Teaching computer programming to novices is a difficult task due to the complex nature of the subject, as negative stereotypes are associated with programming and because introductory programming courses often fail to encourage student understanding. This Protocol outlines the plan that is to be followed in order to investigate the effectiveness…

This report describes an evaluation of Computer Literacy, which is an undergraduate general studies course, offered by College of Education at a large southwestern university. The purpose of this course is to provide knowledge about computer and computing, and application skills in using Microsoft Office software. The course is coordinated by a…

A mailed questionnaire completed by 86 parents of preschool and kindergarten children showed overall positive attitudes toward computers and computer use by young children with more positive attitudes among those parents whose children used computers in school. Significant factors were educational level of parents and family income. (JHZ)

This study analyzed the enrollment of two computer classes at a public high school in northern Indiana to see if there was any computer inequity. The two classes examined--an introduction to computers course and a computer programming course--were studied over a period of four years. The sample consisted of 388 students in four years of the…

Discusses the results of an ongoing research study to measure college students' microcomputer literacy before taking a microcomputer course. A brief review of the literature on computer literacy is provided, a comparative analysis of results is given, and a microcomputer literacy index is described that measures literacy and ranks students.…

This paper discusses two conflicting opinions on the role of computer education within the West German school curriculum, i.e., the opinion of the majority of the education ministers and administrators, who wish to see computer use distributed over as many school subjects as possible, and a minority of specialists in computer education who prefer…

Interviews 2,645 eighth-grade West German male and female students to determine: (1) the computer experience gained by students in their leisure time; (2) the knowledge they would like to acquire at school; and (3) the influence of vocational orientation on students' readiness to learn about computers. Describes pre-conditions and develops…

Two descriptive pilot studies employed a multi-group and pre- and post-design to analyze the relationship between students' exposure to computers and reductions in their computer anxiety scores and the relationship between the amount of computer exposure to computer anxiety scores. In the first study, standardized measures of computer anxiety and…

The almost 200 papers and panel, project, and special session reports represented in this collection focus on innovations, trends, evaluations, and research in the use of computers in a variety of educational settings. Of these, the full text is provided for 52 presentations and abstracts for 138. The topics discussed include: use of computers at…

Designed to examine the academic computing programs of six liberal arts colleges that received funding from the Exxon Education Foundation for introducing or expanding academic computing between 1981 and 1983, this report first describes each college's program proposals. It then examines the progress of the colleges to date on their projects and…

This brief overview of the state of the art in computer education in schools in the Federal Republic of Germany covers both the extent and areas of use and research and development, and frequent comparisons are made with educational computer usage in other countries, including the United States, Japan, France, Great Britain, and Norway. The…

This report describes the procedures used to construct and validate the Standardized Test of Computer Literacy (STCL), a criterion-referenced instrument designed to assess students' computer literacy. Following a statement of the study problem and purpose, a description of the study methodology outlines the use of a 12-step model for development…

Reviews the Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP) from the director's point of view, including the origins and basic structure of the program which ran for six years. The collaboration of teachers, advisers, and trainers is emphasized, research and evaluation procedures are discussed, and learning processes, computer studies, and distribution…

Discussed are the results of a questionnaire which concerned students' course choices and why students chose not to study computing. The lack of human orientation, mathematical ability, and lack of computer contact in secondary schools are identified. (KR)

Three studies give evidence to support informal reports of sex differences in computer access, interest, and use in the school-aged population. In the first study, a survey of 87 middle and upper income students in grades 5 to 8 revealed that more boys than girls owned home microcomputers and that use of the home computer also differed by gender.…