Effect of computer-assisted instruction on the language arts achievement of elementary school children

The investigator compared the language arts achievement of one-hundred Black fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in the experimental group with the language arts achievement of one-hundred Black fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in the control group. Both the experimental and control groups received traditional language arts instruction over a nine month school year. The experimental group received an additional fourteen minutes of language arts drill each school day via computer terminals in the areas of Word Meaning, Spelling, and General Language Usage. The experimental and control groups were chosen at random and represented across section of the student population with regard to I.Q. level, sex, age, and previous achievement levels in language arts. Both the experimental and control groups were administered the Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate I Battery, for the pre-test and the Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate II Battery, for the post-test. The pre-test was administered in September, 1970, and the post-test in May, 1971. The two-hundred Black children involved in the study were chosen at random from the inner city of Waco, Texas, and were scholastics in the Waco (Texas) Independent School District. ..