Case studies of professional software development practices describe how real (or realistic) projects are planned and executed. Cases provide engaging models of the activities and materials of software development to students and other novice practitioners. They vividly remind learners of the possibilities for meaningfully applying knowledge and…

Standard methods of teaching an introductory course in computer science, designed to introduce computer programming as a tool for mathematicians and engineers at the university level, are unnecessarily complicated and difficult. They lack a common thread that unifies each unit of material and frequently make use of mathematical notation, technical…

Many older adult have an interest in learning to use computers. The study reported in this article examined whether older adults' attitudes toward computers can be influenced by direct, customized computer training. Thirty older participants who registered for introductory computer courses offered at a SeniorNet computer lab completed the…

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000), children need to learn how to create and use mathematical diagrams to represent and reason about phenomena in the world. The author proposes a model of diagram literacy that includes six types of knowledge required for diagrammatic competence--implicit, construction, similarity,…

Open Source Software (OSS) has introduced a new dimension in software community. As the development and use of OSS becomes prominent, the question of its integration in education arises. In this paper, the following practices fundamental to projects and processes in software engineering are examined from an OSS perspective: project management;…

In a Finnish study of four different academic disciplines, Ylijoki (2000) found that in Computer Science there was a disparity between the conceptions held by undergraduate students and staff about their discipline; students viewed it as being far more pragmatic and results focused than did their instructors. Not surprisingly, here at our…

This study was designed to solicit responses from senior citizens (adults over the age of 55) who had enrolled in a computer course after retirement. The information is intended to aid program planners for seniors in developing future courses. Seventy-six seniors from four local sites (Puget Sound, Washington) and two nationwide online services…

In 1992, the National Research Council recommended that the computer science and engineering community should enrich its talent pool by reaching out to women and minorities, both underrepresented in the field. This paper describes four such outreach programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Center for Research on Parallel Computation…

This paper investigates the relationship between learning style and programming achievement in two paradigms: imperative and functional. An imperative language achieves its effect by changing the value of variables by means of assignment statements while functional languages rely on evaluation of expressions rather than side-effects. Learning…

Computer science and other computer related fields are faced with the high velocity of change in technology. Far more important than the knowledge of a particular software package is the liberal education skills that are learned in the process. This paper reviews the laboratory component of a new computer science course offered at Miami University…

In the Fall of 1994, the Computer Science Department at Coastal Carolina University (Conway, South Carolina implemented a formal ethics component in the introductory computer science course required of all majors. Prior to the introduction of this ethics component into the curriculum, a survey of ethical attitudes was administered to all computer…

This report is the result of a systematic review of the status and directions of high performance computing and its relationship to federal research and development. Conducted by the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET), the review involved a series of workshops attended by numerous computer scientists and…

TeleLearning System, Incorporated plans to offer correspondence courses by computer. Fifteen universities are participating in TeleLearning Network pilot programs; however, none of the courses are recognized for credit at this time. The courses combine the traditional correspondence course approach with the modern technology of…

Computer awareness and literacy programs for gifted and talented high school students were developed at two Washington City Schools (North Carolina). At Carteret High School, a variety of computer programs were purchased for biology and physics studies, trigonometry and algebra studies, aptitude and merit exam preparation, basic skills math…

This report focuses on the status and future of computer technology in Massachusetts schools. The report is organized into four major sections. Introductory information is provided in section 1, followed by a framework (section 2) for viewing computer technology. This framework provides information on computer hardware components, computer…