Many introductory computer science (CS) courses are intended to address the increased demand for computer literacy and the development of cross-cutting concepts and practices of computational thinking (CT). Colleges and universities offer introductory CS courses every semester toward this end. The issue is centered on how to support CT learning in…

Most freshmen taking required, introductory information systems courses do not understand why they are required to take such courses and can't imagine that they will learn anything they don't already know. This paper presents an exercise that will excite and enthuse students about their computers and Information Systems in general. Every freshman…

Non-traditional student enrollment, especially at community colleges, has markedly risen in the last ten years due to national unemployment rates, the current economic climate, and employer demand for computer-literate employees. While university instructors struggle to constantly adapt their course materials to incorporate updates in software…

Teaching computer programming to novices is a difficult task due to the complex nature of the subject, as negative stereotypes are associated with programming and because introductory programming courses often fail to encourage student understanding. This Protocol outlines the plan that is to be followed in order to investigate the effectiveness…

The author describes students' and lecturers' reactions to a five-day residential course for older adults. The course was designed to develop competence at word processing and familiarity with other computer applications. (CH)

Describes a microcomputer laboratory run by the University of Kansas School of Education that offers courses in computer literacy to elementary students, university students, teachers, and administrators. Laboratory sheets used are included. (JM)

A set of computer programs was developed to support instruction in an introduction to education course for prospective teachers. The programs provide teacher education students with examples of various uses of the microcomputer to support classroom instruction. The instructional programs represent three types: drill and practice, tutorial and…

This study investigated the structure and content of the introductory computer literacy courses at four universities: Arizona State University, Indiana University, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Virginia. The four courses are similar to each other, however the structure and content vary. The course content at the four…

At University Laboratory High School, ethics lessons are integrated into the required eight-grade computer literacy course. Six messages are posted online, each containing an ethical scenario. Students add their opinions to each scenario's thread, read each other's postings, and respond to at least one student follow-up message within each topic.…

Issues in teaching students who are neither mathematiaclly nor scientifically oriented to apply computers to their intellectual and creative pursuits are described. Suggestions are made for designing an introductory computer literacy course. (MSE)

This paper notes the advantages of using e-mail in computer literacy classes, and discusses the results of incorporating an e-mail assignment in the "Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning and Computer Programming" core course at Brooklyn College (New York). The assignment consisted of several steps. The students first read and responded…

In 1998, the University of Charleston implemented an academic transformation, moving to an outcomes-based learning environment in which the university awards academic credit based on competences mastered rather than courses completed. That fall, for the first time, students no longer took introductory courses in composition, speech, and computing.…

With the current influx of grants and national technology standards, many in Instructional Technology departments that serve teacher education programs wrestle with working outside initial certification areas. At Georgia State University, the Instructional Technology unit has been working closely with the Middle Childhood Education unit for the…

In a world of continuous change directly related to information technology, it is incumbent on faculty in higher education to share tools and ideas that foster effective teaching and learning experiences for students. This paper discusses four areas which should be addressed when teaching computer literacy: (1) establish computer literacy…

Describes nine-week computer literacy course offered to seventh graders of the Freeport, Illinois, School District, which teaches students how to operate a computer, input a program, process the program, and identify output. Sample activities involving predicting output, and modifying and writing a program are appended. (EJS)