Nondeterminism is an essential concept in mathematics and one of the important concepts in computer science. It is also among the most abstract ones. Thus, many students find it difficult to cope with. In this article, we describe some didactic considerations, which guided the development of a "Computational Models" course for high school…

Secondary vocational-technical education programs in Mississippi are faced with many challenges resulting from sweeping educational reforms at the national and state levels. Schools and teachers are increasingly being held accountable for providing true learning activities to every student in the classroom. This accountability is measured through…

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…

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…

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…

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…

An analysis of computer literacy curricula around the middle of the 1980s shows a remarkable overall shift away from teaching computing to teaching applications, information handling, and problem-solving. Computer use is no longer viewed as a goal in itself, but is introduced as a powerful means of fulfilling information needs and of facilitating…

The first of the six sections in this description of the national educational system in Finland discusses the system's goals, its structure and size, the curriculum in the comprehensive and upper secondary schools, and studies in higher education and at the post-graduate level. The second section describes the organization and funding of…

Designed to illustrate effective course design for user-oriented materials for data processing education or training, this paper argues that conceptual knowledge should be integrated into a course only as it is needed to support task knowledge. The importance of determining the direction of a course by planning and controlling the informational…

Developed by the Michigan State Board of Education, this document begins with brief discussions of a philosophy for the integration of computers into all content areas and district planning for computer use in schools. Essential goals and objectives for computer education are then outlined in the following areas: (1) computing and its evolving…

Delaware County Community College's (DCCC's) course, "Introduction to Microcomputers," was designed to develop the basic level of computer competency necessary to enter the college's microcomputer technology programs. Three manuals were developed for the course: an instructor's manual, a self-paced study guide for students, and a student exercise…

Over 100 key resources regarding computer science education at small colleges are collected in this bibliography. A brief review of the collected documents introduces the bibliography, categorizing and relating the materials and noting their emphases. The review concentrates on materials published after 1978, but cites the major works providing…

This digest summarizes diverse viewpoints in the controversy over the meaning and practice of "computer literacy." The issue of whether being able to read and write computer programs should be a a computer literacy requirement for teachers is specifically addressed. Attempts to define computer literacy goals for teachers are noted,…

This report explores the complex agenda of issues, promise, and problems that building a developmental science of programming entails and emphasizes the need to highlight different types of programming and programmers, the different cognitive subtasks involved in programming, and the social character of many programming efforts. An introduction…