Thirty-nine adult computer novices in Denmark were interviewed and observed to determine the nature of their global understanding of information technology. Three assessment types, three coping strategies, and four categorical frameworks for understanding were identified. A new methodology for testing the validity of qualitative analyses is…

Describes study that was conducted at Bar-Ilan University (Israel) to examine the influence of previous experience on the computer activity of first-year university students. The average computer activity for high-experience and low-experience groups is analyzed, and implications for beginning computer courses are discussed. (10 references) (LRW)

Computer anxiety was studied in undergraduates without previous computer experience enrolled in an introductory course (N=111). About 33 percent had seriously high levels of computer anxiety. It may be advantageous to segregate initially anxious students into separate classes. (SLD)

Realizing the importance of teaching efficiency at early stages of the program of study in computer science (CS) on one hand, and the difficulties encountered when introducing this concept on the other, we advocate a different didactic approach in the introductory CS course (CS1). This paper describes the approach as it is used at the Open…

Little work has been done regarding the overall assessment of quality of computer science graduates at the undergraduate level. This paper reports on a pilot study at the University of Alabama of a prototype computer science outcomes assessment designed to evaluate the breadth of knowledge of computer science seniors. The instrument evaluated two…

This paper describes a methodology for use in teaching an introductory Database Management System (DBMS) course. Students master basic database concepts through the use of a multiple component project implemented in both relational and associative data models. The associative data model is a new approach for designing multi-user, Web-enabled…

This paper presents an overview of the fundamental characteristics of the teaching and learning environment of a computer language class course designed for college-level engineering and computer science education. Characteristics include training teachers, student evaluation, learning environment, and integrating disciplines. (Contains 16…

CPU SIM, an interactive low-level computer simulation package that runs on the Macintosh computer, is described. The program is designed for instructional use in the first or second year of undergraduate computer science, to teach various features of typical computer organization through hands-on exercises. (MSE)

Describes how World Wide Web delivered visual explanations of programming constructs have been used to supplement conventional instructional methods and materials traditionally employed introductory programming courses. Explanations are constructed using inexpensive commercial software that supports the use of animation, graphics, color, and…

Roles of variables is a new concept that captures tacit expert knowledge in a form that can be taught in introductory programming courses. A role describes some stereotypic use of variables, and only ten roles are needed to cover 99% of all variables in novice-level programs. This paper presents the results of an experiment where roles were…

Parameter passing is the mechanism by which various program modules share information in a complex program; this paper was a study of novice programmers' understanding of the parameter construct. The bulk of the data was collected from interviews with eight college students enrolled in a state university introductory computer programming course.…

This lab manual is designed to accompany a college course introducing students to computing. The exercises are designed to be completed by the average student in a supervised 2-hour block of time at a computer lab over 15 weeks. The intent of each lab session is to introduce a topic and have the student feel comfortable with the use of the machine…

Presents an outline for a computer science instructional program for inservice or prospective teachers, based on a high school computer science curriculum. Describes three courses that include an introduction to the basics of computing, an overview of the computer science field, and selected topics in computer science teaching. (AEF)

This paper notes the advantages of using e-mail in computer literacy classes, and discusses the results of incorporating an e-mail assignment in the "Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning and Computer Programming" core course at Brooklyn College (New York). The assignment consisted of several steps. The students first read and responded…

Discusses the positive transfer of computer-related skills to new computer tasks and reviews transfer-related literature to provide recommendations to facilitate better transfer of students' skills from introductory computer classes to future needs. Topics addressed include course goals, user interfaces, problem solving, and software. (Contains 60…