and students of the value of the technology in the learning process. An illustration of this problem may be gained through a consideration of computer-aided instruction (CAI). CAI began to gain a wide acceptance in the mid-1980s (ERIC 317 836, 1990, p. 1). Prior to that time, however, inadequate instructional materials provided for use in CAI caused many instructors and students alike to become disenchanted with the technology. It is significant to note that the technology was not at fault. The fault lay in the adaptation of the technology to the learning environment (Carter, 1994, p. 45).
Another problem encountered in the application of technology concerns rapidly developing and changing technology (Howe, 1994, p. 49). This problem is particularly acute with a technology such as computer science, in which new developments occur faster that the existing technology can readily be absorbed into the educational process. In the 1990s, the use of computers in the learning environment is the premier manifestation of the applicatio
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