Describes biographical/life story methods used to explore the underrepresentation of women in computing courses in the United Kingdom. Explains how interviews were structured and conducted and illustrates the method of transcription used. (SK)

Reports results of two studies that compared the introduction of procedural (exemplified by Pascal) and declarative (exemplified by Prolog) programing languages to Italian secondary school students. Discussion covers learning approaches and problems, mental models, programing techniques, programing environments, and educational applications. (27…

One group of college students who had no previous keyboarding instruction and one group who had were tested after three months of microcomputer use. Previous instruction was found to increase speed; no significant difference in mean error scores appeared. Proficiency appeared to be enhanced by previous keyboarding instruction. (SK)

Discussion of the absence of women and minority groups in computer science and information technology focuses on a study conducted at Middlesex University (England) that investigated how gender and ethnicity connected to computing are perceived by computing science students and how this may influence their decision as future computer scientists…

Describes the formative evaluation of a prototype, computerized, interactive learning and practice program for university students in theoretical computer science. Found the program to provide a rich learning environment. (EV)

A partnership between British Telecommunications (BT) and the Communication Workers Union resulted in a part-time bachelor's degree program for BT employees. The union played a key role in establishing the credibility of the program. Concerns included employee access to the program and manager resistance. The need to sustain workplace learning…

We have been using robots in our artificial intelligence course since fall 2000. We have been using the robots for open-laboratory projects. The projects are designed to emphasize high-level knowledge-based AI algorithms. After three offerings of the course, we paused to analyze the collected data and to see if we could answer the following…

In February 2003, RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, commenced delivery of a Computer Science diploma and degree programme using mixed mode delivery to 250 university students in sub-Saharan Africa, through a World Bank funded project designed for the African Virtual University (AVU). The project is a unique experience made possible by…

The results of a survey of the mathematics provision within UK university computer science departments are presented. In particular it is found that many academics are dissatisfied with the level of "mathematical preparedness" of their students. A number of recommendations and resources are suggested to address this. (Contains 6 figures.)

The Computing Research Association revealed that the percentage of American women in computer science and related fields remains low and stagnant, while other fields, like mathematics, science, and chemistry are seeing growing enrollment of women. Some researchers suggest computer-science programs are stacked women and the way they learn, but…

The context of Information Communication Technology (ICT) is changing dramatically. Today, Web 2.0 applications such as Facebook and MySpace are used ubiquitously in the general population, and Virtual Worlds are becoming increasingly popular in business, for example via simulations in Second Life. However the capacity of Virtual Worlds is…

This paper highlights relevant curriculum issues that were identified in a Management Information Systems (MIS) program review undertaken by a group of business faculty in a small regional university. The program review was initiated to improve job marketability of graduates and student enrollment. The review process is described as a collective…

In an ideal world, review and changes to computing curricula should be driven solely by academic concerns for the needs of students. The process should be informed by industry accreditation processes and international best practice (Hurst et al., 2001). However, Australian computing curricular review is often driven by the need for financial…

This article talks about a software designed by the University of Phoenix for its business, information-technology, education, and health-care courses. Through the university's "virtual organizations"--online teaching tools designed to simulate the experience of working at a typical corporation, school, or government agency, Phoenix students can…

This study compares Polish post-secondary vocational institutions with Canadian community colleges using an information technology conceptual framework. The research concentrated upon programs in information technology delivered by one Polish school Cracow School of Information Technology and two Canadian community colleges Durham (Oshawa,…