In today's society anxious parents fight to have their children

          achieve computer literacy, at increasingly earlier ages, fearing

          their children are doomed to failure without computer skills.  Is

          this fear justified?  As computers assume a greater role in our

          everyday life and in business, it becomes necessary for children

          to be comfortable with computer use.  It is the task of education

          to socialize the individual or to provide each succeeding

          generation with the knowledge and skills essential for it to

          carry on from its predecessor.  In addition, many feel computers

          make the best teachers.  Before we computerize education, we must

          consider the effects on our children.  We must ask at what level,

          for what purposes, and to whom can we count on computers being

          beneficial or harmful?


            Recently there has been a trend toward increased use of

          computers in education, not only for computer science, but

          infiltrating, or perhaps taking precedence over the entire

          curriculum.  The use of the computer as teacher is called CAI-

          computer assisted instruction.  More specifically CAI refers to a

          programmed learning approach in which educational objectives are

          achieved through step by step instruction.  This involves

          branched programs whereby students who make mistakes are directed



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          to remedial exercises before they go on to new material.  There

          is direct interaction between the computer, acting as instructor,

          and the student.  There are two basic types of CAI, drill and

          review and tutorial and dialogue.  In drill and review, the most

          commonly used form, the student sits at a terminal and replies to

          examples of concepts introduced by the teacher, or memorizes

          facts presented by the computer program.  The computer scores the

          results and produces class lists and summaries.  CAI tutorial

          progarams can consist of many lessons, each with branched

          subprograms in which the same material is presented in different

          formats and at different rates to match the learning rate of the

          student.  The computer presents lessons and concepts as well as

          exercises.  In dialogue programs there is more than just

          interaction between student and computer; there is

          communication.  Whereas drill and review programs are meant to

          supplement the regular curriculum, assumedly taught by a human

          teacher, tutorial and dialogue programs function as the main

          instructor; the human teacher merely supplements them.


            Perhaps the most innovative CAI is the LOGO system developed by

          Seymour Papert of MIT.  LOGO is more than just a programming

          language.  It is a whole new philosophy of learning.  LOGO, and

          Papert's philosophy is often considered the core of future

          education.  LOGO is a discovery-learning type of CAI, and is

          noted for its creativeness.  It embodies the novel concept of

          acquisition of problem solving skills.  LOGO is specifically



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          designed for young children, although its capabilities go far

          beyond childhood.  "LOGO is a powerful programming language that

          allows even small children to program effectively by defining new

                                            1
          commands a