A report on the development of a multimedia instructional unit entitled Microcomputers: how they work

Abstract

While the use of microcomputers continues to escalate in all sectors of society, their application for teaching and learning purposes in provincial and national schools remains with the committed few. Present and past literature suggests educator unfamiliarity with microcomputer technology is still largely responsible for this condition, though other factors such as poor courseware, few authoring languages, and costs are prohibitors as well. -- To assist with the task of familiarizing a large local population of educators with the microcomputer and its capabilities, a multimedia instructional package, entitled Microcomputers: How They Work, was designed and developed by the writer. -- During the course of development the learning materials were edited, revised, and examined in preparation for a formal, thorough evaluation of their effectiveness. A statistical analysis suggests the package was responsible for 30 elementary school teachers demonstrating learning of both concepts and skills as well as affective improvements with respect to microcomputers. -- Microcomputers: How They Work, is now available for use by government, school boards, and other agencies responsible for teacher education and professional development who wish to instruct local educators in the broad areas of microcomputer form, function, and instructional utility.