A process model to explain bugs produced by novices early in a programming course are presented. (The term "bug" refers to an error in a person's behavior, particularly an error in a computer program they have written.) The model is motivated by interviews of novice programmers solving simple programming problems. The key idea is that…

Arguments for the inclusion of computer studies as a part of a general secondary education are considered. Suggestions are made for addressing the issues of the role of the computer in society, as well as for using the computer as a part of the mathematics curriculum. (DT)

The computerized office procedures class, through the "learning-by-doing" approach, uses three instructional modules incorporating practical computer-based projects. (BP)

This discussion of the kind of knowledge acquired by a novice learning BASIC programming and how this knowledge may be most efficiently acquired suggests that people who do programming acquire three basic skills that are not obvious either in instruction or in traditional performance: (1) the ability to analyze each statement into a type of…

The effect of a meaningful instructional context and practice variety on rule retention was investigated. One hundred high school students participated. The design was a 2 by 3 completely randomized factorial design. The instructional context factor had two fixed levels: context and rule. The practice variety factor had three fixed levels: broad-,…

The relationship between a fear of automation and teachers' attitudes toward a variety of instructional media is explored by comparing the attitude scores of teacher-education and computer science majors. Eighteen terms describing the instructional media were presented to both groups. Nine of the instructional devices were considered traditional,…

An experimental 9th grade computer science syllabus is proposed. The syllabus would include the technical information needed for controlling and programing the computer in a number of modes and would preview some of the areas covered in the high school curriculum. A sample module of a topic not normally taught in high school--distance and…

The goals of computer science education in a developing country are: (1) to fulfill the manpower needs of computer scientists which would ensure rapid economic advancement of the country, (2) to popularize the use of computers as an integral part of engineering design, (3) to become completely self sufficient in software development and (4) to…

Some suggestions are made on how to solve the main difficulties in problems of education and related questions of computer applications. The general outline is as follows: scientific applications for development, scientific background needed, the main difficulties, the present situation, how to start, how to keep highly trained workers in their…

The opening chapter of this workbook introduces the user to BASIC, a simple computer programming language, by explaining terminal use and commands such as "print" and "scratch". The second chapter uses population as an example to consider ways to input and handle large numbers and offers a further explanation of the…

A computer-assisted instructional system to teach college students the computer language, AID (Algebraic Interpretive Dialogue), two control programs, and data collected by the two control programs are described. It was found that although first response errors were often those of AID syntax, such errors were easily corrected. Secondly, while…

Three new teaching techniques, using established principles of learning, were combined to teach an introductory digital computer course to college students. The techniques were: 1) programed instruction; 2) Fields-type teaching tests, "a discrimination method to teach concepts by modifying the examination procedure to emphasize similarities…

This report describes an undergraduate program designed to produce mathematicians who will know how to use and to apply computers. There is a core of 12 one-semester courses: five in mathematics, four in computational mathematics and three in computer science, leaving the senior year for electives. The content and spirit of these courses are…