Reports on a study indicating that there are no significant differences in student learning when they are taught FORTRAN by the grammatical approach and the whole program approach. (IRT)

A new approach to teaching COBOL allows the student to test his program on the first or second day of class. (Author/IRT)

Presents data on COBOL syntactical error frequencies and an approach that instructors may use to assist students to avoid errors while learning the COBOL language. (Author)

Describes a method to teach COBOL which is based on the assumption that trying to teach the idiom of a computer language is similar to trying to teach the idiom of French. Suggests that the basic introduction to programming should be in the Modern Languages department of a school. (SED)

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)

The Gomoku game playing system was designed to provide a challenge to students taking an introductory course in programing with BASIC--to write a program in BASIC which will make a move in a Japanese game called Gomoku. This system should provide experiences for the student in designing and debugging a program which would be superior to assigned…

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)

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…

Presented are six activities suitable for middle grades. They include programs for voting, creating Logo patterns, and for selecting a writing topic. Other activities focus on use of the colon and FOR/NEXT loop in BASIC and evaluating programs. (JN)

Five activities suitable for upper grades are provided. They include programs to create polygons (Logo), determine where text is placed on screen (Apple Pascal), and draw a working clock (Logo). Other activities focus on command statements and creating a quiz. (JN)

Presents computer-oriented teaching suggestions suitable for early grades. They include creating houses and stained glass ornaments using Logo, recording class activities with a database management program, making mazes with graphics programs, making drawings with a KoalaPad, and using a program to introduce computers to non-English speaking…

Points out that the secret of successful Logo teaching appears to lie in knowing when to intervene and when not to. Sample programs and instructional sessions are included to illustrate when to intervene without intercepting student discovery. (JN)

Some 120 undergraduate students participated in experiments to learn how novice computer programers learn to interact with the computer. Two instructional booklets were used: A "rule" booklet consisted of definitions and examples of seven modified FORTRAN statements and appropriate grammar rules; the "model" booklet was…

Three-Key Logo is a useful method for introducing young children to Logo because it does not require numbers skills and eliminates typing slow-down. Briefly outlines the method and provides an exercise which may be duplicates for classroom use. (JN)