Computational thinking has been gaining new impetus in the academic community and in K-12 level education. Scratch is a visual programming environment that can be utilized to teach and learn introductory computing concepts. There are some studies investigating the effectiveness of Scratch for K-12 level education. However, studies that have been…

Ahl's questions about computers are investigated to determine if items could be used as scale to measure student beliefs about computers. Based on results of two samples--31 college students majoring in computer science and 109 students taking biology course--a 17-item scale was developed. Eight references are listed. (EJS)

A study was conducted at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Eau Claire and UW-Stout in 1992 to assess the computer skills of incoming college freshmen. Information about the students' computer skills was obtained through the use of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 92 students at UW-Eau Claire and 86 students at UW-Stout.…

Thirty-nine adult computer novices in Denmark were interviewed and observed to determine the nature of their global understanding of information technology. Three assessment types, three coping strategies, and four categorical frameworks for understanding were identified. A new methodology for testing the validity of qualitative analyses is…

This study examined the effects of increased computing experience on the computer anxiety of 101 first year preservice teacher education students at a regional university in Australia. Three instruments measuring computer anxiety and attitudes--the Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS), Attitudes Towards Computers Scale (ATCS), and Computer…

A review of the literature indicates that, in the 1990s, production workers will need significant amounts of human capital investments in terms of education, training, and retraining, to have the new and updated computer and technical skills required by American employers. The present empirical study determines and defines seven factors that are…

Project FOCAL Point is a multi-strand project designed to increase female participation in the computing sciences. The project targets two crucial groups: high school computing teachers and female high school students. Features include a two-week teacher workshop, a one-week Computer Camp for Young Women, mini-grant projects and a follow-up…