Whereas hackathons are widespread within and outside academia and have been argued to be a valid pedagogical method for teaching interdisciplinarity, no detailed frameworks or methods are available for conceptualizing and organizing educational hackathons, i.e., hackathons dedicated to best achieving pedagogic objectives. This paper is dedicated…

Educators increasingly recognize the importance of disciplinary literacy for student success, beginning as early as the primary grades. This cutting-edge volume examines ways to help K-12 students develop the literacy skills and inquiry practices needed for high-level work in different academic domains. Chapters interweave research, theory, and…

Reports on the use of a new version of the BASIC programing language to teach computer operation in both undergraduate and graduate curricula. Concludes that although it may not be the perfect teaching version, it appears to be much better than any other alternative. (JN)

A process-oriented approach that can be highly successful in introducing students to computer systems concepts and terminology in an integrated manner is presented. (MP)

Backward chaining is a teaching technique which logically and systematically links the steps of an algorithmic process, beginning with the final result and then working backwards. This paper concerns its application in the algorithmic problem-solving approach to computer science. (Author)

Presents 15 suggestions for training business education students in the use of computers. Suggestions involve computer language, method of presentation, laboratory time, programing assignments, instructions and handouts, problem solving, deadlines, reviews, programming concepts, programming logic, documentation, and defensive programming. (CT)

Presents a collection of computer teaching activities for the early grades, including instructions for teaching children to start up a computer on their own. Also suggests exploring electronic bulletin boards, using old typewriters to practice typing skills, and using subroutines in computer programs to streamline programs. (JN)

Presents a collection of computer-oriented teaching activities for the early grades. They include creating musical tones using Atari PILOT, a simulation of traffic lights, teacher-friendly password protection, drawing the alphabet using Logo, and using the Commodore 64's special character graphics. (JN)

Presents four teaching activities suitable for students in early elementary grades. The activities focus on creating a database for student use, a bulletin board which uses a visual diagram of modular programing, a program (with listing) which uses graphics to present a birthday greeting, and a random number program. (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)

Presents two examples which illustrate the usefulness of ideas from cellular automata. First, Lee's algorithm is recalled and its cellular nature shown. Then a problem from digraphs, which has arisen from analyzing predecessing configurations in the famous Conway's "game of life," is considered. (Author/JN)

Discusses a program in which research groups consisting of faculty, undergraduate students, and graduate students worked on projects in computer graphics, automatic-code generation, or computer-aided instruction. Cites several positive outcomes for students when research is made relevant to the technical subject studied. (RT)

Presents a collection of teaching activities suitable for students in the upper grades. These activities focus on practical programming projects, use of word processors for learning a foreign language, an Atari program for making a starburst, and a program (with deliberate errors) to determine the thickness of folded paper. (JN)

Presented are six practical teaching suggestions selected from commercially available materials and ideas submitted by readers. A personalized poster program, a hiking program, and activities in which students send the Logo turtle on an egg hunt and study pattern block programing are included. (JN)

The Science and Mathematics Education Centre (SMEC) at the Western Australian Institute of Technology offers two graduate courses: Graduate Diploma in Science Education and the Master of Applied Science (Science Education). Three distinct groups of students engaged in these SMEC programs can be identified based on their interests/expertise in…