Students could also use CML to assess their skills before taking a formal test that is administered and supervised by personnel from the institution. Computers are probably best known for their communication capabilities. When the recipient turns on his or her computer, the e-mail message is there, waiting to be read and responded to. Through e-mail, faculty and staff can communicate for administrative purposes, and instructors and tutors can communicate with students or other faculty in different institutions. Computers can be used as a bulletin board to post notices, as a conferencing tool to promote discussion on a particular topic, and as a means to obtain and submit course notes and assignments.
Students often use microcomputers to complete their classroom assignments.
Many of the microcomputers available in institutions are used by students for wordprocessing, the production of spreadsheets, and graphic illustrations. These functions could be handled by home-based computers or laptop computers owned by students. Computers can be used to assist students who have special needs. Braille encoders and reader functions, as well as dictation systems, can be provided by a computer. Although these items can be expensive, they do help individuals to learn and to communicate.