ABSTRACT
Visual aids were used and children were taught the rudiments of a programming language, which they used to solve simple numerical problems. The scale and potential of computer applications in primary education require careful planning of equipment provision, of curriculum developments, and of training, and these decisions must be informed by classroom-based research with effective dissemination. All delegates at the Council of Europe Symposium accepted that this awareness of technological innovation must be a significant educational objective, though how it should be worked out in the curriculum and in teaching methods is a matter of debate. Hence, learning tasks that foster skills should also stimulate the development of values and interests, encourage co-operative working so that children explain their ideas, interchange and test opinion, and thus acquire motivation and confidence in their learning. What makes the computer of particular interest to education is that it can itself serve as a teaching/learning instrument.
