A robotics program involving students from a county vocational-technical school and the high school gifted program provides students with wide-ranging educational experiences and is establishing links between the school population and the universities. (MLF)

Examines many imprecise definitions being given to the term "computer literacy," proposing a universal standard of interpretation which required minimal understanding and ability in programing. The proposed definition focuses on computer structure/operation as well as computer applications and limitations. Differing viewpoints for including…

Points out that the secret of successful Logo teaching appears to lie in knowing when to intervene and when not to. Sample programs and instructional sessions are included to illustrate when to intervene without intercepting student discovery. (JN)

John G. Kemeny, co-author of the BASIC programing language and co-developer of the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System, is interviewed. He responds to questions on computer languages, the role of computer science, future uses of computers, and mathematics instruction. (MP)

Describes a preliminary investigation in which students were taught BASIC programing using deliberately bugged programs, with program descriptions and photographs of screen as it should look if programs were running correctly. Includes educational issues involved, constraints of the investigation, sample programs, subjective/statistical analyses,…

Suggests approach to teaching definitions and concepts of computer programs to learners at all age levels by using words (string manipulations) rather than numbers. An outline of a possible sequence for introducing the BASIC programming language is given. Two references are cited. (EJS)

The nature of computer instruction that emphasizes student programing in elementary school settings is detailed. Several reasons for the approach taken are given and constraints that those who want to start elementary computer programs must deal with are noted. The receptiveness of girls to computers in elementary grades is noted. (MP)

Although there is a severe shortage of computer programers with 5 to 10 years experience, entry-level workers are now in oversupply. Discusses factors responsible for the oversupply, including in-service training of programers at various companies, and current skills needed by programers. (JN)

This material provides details on many of the commands available in the Pilot programing language. It is noted that some of the forms described may not be found in individual Pilot systems, but most Pilot implementations will have commands to equivalent things. A list of suggestions for purchase is given. (MP)

In Part I of this two-part article, the author describes the evolution of the Computer Tutor project in Palo Alto, California, and the strategies she incorporated into a successful student-taught computer literacy program. Journal availability: Educational Computer, P.O. Box 535, Cupertino, CA 95015. (Editor/SJL)

A program designed to calculate pi using a Monte Carlo simulation based on "throwing darts" at a quarter circle of unit radius inscribed in a unit square is presented. (MP)

The setup of computers in schools in Bavaria is detailed, starting with the fulfillment of the preliminary requirements through teacher instruction. The plan from 1981 onward is to provide at least eight computers per school, with the use of microcomputers helping to keep the costs relatively low. (MP)

A teaching strategy for problem solving with computers is detailed. The approach provides a "midline" level of help that encourages exploratory activity yet provides enough guidance to increase chances of pupil success. (MP)

This paper describes the instructional format of the lecture and the self-paced methods of teaching FORTRAN at Michigan State University and compares end-of-term grades of students taking a second computer science course based on whether they took the first course in the self-paced or the traditional lecture format. (Author/BB)

The author provides an introduction to microcomputers in the schools by answering the type of questions a teacher without computer background might ask such as "What is a computer?"; "What is a microcomputer?"; "How can I teach children to program?" (SJL)