Computer Literacy Training Modules for Special Educators. Bulletin 1749

Abstract

Designed to provide Louisiana special educators with the background information they need to develop a computer literacy curriculum for use with their students, this document is divided into four training modules: (1) Introduction to Computer Literacy and Computer History; (2) Introduction to Computer Hardware and Software; (3) Introduction to Computer Programming with BASIC; and (4) Evaluation of Application Software. To assist teachers in identifying their skills development, lists of objectives and related activities introduce each module. Modules 1 and 2 present information on the concept of computer literacy, the history of computers and computer use, computer hardware and software, computer assisted instruction (CAI), and programming languages. Module 3 provides step-by-step instructions for writing a computer program in BASIC and addresses the nature of computer programing as a problem-solving procedure. Module 4 presents suggestions for evaluating computer software and identifies three basic stages in an evaluation: the classification, description, and observation stages. Finally, a chart is included which lists the characteristics of five types of CAI software--drill and practice, tutorial, testing, simulation, and dialog. (JB)