THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION FOR READING:
Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) consists of computer technologies that aid or assist education; these technologies include guided drill and practice exercises, computer visualization of objects, and computer-facilitated communication (Gifford, 1993). This paper examines computer-assisted instruction in terms of its effectiveness as an educational technology for reading, defending the position that CAI helps to improve reading but it has some definitive limitations, the most important of which is that the technology does not really produce the key reading component of comprehension.
The paper begins with a discussion of the general effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Instruction across all subject areas; this discussion is followed by an examination of CAI effectiveness for reading in particular. The paper ends with an overall evaluation of the extent to which CAI should be considered feasible for use by the education system for the purposes of the acquisition and development of reading skills and abilities.
The first point that can be noted regarding Computer-Assisted Instruction packages for reading, or for any other subject, is that they are, at least in part, effective for many reasons. One of the most important reasons is that students like learning in the environment that the computer has to offer (Gifford, 1993).
Moreover, today's Computer-Assisted Instruction software has moved far beyond the tedious drill that early educational software promoted, allowing highly engaging activities for students such as multimedia simulation (Gifford, 1994). Exposure to such experiences as multimedia simulation makes learning fun and maintains students' interest in the subject area (Gifford, 1993).
Further, CAI allows students to work at their own pace regardless of the level at which they are supposed to be (Askov & Turner, 1989). This ability for s...