The effects of 2 different kinds of descriptive models (metaphor and flow chart) on the learning of a computer command language were studied for 37 computer experienced and 47 nonexperienced undergraduates (57 females and 27 males). Results show that metaphor improves performance of most subjects on most transfer items, with inexperienced subjects…

Describes the process of starting a new program in computer science and engineering that is heavily based on applied mathematics and only open to women. Emphasizes that success requires considerable interest in mathematics and curiosity about computer science among female students at the secondary level and the acceptance of the single-sex program…

Describes STILE (Students' and Teachers' Integrated Learning Environment) project that used a computer-mediated communication environment to assist student learning on a computer science course for both technical and nontechnical students. Discusses the student-tutor and the student-student exchanges in two of the tutorial conferences. Focuses…

"Telementoring" programs, formal and informal online exchanges between students and working professionals, have flourished using e-mail. This article discusses telementoring and issues to consider (finding mentors, familiarity, frequency of exchange, preparation and facilitation, and closure) before creating a program and the…

Discusses a new computer mathematics curriculum introduced at the Department of Information and Network at Tokai University, Takanawa Campus, Japan. Outlines the reform project consisting of sections on mathematical literacy and computer mathematics as well as the use of personal computers. (KS)

This study investigated changes in student attitudes toward computing in three different university introductory computing courses. Describes the attitude survey used and discusses the results of interviews and focus groups that were held to better understand why attitudes changed in one course but not the others. (Author/LRW)

Provides a classification, review, and critical analysis of instructional systems available on the Web that can be used by students to learn programming. Reviews drill and practice systems, tutorial systems, and simulation systems and analyzes them according to established standards for instructional design. (Author/LRW)

Pair-programming has been found to be very beneficial in educational settings. Students who pair in their introductory programming course are more confident, have greater course completion and pass rates, and are more likely to persist in computer-related majors. Although pairing helps all students, we believe that it is particularly beneficial…

This paper summarizes the results of an investigation into whether women and men have different (concrete and abstract) styles of programming, and whether the standard computing curriculum is therefore biased against women. The theory underpinning the hypothesis is critically reviewed in practical programming contexts. A concrete means of testing…

Most electrical engineering and computer science undergraduate programs include at least one course on microcontrollers and assembly language programming. Some departments offer legacy courses in C programming, but few include C programming from an embedded systems perspective, where it is still regularly used. Distributed computing and parallel…

This paper will discuss the results of a project that enabled three faculty members from disparate disciplines: Social Work, Interpersonal Communication and Software Engineering, to enhance writing and critical thinking in their courses. The paper will address the Faculty-in-Residence project model, the activities taken on as a result of it, the…

Industry and academia often hold workshops to promote products or disseminate technical information. This study defined workshop-based instruction (WIW) that coordinates student learning in a manner similar to researchers and scientists attending a workshop. WIW aims to enhance collaborative design through presentation, discussion, assessment and…

Computer operations involving complex numbers, essential in such applications as Fourier transforms or image processing, are normally performed in a "divide-and-conquer" approach dealing separately with real and imaginary parts. A number of proposals have treated complex numbers as a single unit but all have foundered on the problem of the…

In this article, the authors review, critique, and synthesize the emerging research literature from 1994 to 2005 on women's enrollment and persistence in computer-related majors. A thorough examination of 44 empirical studies in scholarly journals reveals that this literature primarily relies on exploratory and descriptive analyses, individualized…

The accelerating diffusion of broadband Internet access provides many opportunities for the development of pedagogically robust Web-based instruction (WBI). While the supporting technology infrastructure of broadband disseminates, the attention of academic researchers focuses upon issues such as the drivers of student usage of WBI. Specifically,…