With  the  advent  of computer  technology,  Computer  Assisted

          Instruction has become a controversial, and potentially integral,

          part  of  the classroom.  Today, the importance of CAI  has  come

          under the close scrutiny of  both  educators  and  students.   To

          some,  the  use of computers in the classroom is  an  educational

          breakthrough  and  is  the   next   link   in  the  technological

          advancement of computer use.  On the other hand,  there are those

          who feel the use of CAI  may be detrimental to the student.  This

          view  is  supported  by  people  who  believe  strongly  in   the

          traditional  educational  system  and the  benefits  of  personal

          methods of instruction.  Although these different views exist, it

          is clear that computers  are  increasingly  becoming an important

          part of the classroom setting.  Both the opponents and proponents

          of CAI  argue  over how the computer should be used by educators,

          how much it should  be  used,  and what its function should be in

          the educational process.


            Computer Assisted Instruction followed the development of early










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                                               1
          computers by approximately a  decade.    Originally,  instruction

          based   on   computer   assistance    was   a   simple,   modest,

                                                                          2
          fill-in-the-blanks teaching machine designed  by  B.F.  Skinner.

          The  original  intent of CAI was to provide the  student  with  a

          faster and more comfortable learning technique while allowing the

          educator to avoid repition and  drudgery  inherent  in  preparing

          daily  lessons.   Also, with computers, the  teacher  could  more

          easily acquire updated  instructional  material and would be able

          to more easily document and appraise student  progress.   It  was

          the  intent  of  these  original  designers  of CAI to allow  the

          classroom to run more smoothly  and  efficiently.   As  the  idea

          progressed, however, in the l960s, it  was  the  desire  of  some

          educators to have a central source into which  different  schools

          all across the country could network their terminals.  This would

          basically eliminate the role of the  teacher,  and  allow  for  a

          self-taught kind of learning  by  computer.   This central source

          would not only provide  the  instruction,  but  would  also  keep

          records of each individual student's  progress.   This  idea  was

          disputed because the  different  views  of  the  quality  of  the

          instruction did not coincide.   By  the  time  the  l970s  rolled


          ----------

          1.   Worth   Scanland  and  Diane  Slattery,   "The   Impact   of
          Conmputer-Based  Instruction  upon  Teachers:  Two  Perspectives"
          Educational Technology, Nov.  l983 v.  23, n.  11, p.  8.
          ___________ __________

          2. James A. Kulik,  "Synthesis  of  Research  on  Computer  Based
          Instruction" Educational  Leadership, Sept.  l983, v.  41, n.  1,
                       ___________  __________
          p.  19.



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          around, the plan was virtually forgotten when the  difficulty  in

          creating such a network was realized.


            Since then,  the  use  of computers in the classroom has become

          more widespread with  the  innovation of more personal computers.

          Such  recent  products as  the  TRS-80  and  the  Apple  II  have

          eliminated the difficult  problem  of networking.  They allow the

          teacher to maintain control in  the  classroom  while  using  the

          computer as an aid to