Microcomputer Instruction and Perceptions of Effectiveness by Special and Regular Education Elementary School Teachers

Abstract

Instructional goals and perceptions of microcomputer effectiveness were assessed in a sample of special and regular education teachers with access to computers. For both groups of teachers, discrepancies existed between their perceptions of effective uses of the technology and the types of microcomputer instruction their students received. Differences were also noted between the special and regular educators in some areas. A chi-square analysis also indicated that special and regular education teachers differed in their perceptions of who benefits most from this type of instruction. Visual inspection of the data suggested further differences in their goals for microcomputer instruction, assessment of effective uses of technology, and perceptions of its limitations. The development of instructional goals and the effects of the diffusion of responsibility on the implementation of those goals are discussed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Becker, H.J. (1986). Instructional uses of school computers (Issue #3). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, Center for Social Organization of Schools.

Becker, H.J. (1987). The impact of computer use on children's learning: What research has shown and what it has not. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC.

Carlson, S. S. , & Silverman, R. (1986). Microcomputers and computer-assisted instruction in special classrooms: Do we need the teacher? Learning Disability Qtiarterly, 9, 105–110.

Clark, R. E. (1985). Confounding in educational computing research. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 1, 137–148.

Cosden, M. A. , Gerber, M. M. , Semmel, D. S. , Goldman, S. R. , & Semmel M. I. (1987). Microcomputer use within micro-educational environments. Exceptional Children, 53, 399–409.

Cosden, M. A. , & Semmel, M. I. (1987). Developmental changes in micro-educational environments for learning handicapped and non-learning handicapped elementary school students. Journal of Special Education Technology, 8, 1–13.

Goldman, S. R. , & Pellegrino, J. W. (1986). Microcomputers: Effective drill and practice. Academic Therapy, 22, 133–140.

Russell, S.J. (1986). But what are they learning? The dilemma of using microcomputers in special education. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 100–104.

Salomon, G. , & Gardner, H. (1986). The computer as educator: Lessons from television research. Educational Researcher, 15, 13–19.

10.

Segal, S. (1956). Nonparametric statistics. New York: McGraw-Hill.

11.

Semmel, D. S. , Goldman, S. R. , Gerber, M. M. , Cosden, M. A. , & Semmel, M. I. (1985). Survey of special education and mainstream teachers' access to and use of microcomputers with mildly handicapped students (Tech. Rep. No. 9). Santa Barbara: University of California, Project TEECh.

12.

Semmel, D. S., & Schnorr, J. (1987). Teacher behavior in the use of microcomputers with mildly handicapped pupils. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC.

13.

What teachers had to say about using computers in today's schools. (1986) Learning, 14(1), 48–52.