried out in 60 classrooms, 49 schools, and 25 districts in California provided data on district and school microcomputer policies; classroom contexts; and teachers' characteristics, instructional decisions, and practices. A secondary analysis of these data indicated that district and school characteristics and classroom organization and composition did not differ, by and large, among male and female teachers. Furthermore, gender was unrelated to teachers' subject matter and computer knowledge, patterns of microcomputer-based instruction, and instructional decisions and practices. Both female and male teachers provide leadership in the microcomputer movement, have the relevant training and experience which contributes to microcomputer use, use microcomputers for instruction in a variety of ways, and present equally viable role models.

Book Review: Using Microcomputers in Schools

Book Review: Using Microcomputers in Schools

Information Technology and an Educational Broadcasting Database

Information Technology and an Educational Broadcasting DatabaseAbstract The link between educational broadcasting and information technology is explained. Some aspects of knowledge organization for information retrieval are explored, and illustrated with reference to the pilot Educational Broadcasting Database being constructed and evaluated for selected areas of the secondary school curriculum. Communication of user‐selected elements of data from the database to microcomputers in schools using Viewdata and Ceefax forms a large part of the pilot exercise.

Using Microcomputers in Schools, Colin Terry (editor) (Croom Helm, 1984), pp. 181, £12.95

Using Microcomputers in Schools, Colin Terry (editor) (Croom Helm, 1984), pp. 181, £12.95