Discussion of computer usage and familiarity focuses on an empirical study of college students that investigated the relationship between computer familiarity and cognitive ability. Results are reported that indicate a positive correlation between high scores on cognitive ability tests and computer usage, but no gender differences are reported.…

Describes study that investigated the impact that varying levels of programing had on teachers participating in computer literacy training coursework. Models of computer literacy are described, the use of the Minnesota Computer Literacy and Awareness Assessment is explained, and implications of the results for teacher training are discussed. (12…

This study of 36 K-12 teachers focused on computer use for noninstructional activities and their perspectives on facilitating and impeding factors. Study revealed that computers were used 94% for preparing instructional materials and 58% for finding subject area information. Most common obstacle to computer use was not enough time to learn new…

Examines two components related to faculty adoption of computers on university campuses: change in use patterns and change in attitudes and opinions. Results show that use and attitudes are multidimensional constructs and that changes happen at different rates for different categories of use. Findings suggest that faculty members need adequate…

Describes a study that examined the effects of a cross-age tutoring program on computer literacy learning of second graders. Related literature is reviewed; the training program that used fourth graders to tutor the second graders is explained; and implications for future research is suggested. (Author/LRW)

Content analysis of 13 textbooks and 2 Department of Education documents was conducted to ascertain common word processing, database, and spreadsheet software skills in order to determine which specific skills should be taught in a high school computer literacy course. Aspects of a basic computer course, created from this analysis, are described.…

Describes study conducted at the University of Toronto that assessed the attitudes of student teachers toward computers by using a multicomponent model, the Computer Attitude Measure (CAM). Cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes are examined, and correlations of computer literacy, experience, and internal locus of control are discussed.…

Describes a study to determine whether attitudes toward hypermedia were changed in prospective and practicing teachers as a result of enrollment in a hypermedia in education class. Results indicate that an enriched unit of instruction on hypermedia can affect students' varying attitudes toward hypermedia. (Author/JKP)

Data gathered from 83 prospective business educators on computer anxiety, attitudes toward computers in education, attitudes toward computers as a teaching tool, and computer liking were correlated with data on subjects' computer systems and applications literacy. A relationship between computer attitude and computer system literacy was found, and…

Discusses results of a survey of undergraduate students that investigated their current knowledge of computers and the level of knowledge they would like to have. Attitudes of students who had prior computer courses or who owned a computer were found to be more positive than those of students who did not. (27 references) (LRW)

Describes a study of individual differences among high school students that relate to and predict their use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools--e-mail, Usenet news, and a multimedia notebook--to support project-based science learning. Findings indicate that skill and experience with computers, parental education, access to computers,…

Discusses the Computer Mentor Program, a collaborative effort that developed and evaluated a model for staff development that fosters effective use of computers by beginning teachers. Evaluation indicated that both mentors and proteges developed increased knowledge of computer applications and that proteges made more extensive and varied use of…

Describes a study of 647 preservice teachers in Ontario that used the Computer Ability Survey (CAS) to assess 4 components of computer literacy: software ability, awareness, programming skill, and perceived control. Correlations and validity for the CAS are discussed, and results of a principal-components factor analysis are reported. (Contains 39…

Describes 12 constraints imposed by culture on educational software portability. Nielsen's seven-level virtual protocol model of human-computer interaction is discussed as a framework for considering the constraints, a hypothetical example of adapting software for Mexico is included, and suggestions for overcoming constraints and making software…

The effects of teaching with analogies on students' conceptual understanding and explanations of educational computing were examined with three groups of preservice teachers in a computer literacy course. Students who were taught using complete analogies were found to have a better grasp of computing concepts than those taught using undeveloped…