Ideas for Reading and Writing Courseware: Needs and Development Opportunities for Educational Computer Software--Reading, Writing, and Communication Skills

The product of a comprehensive project aimed at identifying reading, writing, and communication courseware needs, this report first discusses the benefits of computer assisted instruction and obstacles to its implementation in the communications area. It then describes procedures used to gather information and presents a detailed review of the study's results. The report suggests that progress in reading, writing, and communication courseware will be facilitated by clearer guidelines for the design of good courseware, increased incentives for software development, and stronger motivations for teachers to seek out and use the courseware. After discussing these three points, the report makes recommendations concerning the roles of the federal and state governments, the local community, and business and industry in supporting research and development of high quality courseware, in ensuring that teachers can use these materials effectively, and in developing adequate standards for evaluating computer software. Its appendixes include a partial list of study participants, a classification of courseware according to the language skills area, a school microware evaluation form, and sample evaluation questions. (MM)