Investigates effectiveness of advance organizers for teaching functioning and use of compilers to undergraduate students in computer science courses. Two experimental groups used the advance organizer while two control groups did not. Findings indicate that an explicitly concept-directed organizer is effective in providing a framework for…

Identifies six needs assessment procedures applied in educational and other organizations, provides examples of how each is used, and discusses the relationship of needs assessment to problem solving. Kaufman's Outcomes Model is described and the Organizational Elements Model is presented as a pragmatic approach to contemporary decision making and…

Focuses on use of computer-drawn faces to explore visualization in learning and for presenting multivariate data. Prior and new research are reviewed and future applications are discussed. "Autocorrelation-face," a graphics representation created from mathematical analysis of voice input, and its potential as a learning aid for the deaf are…

Discusses the results of an ongoing research study to measure college students' microcomputer literacy before taking a microcomputer course. A brief review of the literature on computer literacy is provided, a comparative analysis of results is given, and a microcomputer literacy index is described that measures literacy and ranks students.…

Describes the field evaluation process used to assess the validity, effectiveness, and efficiency of an interactive microcomputer simulation program designed for teachers and student teachers preparing to work with emotionally or behaviorally handicapped elementary school-age children. Results indicate the simulation was judged to be useful. (MBR)

Describes survey conducted among humanities faculty at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to assess their current use of and attitudes toward educational computing. Topics covered on the questionnaire include computer experience, skills and frequency of use, computer interest and anxiety, computer software, and use for instructional,…

Describes a study which compared the achievement of undergraduate economics students receiving instruction by two different television presentations, one depicting an instructor using a chalkboard, and the other employing animation and graphics. Results indicate differences occurred in immediate and delayed recall measurements on conceptual…

Describes a study designed to determine if college students' success in writing computer programs is related to level of cognitive development as described by Piaget, verbal ability, and mathematics reasoning. Regression analysis showed that level of cognitive development, when combined with verbal reasoning, is linearly predictive of programming…

Survey of Ohio State University faculty members and administrators examines their attitudes and perceptions regarding need for, and potential use of, a computerized database to increase efficiency of graduate school administration, and to collect and generate data for academic departments' use in improving programs. Proposed database design is…

Designed to evaluate the use of microcomputer-based labware (MBL) in junior high school science, the Computer as Lab Partner Project examined classroom experience of using MBL; system features used and curriculum designed; classroom procedures, processes, and interactions; gains and benefits of MBL use; and potential difficulties in MBL…

In a study conducted to examine potential of two-way television as an instructional medium, classroom observation data were collected from 32 presentations--two-way television and conventional--by seven medical faculty to medical students. Results reveal similar instructional strategies regardless of presentation mode, and mixed reaction by…

Describes a study in which 46 high socioeconomic status elementary and secondary children were exposed to Logo and Bank Street Writer at a computer camp. After exposure, children 12 and under minimally shifted toward an internal locus of control as measured by the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. (Author/MBR)

Reports findings of analysis of teacher evaluation forms completed during a statewide project in Indiana to evaluate microcomputer software in public schools. Comparisons between groups of teachers based on factors of either prior experience with software or amount of time invested in evaluation are described, and 31 references are provided. (LRW)

This meta-analysis of 49 comparative studies shows that mastery testing has positive effects on student learning, but the size of effect depends on the stringency of the criterion used and the degree of experimental control. The effects of instructional time, student attitudes, and differences in ability levels are also addressed. (Author/LRW)

Describes study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of interactive videodisc program Mastering Fractions. The videodisc program is compared with traditional fractions curriculum and teaching methods in sixth grade classes; pretests, posttests, and mastery tests used are discussed; and results of the study are analyzed. (LRW)