Integration of computers in education: a curriculum perspective

This discussion of a major problem area in education--the curricular and implementation aspects of the application of the computer or new information technologies--focuses first on the use and integration of computers in existing courses or subjects in the curriculum, and defines some key terms. The next section considers issues in the implementation of educational innovations: (1) how to involve the large group of non-using teachers in the integration of computers in the school's curricula; (2) how to integrate the computer into the formal curriculum, including evaluating the quality of educational software; (3) how to integrate computers into the operational curriculum, including teacher-learning activities such as selection of software and unanticipated problems with teachers' existing instructional roles; and (4) relation to curriculum implementation from the teachers' perspective--e.g., instrumentality, congruence, and cost--and the innovation perspective--e.g., clarity, complexity, consensus and conflict, and quality and practicality of innovation products. The question of whether the computer is an adequate instructional medium is then considered by examining models of both the learning process and the instructional process. It is noted that within each instructional function the teacher can choose instructional methods and media from an array of combinations. A final section explores the issue of how to design educational software in such a way that a teacher will be able to use it in his/her operational curriculum in the way intended by the developer. (47 references) (CGD)