In a two-day workshop, 12 teachers who had not previously used graphics calculators not only learnt how to use a calculator but also completed calculator tasks designed to explore their misconceptions and then learnt about students' difficulties. Observation of lessons taught subsequently by 6 of the teachers, and interviews with 15 of their…

Online education has become a highly debated topic. While some educators see it as a commercialized and prepackaged form of education, one that limits the verbal skills of students, others see it as breaking down the geographical and financial barriers that many students face. Online delivery has changed education in a number of ways, increasing…

During the 1994-95 academic year a series of four focus groups were held to learn more about faculty attitudes toward computing and instructional technologies at the University of North Texas. This report assembles faculty quotes which represent group concerns about: (1) the reliability of the equipment and its technical support; (2) the…

In 1991, educators at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia began developing ideas for integrating telecommunications into the instructional practices of public school teachers using Virginia's Public Education Network. Teachers from across the state were invited to participate in a telecommunications project called the…

This study investigates pre-enrollment factors, particularly those related to computer confidence, in relation to persistence in the community college. Data on sex, ethnicity, reading level, high school grade point average (GPA), goal for attending college, and self-reported ability to use five computer application programs were gathered from 543…

The Computer Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ) is a Likert-type self-report instrument with paired-comparison items added to provide supplemental information. The CAQ is intended for use in the middle school environment, grades six to eight. A 1993 preliminary validation study indicated the instrument's stable measurement qualities and probable…

The Research Library at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has been teaching an Internet class to adult learners since May 1994. The weekly class combines lecture, personal anecdote, and teacher demonstration with hands-on practice using Gopher and the World Wide Web. The class, open to any Lab employee or associate, has provided 250 people…

Most studies investigating preservice teachers' attitudes towards computers have drawn subjects from required computer classes or from elective courses. This study examines computer attitudes of preservice teachers in reading, mathematics, and science education methods courses which have not traditionally emphasized the role of computers in the…

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of graduate students regarding the time spent in taking a course via the Internet compared to taking a class in the "regular" classroom. Graduate students completed a course in research on curriculum and instruction taught entirely via a Web-based program and email. Students would read…

A study explored informal learning in relation to online communications and working class people's use of computers as a socially situated practice rooted in collective, communal relationships. It drew on analysis of online learning workshop participation in specially initiated sessions among Canadian labor activist/educators. Findings were based…

Reserve readings are a special collection in the university library, established by a professor to support a particular class. A recent study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill found enthusiasm among current reserve users for an electronic reserve system (Petersen, 1996). The study described in this paper examined the reasons some…

This practicum paper describes a program implemented at an international school in Spain. The program's objectives were to create positive attitudes concerning technology, increase the participants' computer knowledge and usage, and decrease the amount of time the school's computer coordinator spent solving computer related problems. The target…

This digest expands the definition of computer literacy to include information literacy, delineates issues surrounding student access to new technologies, describes courses that include instruction in computer-related skills, summarizes efforts at including computer literacy among general education requirements, and addresses the faculty role in…

This study examined the effectiveness of an educational computing course on preservice teachers' computer use and attitudes toward computers in education. The study used data from 16 (12 female, 4 male) preservice teachers who attended the University of Southern California. Results indicated that teachers' prior computer experience shapes their…

Reports on a study of the characteristics of interactions in the computer conferences on "TeleNex", a computer network for the professional development of English as Second Language (ESL) teachers in Hong Kong. A framework of message analysis is described and results of a user questionnaire are discussed. (Author/LRW)