GENERAL OVERVIEW OF MICROCOMPUTER

The microcomputer can be an effective instructional tool only if educa-tors revise their views. They need to learn that the computer has a great potential for enhancing learning. But they must also understand that much of the existing software on the market today is limited in its scope and versatility for meeting individual needs and accommodating different learn-ing styles. This current problem—computer potential vs. limited software-provides support for the critics of such technology who view the computer as a short-lived, expensive fad. In the field of special education, computers can assist with individualized instruction and can help manage the vast amount of record keeping an individualized program requires. But instruc-tional applications, in many cases, are limited by the software. For com-puter instruction to be truly effective in all academic settings, educators must become advocates of this innovative instructional tool by supporting computer literacy programs and becoming consultants for researchers and software developers to assure the development of quality software