Over a thirty-year period much has been learned about how computers should be used to teach and to help students learn. Computers can be used to engage students in a dialogue that leads to development of concepts needed to learn chemistry. The dialogue can be enhanced by laboratory simulations where students can discover principles by observation, data collection, and analysis. Computers can be programmed to provide guidance to students who may be having difficulty. Students must also feel that what they do on the computer is an integral part of the course.

Today the major challenge is keeping up with the changes in technology. This paper will illustrate some of the changes in computer technology that have taken place in the last 30 years and their impact on the teaching of chemistry.