computer is simply more sophisticated than a Programmed Instruction book or machine.
The United States is somewhat behind Western Europe in terms of school use of computers. In England, for example, the Department of Education has reported that the country ranks first in the world in integrating computers in education. The report cites that 94% of secondary schools and all primary schools provide hands-on experience in computers. Secondary schools own on average 85 computers each, whereas primary schools have averaged 10 computers each. Thus, at least 10 pupils in secondary schools share one computer, compared to 60 ten years ago (Frost, 1995). Although computers are used primarily for computational skill development, increasingly they teach language and other disciplines, particularly where drill, recognition, and memorization are the primary skills to be acquired.
Nevertheless, the rush to computerize has led to growing criticism that the money spent on computer technology has not necessarily led to improvements in educational quality. This view is shared by a good number of teachers who work with CAI (McGrath, 1995). The question, however, is whether it is the computer which is to blame, or the courseware, or the inadequate or non-existent integration of CAI in the educational event.
There is no doubt but that CAI is here to stay and grow. What hardware is used becomes a problem of economics, because, although modern computers for schools offer multimedia possibilities and interactive processing, they represent a heavy investment in hardware, software, and teacher training. The language laboratory may have been a breakthrough when Audiolingual methods were in fashion. They no longer are, and therefore the laboratory of yore is well-nigh dead in spite of the recent introduction of so-called "cognitive" materials. Modern laboratories now use individualized computer stations and address the four skills rather than structure...