Recent Changes in CAI at CSDF

The California School for the Deaf has been involved with computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for the past 13 years. In 1980 the school moved from Berkeley to Fremont. After this move many additions were made to the CAI services. In the Berkeley school all computers were in one lab. All departments shared time. This limited the amount of user time available. Since the move to Fremont, new labs have been formed in the vocational, elementary, junior high school, and special unit (muttihandicapped) departments. These labs serve a total of 549 students.

Introducing children to computers at an early age helps develop keyboard skills (typing), builds confidence in working with the hardware, generates excitement, and creates a desire to learn more. This sets the stage for the presentation of more complex material. Because our children enjoy and look forward to attending the CAI lab, computer time can also be used as a behavior modification tool. Children earn computer time by completing their homework and classwork and by showing a positive attitude in their classroom behavior.

Scheduling and monitoring of equipment is important. It is necessary to have someone responsible for the lab area to handle scheduling and hardware or software problems. Another and perhaps the most important change in the program is a new version of the authoring system, Blocks ‘82. This is a series of programs which enable teachers without any programming knowledge to create and illustrate computerized lesson material for any subject, at any grade level.

Since Blocks ‘82 requires less hardware, the cost of equipment is reduced. This reduction increases the opportunity for schools to become involved with the current CAI explosion taking place in the United States.