Describes the design of a BASIC computer program which enables students to learn BASIC in the context of top-down structured projects and discusses a specific example which uses a program to teach students about double-scripted variables and data structures. (MBR)

A rationale is presented for teaching gifted students to gain computer literacy, learn programing, use utility software (e.g., word processing packages), and use interactive educational courseware containing drills, simulations, or educational strategy games to develop higher level and creative thinking skills. Evaluation of courseware for gifted…

By exploring ways of designing computer-based instruction without having to learn a computer language and by learning ways of thinking that are compatible with the microcomputer, English teachers can take control of the computer in the classroom. Authoring languages are currently available that allow the teacher to input original subject material…

Seven computer assignments for undergraduate economics students that concentrate on building a foundation for programming higher level mathematical calculations are described. The purpose of each assignment, the computer program for it, and the correct answers are provided. "Introduction to Text Editing" acquaints the student with some…

This overview of the home market for microcomputers and computer software presents a brief history of the development of the microcomputer and its use in the home. Factors which shape the home market are discussed, e.g., desire for improvement of educational skills, presence of children, previous experience with a computer, and decreasing prices.…

The different uses to which two adult educators put their personal computers illustrate some of the many personal and professional applications of microcomputers and point to some implications for home computers in the field of adult education. Relying primarily upon prepared software packages, the first educator relies on his computer as a…

Conservation ability, spatial motor ability, age, and gender were used as predictive variables in a study of 26 kindergarten children's computer programming ability. A preliminary pilot study with first graders had suggested that programming success was related to the ability to reverse thought processes. In both studies, children were taught to…

The paper describes the informatics curriculum (the study of computer hardware and software as a tool in problem solving) in a special school for gifted children in South Africa. The program's aims (including development of a structured approach to general problem solving and stimulation of pupil interest in technology) are listed and discussed. A…

This study addresses three questions: (1) whether sex is related to ability and interest in computers; (2) whether a relationship exists between the presence of a computer in the home and a child's ability and interest in computing; and (3) the combination of factors that account for students' perceptions of success in developing programming…

Since there are similarities between the process of writing computer programs and the process of writing successful expository prose, a student's knowledge of computer programing can contribute to the understanding of some principles of composition. The establishment of a clear objective is the first priority of both the writer and the programer,…

Summer Tech '84 was the product of a joint venture of the College of Education of Ohio State University and the Columbus Ohio Public Schools to provide instruction on the use of microcomputers to citizens of the Columbus metropolitan area. For four weeks, 80 different 10-hour classes were offered in eight areas: introductory computer literacy,…

The subjects for this study, which examined the relationship of cognitive style and ability to the initial acquisition of computer programming competence, were 46 college students enrolled in a computer literacy course. The selected cognitive style (field-independence) and three cognitive abilities (logical reasoning, spatial ability, and…

In the fall of 1987, Cleveland State University in conjunction with Cleveland area schools and Logo Computer Systems, Inc., embarked on a series of workshops designed to train teachers in group learning techniques and Logo programming for use in computer training for junior high school girls or minorities. The first serious exposure to computing…

Results from the 1979 Minnesota Computer Literacy Assessment show that eighth- and eleventh-grade females perform better than males in some specific areas of programing, i.e., those that involve problem analysis and algorithmic application where the problems are expressed verbally rather than mathematically. (Author/LRW)

The difficulties that younger students experience in understanding concepts related to the use of variables in computer programming are examined through descriptions of two studies: (1) detailed case studies of six highly intelligent children--three fourth graders and three sixth graders--who learned to program in BASIC during 60 hours of…