ABSTRACT
Computer technology has entered our educational system. The microcomputer revolution has made computers available to even the smallest school district. “To compute or not to compute” is no longer the question facing educators. Instead we are faced with the question of “how” and “to what end” to use microcomputers. With this rapidly developing technology has come a division in both the “how” and the “to what end” answers to these questions. Should we use a currently limited resource to teach our students programming languages or should we spend even more money to purchase instructional software to teach specific content-area skills via computer-assisted instruction (CAI)? Papert’s (1980) powerful ideas concept emphasizes the use of programming languages that will allow students the opportunity to teach themselves these powerful ideas. Kulik, Bangert, and Williams (1983), on the other hand, cite the effectiveness to which microcomputers can be used in computer-based teaching. Unfortunately, there is a finite number of computers and funds to support microcomputer uses in education; therefore, educators are being forced to make a decision as to the uses of the available hardware and software resources.
