Ray tracing is a computer graphics technique used to produce realistic visuals by physically simulating the behavior of light. Although this technique can be described straightforwardly, fully comprehending it might be challenging. It is typically taught in the classroom using the 2-D formats, such as paper or a blackboard. We propose using…

In the age of COVID-19, traditional teaching techniques are under scrutiny. Most concepts and labs in the area of information technology are intended to be taught face-to-face in labs using clusters and networking infrastructure. Simulation software's such as uCertify, Pearson online, etc.., are good alternative, but are not always a viable…

Practical abilities are important for students from majors including Computer Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. Along with the popularity of ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM/ICPC) and other programming contests, online judge (OJ) websites achieve rapid development, thus providing a new kind of programming…

The Speak Up National Research Project annually polls K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school. For the past twelve years, Project Tomorrow's® annual Speak Up Research Project has provided schools and districts nationwide and throughout the globe with new insights into how today's students…

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. Begun in 1968 as the College and University Eleven-Thirty Users' Group…

Highlights the advantages of word processors and spelling checkers in improving student writing skills. Explains how spelling checkers work and describes the types of available checkers. Also provides lists of Apple, IBM, and Commodore word processors and checkers. (ML)

Traces the origin, changes, and current status of the PLATO system at the University of Illinois. Highlights the program's benefits to students, its adaptations, and its establishment of large networking systems. (ML)

Described and critiqued are two ideas which have proven valuable in teaching programming at the introductory level, the mental model and the programming plan. (PK)

Provides examples from elementary mathematics principles which illustrate some of the advantages of an interactive mouse-driven animation. Explains the effectiveness of this approach with exercises dealing with a plane of waves and quadratic formulas. (ML)

Interactive visualization is a powerful educational tool. It has been used to enhance the teaching of various subjects from computer science to chemistry to engineering. In computer science education, this powerful tool is used almost exclusively in programming and data structure courses. This paper suggests that visualization could be very…

Reviews the various ways in which LOGO has been used by teachers both correctly and inappropriately. Discusses the status of and future direction of LOGO in classroom instruction. Provides a summary of the third annual LOGO Conference. (ML)

Presents practical teaching suggestions selected from commercially available materials and also submitted by readers that can be easily adapted to different grade levels. Contains seven computer based ideas on topics such as computerized banking, database management, trigonometry applications, timing programs, keyboard use, and programming…

Surveys the present status of science instructional software in the United States. Describes project efforts at the University of Pittsburgh on the development of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). Explains the major components and provides microworld examples of ITS. Includes the software evaluation instrument and summarizes the evaluation…

Contends that the major use and promise of computer aided learning (CAL) lies in the provision of secondary teaching support such as simulations, interactive tutorials, and similar activities. Reviews the uses and benefits of CAL in demonstrations, experiments, exercises, and interactive tutorials. (ML)

Summarized are six journal articles from five journals published in 1988. Included is one article which summarizes other studies. Sources of other similar articles are listed and discussed. Topics noted here include BASIC programing, computer-based instruction, student preparation, text density, and teacher workload. (CW)