Two studies--conducted in 1987 and 1988 in high schools in the Madison, Wisconsin, Metropolitan School District--investigated the existence of gender related differences in high school elective computer courses and factors affecting the differences. In the first study, a two-part survey was administered to the total population of students enrolled…

Involving 114 teachers enrolled in microcomputer staff development courses, this study was concerned with the reliability, the factorial validity, and the differential validity of the Computer Attitude Scale and its four subscales. (Author/LMO)

Describes a study conducted at Iowa State University that investigated the effects of using guided programing instruction to train analogical reasoning. Two groups of students are compared who received different types of programing instruction, and the far transfer and the near transfer of instruction are explored. (35 references) (LRW)

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide the basic information needed for success with SPSS/PC+ Studentware, a student version of the statistical analysis software offered by SPSS, Inc., for the IBM PC+ and compatible computers. It is intended as a convenient summary of how to organize and conduct the most common computer-based statistical…

To investigate what children learn during computer programming instruction, students attending a summer computer camp were asked to recall either single lines or chunks of computer programs from either coherent or scrambled programs. The 16 subjects, ages 12 to 17, were divided into three instructional groups: (1) beginners, who were taught to…

This study guide presents lessons on hand calculating various statistics: Central Tendency and Dispersion; Tips on Data Presentation; Two-Tailed and One-Tailed Tests of Significance; Error Types; Standard Scores; Non-Parametric Tests such as Chi-square, Spearman Rho, Sign Test, Wilcoxon Matched Pairs, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Rank Sums;…

Discusses results of a survey of undergraduate students that investigated their current knowledge of computers and the level of knowledge they would like to have. Attitudes of students who had prior computer courses or who owned a computer were found to be more positive than those of students who did not. (27 references) (LRW)

The research reported in this paper explores the syntactical and semantic link between computer programming statements and logical principles, and addresses the effects of learning a programming language on logical reasoning ability. Fifth grade students in a public school in Syracuse, New York, were randomly selected as subjects, and then…

Describes study of two-year college students that was conducted to determine whether variables that were predictors of success in a programing class were also predictors of success in a package-oriented computer class using Lotus 1-2-3. Diagraming skill, critical thinking ability, spatial discrimination, and test anxiety level were examined. (11…

Describes a study designed to determine if college students' success in writing computer programs is related to level of cognitive development as described by Piaget, verbal ability, and mathematics reasoning. Regression analysis showed that level of cognitive development, when combined with verbal reasoning, is linearly predictive of programming…

Describes a 1995 study of college freshmen at a Scottish university that examined use of computers, knowledge about information technology, and reasons for not studying computing. Gender differences are discussed and results are compared with earlier studies from 1992, 1989, and 1986. (LRW)

Describes study that investigated the impact of computer ownership and lab attendance on College of Business students' performance on an examination and in an introductory course on information systems. Results indicated that both owning a computer and attending lab sessions were associated with a student earning a better course grade. (10…

Describes a study of Norwegian college students that investigated whether gender, group composition, or self-efficacy in computing has any impact on cooperation, giving or getting task-related help, and level of activity in student groups. Results confirms gender differences in self-efficacy in computing. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of undergraduates that was conducted to describe differences in anxiety in students entering two computer courses (i.e., a problem-solving and programing course and a software applications course) and to assess changes in anxiety levels attributed to each course. Further research is suggested. (19 references) (LRW)

Describes a study that investigated the effects of visual display within a college computer-based learning program that taught computer programming language through analogies. Three types of visual displays (text, static graphics, and animation) are compared, and assessment measures that included posttests and attitude questionnaires are…