The computer science high-school teaching community of practice possesses a rich collection of distributed practical knowledge consisting of individual teachers' expertise regarding pedagogy. However, without a proper means of communication and rules of discourse, the individual pieces of knowledge might not be transferred properly within the…

Roles can be assigned to occurrences of variables in programs according to a small number of stereotypical patterns of use. Studies on explicitly teaching roles to novices learning programming have shown that roles are an excellent pedagogical tool for clarifying the structure and meaning of programs and that their use improves students'…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

Open Source Software (OSS) has introduced a new dimension in software community. As the development and use of OSS becomes prominent, the question of its integration in education arises. In this paper, the following practices fundamental to projects and processes in software engineering are examined from an OSS perspective: project management;…

This paper presents a newly-revised information technology curriculum and an interdisciplinary curriculum which couples information systems (IS) and computer science. Discussion includes changes in teaching and learning methods; technological developments; partnerships with businesses and educational institutions; a collaborative curriculum…

This paper describes three computer-based simulators developed to support an undergraduate computer architecture course. Using a hypermedia authoring package, a simulator was created for each of the three course content areas: (1) introduction of the hypothetical computer structure--contains a tutorial, a quiz, and a simple program that presents…

The use of a strategic planning model to integrate a computer literacy component into an established general education program is illustrated. Key issues are identified at each planning model stage, which consists of: identifying appropriate goals, writing objectives, developing an action plan, identifying options/alternatives, identifying…

The uses of computers by colleges and universities are described, and some definitions of computer literacy are proposed. In addition, an essay, "Computing and Higher Education: The Revolution Is Through the Gates," by Robert G. Gillespie briefly considers the efforts colleges are making to explore the potential of the personal computer.…

The Lincoln Advanced Science and Engineering Reinforcement (LASER) Program at Lincoln University, which has recruited over 100 students for majors in technical fields, is described in this report. To date, over 70% have completed or will complete technical degrees in engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer science. Of those completing the…

This report of an international seminar which examined the utilization of advanced educational technology for the promotion of teacher education in the countries of the Asia and Pacific region is divided into six chapters: (1) an introduction providing background information, the purpose and themes of the seminar, and brief descriptions of the…

A broad range of well-structured problems--embracing forms of diagnosis, catalog selection, and skeletal planning--are solved in expert computer systems by the method of heuristic classification. These programs have a characteristic inference structure that systematically relates data to a pre-enumerated set of solutions by abstraction, heuristic…

The use of computers to build diagnostic inferences is presented in two contexts: (1) closed world, exemplified by the space shuttle launch monitoring system; and (2) open world, represented by computerized diagnostic testing of reading comprehension. The analysis shows that the closed world provides a substantially cleaner environment within…

The National Research Council's Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board conducted a workshop in January 1984 to project what the state of knowledge of aeronautical technology could be in the year 2000 if necessary supporting resources were made available. Eight panels were organized to assess possibilities in the areas of: (1) aerodynamics; (2)…

Prepared as an address for educator groups, this paper provides a theoretical perspective for thinking about problems and prospects for integrating microcomputer uses in school activities. Six major aspects of the perspective are defined: (1) the computer as general-purpose symbolic device; (2) the importance of developmental studies of children's…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Center for Mathematics Education of the University of Maryland sponsored a conference to consider the impact of computing on school mathematics. Participants (including mathematics teacher educators, mathematicians, computer scientists, elementary and secondary mathematics teachers, and…