ABSTRACT
Equally important to our understanding of how computers function in real-life learning environments is an appreciation of the growing body of experience in using computers amongst teachers and pupils. This makes new kinds of activity practically possible, as well as creating a more knowledgeable and critical environment for the introduction of new software. The broad implication here is that, as mentioned above, research into computer useand more precisely of how teaching-and-learning is done with computersmust keep pace with software developments. We believe that the chapters of this book contribute towards our understanding of this matter, but they inevitably leave many questions unanswered. One thing that they do make clear is that the consequences of using computers in teaching-and-learning are never predictable from the design of the software; and another is that it is dangerous to generalise about learning with computers from what happens in non-computer based activities. Indeed there are signs that, for instance, word processors, computer conferencing and hypertext systems are not simply functioning as more (or less) effective means of achieving conventional ends. It is quite possible that introducing them into classrooms and elsewhere is beginning to redefine what constitutes reading, writing and discussion. The educational implications of such redefinitions are considerable.
