Computers can be a valuable component of a situated learning environment. At one time in my life, I spent a lot of time doing and teaching computer programming. In the early years, the nature of my interaction with the computer was limited by the slow turnaround of using punched cards on a batch processing computer. Then timeshared computing was developed, and this greatly improved the interaction. Microcomputers have further improved the human-machine interaction in computer program.
Computer programming is now an example of highly interactive computing.
It is also an excellent example of a situated learning environment. Final Remarks Learning occurs in one's mind. This article focuses on various types of learning environments in which there is interaction between a computer system and a person's mind. For example, we are making progress in developing Intelligent CAI systems that have some of the characteristics of a good human tutor. There are a number of examples of computer simulations that are excellent aids to learning, but relatively few have been designed for use at the precollege level.