Provided are names and school districts of elementary and senior division winners of the third annual international problem-solving contest. Feedback from participants, contest recommendations, and information on the 1984 contest are included. (JN)

The development of computer technology is considered, the concept of computer literacy is defined, and the role of teachers in educational microcomputer programs is discussed. The field of commercially produced software for microcomputers is reviewed. (For related articles, see EC 142 959-962.) (Author)

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…

Discusses the elements of programming style, considering capitalization, variables, constants, format, GOTO statements, user friendliness, and clarity. Although Pascal is used as the example, the information provided is applicable to any programming language. (JN)

Computers are changing the lives of millions of people, but schools are still not producing many computer literate students. Rapid improvements in hardware technology and major progress in the development of software have put computers within reach of everyone. Computer literacy must now be treated as a functional tool similar to reading, writing,…

Iteration is the process of doing something repeatedly in a computer program. In LOGO, the most elementary form of iteration is provided by the REPEAT command. This paper explores how programers can use LOGO's extensibility to create more powerful iterative forms than those offered by the REPEAT command. (JN)

Presents computer-oriented activities which (although requiring a certain level of computer expertise) can be easily adapted for students in any grade. They include creating Pascal limericks, a day of the week calculation worksheet, two LOGO activities (including one used to introduce the building block approach to LOGO programming). (JN)

Giving students their own disks to use as they please can inspire them to develop new programming skills and original approaches to using the computer. Offers suggestions on preparing disks for individual student use and making such disks a personal item. (JN)

Describes the strengths and weaknesses of four programing languages (Logo, PILOT, BASIC, Pascal) in terms of the tasks to be performed (task environment), capabilities of the language (programing environment), and skills user wants to develop (user environment). (JN)

Reports on a study designed to investigate the attitudes of practicing teachers and student teachers regarding the educational use of computers. Results indicated that both groups of teachers surveyed believed their students should be computer literate and advocated the increased use of computers in education. (TW)

This paper discusses five points related to developmental research on children learning to do Logo programming: (1) systematic developmental research documenting what children are learning as they learn to program is necessary; (2) Logo is cognitively complex beyond its early steps and difficult to learn without instructional guidance; (3) the…

Persistent conceptual bugs exist in how novices, from primary school to college age, program and understand programs. These bugs are not specific to a given programming language but appear to be language-independent. The three different classes of bugs are: (1) parallelism, the assumption that different lines in a program can be active at the same…

Presents computer-oriented activities which (although requiring a certain level of computer expertise) can be easily adapted for students in any grade. They include making greeting cards, rotating figures (while creating interesting designs and learning key geometric concepts), and examining LOGO procedures that will build a database. (JN)

This report examines the exploration and implementation of a multi-faceted approach to the use of computers in the instructional setting in the Worthington (Ohio) School District. Section I presents major steps which occurred during the 1981-82 and 1982-83 school years. These include formation of task forces, descriptions of major ways in which…

Discussess the state of the art in computer science education for elementary and secondary students. Includes (1) teacher preparation, (2) hardware, and (3) software. (CH)