In many science and engineering undergraduate programmes, physics courses are fundamental and can be seen as a potential place where students can develop complementary abilities such as the computational thinking process. The present work proposes and describes the learning science and engineering with electronic spreadsheets cycle (LSEESC)…

A typical first computer science course (CS1) introduces the student to coding conventions, variables, methods, control structures, conditionals, and the semantics of classes and objects. Advanced concepts of inheritance, polymorphism, abstract classes, interfaces, and their use in the design process, are covered in a second-level course (CS2).…

Previous studies have shown that students learn better from an online lesson when a gesturing pedagogical agent is added (Mayer & DaPra, 2012; Wang, Li, Mayer, & Liu, 2018). The goal of this study is to pinpoint which aspect of a gesturing pedagogical agent causes an improvement in learning from an online lesson. College students learned…

The large volume of material to be learned in biomedical disciplines requires optimizing the efficiency of instruction. In prior work with computer-based instruction of neuroanatomy, it was relatively efficient for learners to master whole anatomy and then transfer to learning sectional anatomy. It may, however, be more efficient to continuously…

A study was conducted by the Air Force to determine the extent to which takeoff/landing skills learned in a simulator equipped with a night visual system would transfer to daytime performance in the aircraft. A transfer-of-training design was used to assess the differential effectiveness of simulator training with a day versus a night…

Spider World is an interactive program designed to help individuals with no previous computer experience to learn the fundamentals of programming. The program emphasizes cognitive tasks which are central to programming and provides significant problem-solving opportunities. In Spider World, the user commands a hypothetical robot (called the…

This study examined the effects of animation and practice on factual and application learning in computer based instruction (CBI), and the extent to which animation and practice promoted near and far transfer of these learning outcomes. Subjects were 192 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, and the CBI content was an elementary physics lesson in…

Research employed two types of redundancy, each having two levels, at each stage of a programed sequence of non-verbal concept learning tasks. One type involved amount of variation and repetition of exemplars; the other, strength of feedback. A researcher presented tasks to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, simulating a computer graphic display. The…

Computer games are no longer just for entertainment; they have also become a useful instructional strategy for acquiring knowledge. When games are used for purposes other than strict entertainment they become serious games. The goal of serious games is to enable the player to learn a task, master a strategy or develop a skill. Serious games can be…

During the school year 1977/78 four computers equipped with LOGO and Turtle Graphics were installed in an elementary school in Brookline, Massachusetts. All sixth grade students in the school had between 20 and 40 hours of hands-on experience with the computers, and the work of 16 students ranging from intellectually gifted and average to learning…

During the school year 1977/78 four computers equipped with LOGO and Turtle Graphics were installed in an elementary school in Brookline, Massachusetts. All sixth grade students in the school had between 20 and 40 hours of hands-on experience with the computers, and the work of 16 students ranging from intellectually gifted and average to learning…

Examines current state of Logo programming language and research on Logo and presents conclusions about the efficacy of Logo as a research and teaching tool. Conclusions discuss use of Logo to teach computer literacy; transfer of training; representativeness and reliability of Logo research results; and Logo research methodology. (Author/MBR)

Computer-based simulation (CBS) represents a unique utilization of computers for instruction that combines some of the best features of the technologies of simulation and computer assisted instruction (CAI). CBS grew out of an interest in testing the application of CAI to procedural and perceptual motor skills. With the sophisticated graphics…

Describes the design of the Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE), a database that allows the storage and retrieval of information in several media, e.g., text and drawings. Research on cognitive abilities and learning strategies is reviewed, learner control is discussed, and the implementation of CSILE in grades five and six…

Discusses under what conditions computer simulations should be used. Considers the aspects and qualities of computer simulations used in simulating science laboratory experiments. Provides suggestions for selecting or designing simulations. Examines the idea of transfer when using simulations. (MVL)