Microcomputers In Schools 1984 85

This report of Market Data Retrieval's second comprehensive survey of microcomputers and their use in grades K-12 presents information for the 1984-85 year for public, private, and Catholic schools in the United States. The survey findings are summarized in a brief introduction, and detailed data are presented in the 37 tables and 9 maps that accompany the narrative report. Areas covered include microcomputer use by school type, micro-intensity by grade level and type of school, brand distribution, and growth trends. Findings indicate that: (1) U.S. schools are now using 630,000 microcomputers, a 75% increase over the 1983-84 school year; (2) public school use of micros (85.1%) still exceeds private (46.4%) and Catholic school (63.4%) use; (3) senior high schools still lead the way with 94.6% using microcomputers, but junior high schools are now at 93.1% and elementary schools at 82.2%; (4) 94.2% of U.S. public school districts now use microcomputers for instruction (an increase of 86.1% over last year, and 41.7% over 4 years ago); (5) Apple computer remains the most common microcomputer brand, with a 50.9% share of the market; (6) Radio Shack is second with a 19.7% share and Commodore is third with 15.2%; (7) IBM had the fastest growth rate, moving to a 3.5% share of the market; (8) while the number of children sharing a computer has been reduced in both wealthy and poor schools (54 versus 73.3), wealthy schools are making improvements at a faster pace. State rankings, state profiles, and survey methodology and definitions are appended. (JB)

Published in 1988, this bibliography focuses on four main areas; descriptions of the computer and its effects on human thinking and learning, computers in teaching situations, problems arising from the use of computers, and examinations of the future use of computers in education. Publications with relevant information are included, and in some cases studies have been annotated to provide more information on the citation. The bibliography presents researchers with a listing of primary and secondary sources detailing the role of the computer in education from 1975 to 1986. Short term, as well as longitudinal works are included, across all formats including articles, reviews, dissertations and books.