A National Microcomputer-Software Survey of Current Microcomputer Usage in Schools for the Hearing Impaired

Educators involved in the production or adaptation of educational materials for the hearing impaired must be concerned with the materials' potential for use in the schools. For example, the greatest filmstrip ever produced would be worthless without the technology intended for its utilization, i.e., the projector. With the current progress being made in the development of microcomputers and software, educators must be able to answer some very basic questions concerning the degree to which this technology is available in the schools prior to curricular development.

With this question as a basis, the microcomputer-software survey was developed. A sample of 158 schools for the hearing impaired was chosen, and each was sent a survey designed to assess the extent of the availability of microcomputers and the variety of tasks for which microcomputers are currently being used. Other questions of interest which were addressed include: What models of microcomputers are available, what are the limiting factors for the use of microcomputers and the software, and what adaptations are necessary in currently available software? Responses were obtained from 120 schools representing 45 states. This paper presents the results and a sampling of responses from those schools.