Examines possible reasons for a gender bias toward males and against females studying computing at the secondary school level in Scotland. Recommendations for improvement are provided for the following areas: (1) access to the curriculum, (2) course design, (3) teachers' attitudes and teaching styles, (4) language, (5) assessment issues, and (6)…

Reports on a study comparing social characteristics of 13 British male secondary-school students with high levels of interest in and use of computers with those of 14 students who lacked interest in computers. Finds that computer-using students were not less sociable than their peers. (CFR)

Describes a study of undergraduate students that examined the relationship between selection of college computer courses and self-perceived proficiency in using computers, computer causal attributions, and selected computer attitudes. Gender issues are addressed, correlations between variables are examined, and implications for educators are…

Proposes using computer programing teaching problem solving. Describes the problem-solving technique of Top-Down Design, discusses its application to LOGO, and provides examples of programs using LOGO. (MDH)

A survey of 244 British university undergraduates in biology, computer science, and English investigated attitudes about various uses of animals, including killing animals to make luxury clothing, killing of animals for food, general and medical research using animals, and captivity. Response differences by discipline, gender, and age were also…

Discusses various factors involved in planning and implementing an introductory computer science course in an Indian secondary school located in Bahrain. Topics discussed include computer literacy; selection criteria for microcomputers; funding; computer laboratories; teacher training; criteria for student selection; students' viewpoints; teaching…

Examines the pedagogical implications of redesigning instruction for Web-based delivery through a case study of an undergraduate computer science course. Initially designed for a traditional learning environment, this course transformed to a Web-based course using WebCT, a Web-based course authoring tool. Discusses the specific features of WebCT.…

Describes a web-based teaching practicum guidance model designed to support Taiwanese computer science student teachers with teaching support and updated information on new technological advances. Online discussion forums were developed to facilitate students' collaborative learning and reflective thinking. Examination of 29 student teachers…

This study examines the experiences and knowledge of students who are participating in a recruitment course in a secondary science, mathematics, and computer science teacher education program. It looks at students who are participating in a recruitment course in a secondary science, mathematics, and computer science teacher education program at a…

Today's college students believe that learning technologies are necessary tools that should be integrated into their course work. However, faculty have not yet responded to these expectations. This qualitative study engaged approximately 100 faculty and undergraduate students at the University of Washington in focus groups to explore this…

Many colleges and universities require incoming students to demonstrate a prescribed level of computer proficiency. Currently, many educational institutions offer introductory computer courses to assist students in meeting this requirement. Other institutions are considering eliminating introductory computer courses with the expectation that…

For beginning programmers, inadequate problem solving and planning skills are among the most salient of their weaknesses. In this paper, we test the efficacy of natural language tutoring to teach and scaffold acquisition of these skills. We describe ProPL (Pro-PELL), a dialogue-based intelligent tutoring system that elicits goal decompositions and…

Mandatory introductory level college courses, or "service courses," tend to be taught in lecture format, in a linear order from the instructor's point of view, and to classes of anywhere from 50 to 600 or more students. Students have individual differences and diverse learning styles which are difficult to address in a large class.…

The report details a study to identify vocabulary needed by Japanese students of English as a Second Language to function successfully in college computer science courses and research laboratory apprenticeships. The vocabulary was then to be taught in the first two semesters of freshman English composition. The study involved development of simple…

This study investigates technology use in education in K-12 schools and the status of preservice education for teachers in terms of familiarity with technology (i.e., computers, videodiscs, CD-ROMs, and VCRs) through an analysis of articles written within the last five years. A brief introduction contains a statement of the problem and discussions…