The information professions demand digitally literate practitioners who can navigate the increasingly complex technological environments of libraries and archives. While basic literacy is presumed among graduate students, many students express fear and anxiety when approaching new technologies. These psychological barriers have not been addressed…

Organizations interested in increasing their user experience (UX) capacity lack the tools they need to know how to do so. This dissertation addresses this challenge via three major research efforts: 1) the creation of User Data Spectrum theory and a User Data Spectrum survey for helping organizations better invest resources to grow their UX…

This article describes the collaborative evolution of the Midwest Center for Information Technology (MCIT)--which is a consortium of 10 different community colleges across the four states of Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota--that was established to improve information technology (IT) education across the region. MCIT has been funded…

Business leaders in Iowa cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. Student performance in K-12 math and science has not…

The 2021 edition of the Annual Condition of Education Report (COE) marks the 32nd edition of the report. For over 30 years, the Department has published the COE in order to provide education stakeholders critical data about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2021 COE covers a wide variety of content including information about Iowa's…

This article explores the philosophy and position of the discipline of computer science within the liberal arts, based upon a discussion of the nature of computer science and a review of the characteristics of the liberal arts. A liberal arts environment provides important opportunities for undergraduate programs, but also presents important…

For over 30 years, the Department has published the Annual Condition of Education (COE) report in order to provide education stakeholders quality information about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2020 COE covers a wide variety of content from information about Iowa's students, schools, educators, administrators, performance and school…

Students in all areas of computing require knowledge of the computing device including software implementation at the machine level. Several courses in computer science curricula address these low-level details such as computer architecture and assembly languages. For such courses, there are advantages to studying real architectures instead of…

The IT-Adventures program is dedicated to increasing interest in and awareness of information technology among high school students using inquiry-based learning focused on three content areas: cyber defense, game design programming, and robotics. The program combines secondary, post-secondary, and industry partnerships in educational programming,…

Analysis of the curriculum and hardware needs for data processing instruction in Iowa was undertaken in order to prepare a sample curriculum and equipment recommendations for instruction in postsecondary institutions, as well as suggestions for a K-12 computer literacy program. More than 60 publications on computer-related topics and K-12 computer…

Challenges traditional methods of education and urges use of computer technology to increase learner productivity. Recommends a national program for innovative learning and advocates increased cooperation between industry and educational institutions. Suggests a Model Educational Center as a systematic approach for computerized instruction. (ML)

To better understand the instructional computing needs of Iowa's K-12 teachers and administrators, a needs assessment was conducted in the spring of 1983. A 48-item administrator questionnaire and a 52-item teacher questionnaire were used to gather data from all Iowa school superintendents and from random samples of both elementary and secondary…

Designed for use by local curriculum committees who are implementing computer education components of their school districts' multicultural, nonsexist education plans, this guide provides a list of definitions, a discussion of the rationale and philosophy of multicultural, nonsexist education, and the text of the legal authority for the use of…