Contributes to scholarship regarding whether, when, and how feminist formulations of rape made their way into the mainstream by examining 25 episodes of prime-time television featuring rape as a primary plot element from 1976 through 1978. Finds that these episodes bolster hegemonic masculinity by focusing on male protagonists, depicting them as…

Uses vectors and programming with graphing calculators to analyze a ride in an amusement park (the "Scrambler") that has three long arms that revolve horizontally around a central post, at the end of which hang seats revolving in circles. (ASK)

Finnish fifth-graders (n=20) and sixth-graders (n=23) worked in teams in a Lego/Logo-Control Lab to complete Lego design activities. Observations showed that they became familiar with automation technology but their skills were not always up to their ideas. Activities based on real-life situations gave them ownership and engaged them in learning.…

Offers steps for selecting and creating Web-based learning materials: (1) assess in-house development capabilities, (2) assess learning needs, (3) assess audience's equipment, and (4) test. Includes a list of online course development and delivery systems. (JOW)

Discusses GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment) and knowledge-based courseware engineering from an epistemological point of view and suggests some combination of the two approaches. Topics include intelligent tutoring; courseware authoring; application versus acquisition of knowledge; and domain knowledge. (LRW)

Describes a model of instructional simulation design where designers create models in a system dynamics package and then transfer them into a general instructional authoring system for the addition of instructional support features. Topics include building versus using simulations; procedural versus conceptual simulations; and discovery versus…

Studied the interactive effect of instructional strategies enhanced with text-plus-textual metaphors or text-plus-graphical metaphors and cognitive style on the acquisition of programming concepts using a measure of cognitive style and the QUEST Interactive Test Analysis System. Results for 203 undergraduates support the reliability of the…

Notes that fewer than 10% of American high schools offer radio production opportunities. Describes several high school radio stations. Discusses Radio as a major, how the stations raise grant money, and the special status for low-power radio stations. Includes a sidebar by Amy Medlock concerning procedures for radio stations. (RS)

Investigates the validity of the television industry's labeling of sensitive program content following the advent of the V-chip television ratings system. Examines programs for the nature and extent of portrayals of violence, sexual behavior and dialogue, and adult language. Suggests there are substantial limitations in the ability of the V-chip…

Reports on a study of students learning the concepts of universal and existential quantification in undergraduate mathematics courses in which the instruction was based on previous research into what it means to understand this concept. Concludes that, as a result of making the computer constructions, students will tend to make more effective…

Explains how to use the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" TV show to teach general organic biochemistry to liberal arts students. (YDS)

Shares experiences of a project aimed at developing and refining programs written on a Casio FX9750G graphing calculator. Describes in detail some programs used to develop mental strategies and problem solving skills. (MM)

Presents an approach for illustrating, on an intuitive level, the significance of loop invariants for algorithm design and analysis. The illustration is based on mathematical games that require the exploration of regularities via problem-solving heuristics. (Author/MM)

Describes how at Rice University's radio station, students talk about artistic vision while administrators talk about responsibility. Discusses the heated events following Rice's demand that a university-paid general manager be placed at the station, raising the issue of whether the station is a university asset or something held in trust for…

Computer science students need to learn how to write high-quality software. An important methodology for achieving quality is design-by-contract, in which code is developed together with its specification, which is given as class invariants and method pre- and postconditions. This paper describes practical experience in teaching design-by-contract…