An Evaluation of a CAI System for Teaching Fortran

A one-year study was conducted at Michigan Technological University to evaluate the effectiveness of the Control Data Corporation MicroPlato Fortran lessons as a replacement for classroom instruction. The one-half grade lower average achieved by the group using the computer-aided instruction mode compared to that of the group taught in the traditional classroom environment was found to be statistically significant (¿ = 0.01). This paper presents the details of these results, the students´ reactions to the system, as well as a discussion of factors possibly contributing to the better performance of the traditionally taught group.