Learning basic programming concepts in computer science-related fields poses a challenge for students, to the extent that it becomes an academic-social problem, resulting in high failure and dropout rates. Proposed solutions to the problem can be found in the literature, such as the development of new programming languages and environments, the…

The use of computers has become part of everyday life. The high prevalence of computer use appears to lead employers to assume that university graduates will have the good computing skills necessary in many graduate level jobs. This study investigates how well the expectations of employers match the perceptions of near-graduate students about the…

Description of Northwest Council for Computer Education's efforts to develop computer education guideline competencies to aid in developing teacher training programs. Discusses stages of information gathering; issue identification and definition; and formulation, evaluation, and dissemination of competencies. Competencies for elementary and…

Reviews current issues involved in teacher training in computer science and literacy and discusses the Northwest Council for Computer Education's project to develop competencies useful in guiding training programs for elementary and secondary teachers as well as computer curriculum coordinators. (MBR)

In this article, we present CTRL_SPACE: a design for a software environment with companion hardware, developed to introduce preliterate children to basic computational concepts by means of an animatronic face, whose individual features serve as an analogy for a programmable object. In addition to presenting the environment, this article briefly…

This document provides guidelines for the preparation of school district plans for implementation of the microcomputer instructional programs recommended for Arkansas high schools. Introductory materials include a history and description of the Instructional Microcomputer Project for Arkansas Classrooms (IMPAC), results of a state-wide…

Designed for use by local curriculum committees who are implementing computer education components of their school districts' multicultural, nonsexist education plans, this guide provides a list of definitions, a discussion of the rationale and philosophy of multicultural, nonsexist education, and the text of the legal authority for the use of…

Formal action by state education agencies (SEA's) in regard to educational technology is quite recent. In 1981 only seven states addressed the issue in formal state-level action. This paper presents the results of a 1983 survey on state-level initiatives relating to educational technology. The survey found that nearly all state SEA's are involved…