Reviews three computer software packages for chemistry education including "Osmosis and Diffusion" and "E.M.E. Titration Lab" for Apple II and "Simplex-V: An Interactive Computer Program for Experimental Optimization" for IBM PC. Summary ratings include ease of use, content, pedagogic value, student reaction, and…

Contains ratings of two software packages for Apple II computers: "Acid-Base Titrations, CHM311A" and "Chemical Principles for the Introductory Laboratory, CHM 384A." Both are aimed at high school and college chemistry and are rated on ease of use, subject matter content, pedagogic value, and student reaction. (CW)

In order to determine the knowledge and skills needed by novice programmers to successfully learn computer programming, four studies were conducted using a clinical interview technique. The first study determined that many systematic errors in programming were due to programmers' high-level misconceptions of the nature of the computer and of the…

This paper, which addresses the issue of representation as an internal construct corresponding to an external abstract configuration, attempts to extend A. A. DiSessa's phenomenological primitives to mathematics (particularly to the notion of circle). Various acceptations of the word representation are examined, using the notion of a circle as an…

Described is an instructional aid that employs artificial intelligence methods to assist students in beginning economics courses to improve their problem-solving skills. Discussed are the rationale, structure, and evaluation of this program. (CW)

This document reports on the first year of the STACI (Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation) project, a two-year project which is examining the cognitive demands and consequences of using the STELLA (Structural Thinking Experimental Learning Laboratory with Animation) software to teach systems thinking, content knowledge, and problem solving.…

Proposed are the use of implementation strategies available to teachers through the application of Robert Gagne's nine instructional events. The application of computer technology in science education is discussed. (CW)

Reviewed are two computer software packages: "Algebra Concepts: Volume One," and "Data Insights." Each package is described and the strengths and weaknesses are highlighted. Costs and system requirements are listed. (CW)

Investigated was a sequence of computer-based activities on estimation with 108 students in grades 9, 10, and 12. The activities were appropriate for students at each grade level; each class improved their estimation scores significantly. (MNS)

Presents a bibliography of 28 items related to the use of computers in history instruction. Focuses on materials dealing with secondary and college-level instruction. Includes 11 German-language items. (CFR)

The first of two phases in this research project aimed at linking information technology (IT) with library information skills used the microcomputer as an information retrieval tool, and investigated ways of using curriculum-based keywords to help secondary school students define and maintain a clear sense of purpose when selecting, evaluating,…

To investigate what children learn during computer programming instruction, students attending a summer computer camp were asked to recall either single lines or chunks of computer programs from either coherent or scrambled programs. The 16 subjects, ages 12 to 17, were divided into three instructional groups: (1) beginners, who were taught to…

The five papers in this symposium contribute to a dialog on the aims and methods of computer education, and indicate directions future research must take if necessary information is to be available to make informed decisions about the use of computers in schools. The first two papers address the question of what is required for a student to become…

Examples of relatively novel computer software environments from the representation perspective are described. Even more novel approaches to curriculum reform to cultivate higher-order thinking skills are then discussed. (MNS)

Given are instructions for teaching spreadsheet use for problem solving in mathematics. Examples of relevant problems from algebra through calculus are provided. The advantages of using computer spreadsheets in this application are stressed. (CW)