This digest summarizes diverse viewpoints in the controversy over the meaning and practice of "computer literacy." The issue of whether being able to read and write computer programs should be a a computer literacy requirement for teachers is specifically addressed. Attempts to define computer literacy goals for teachers are noted,…

This report explores the complex agenda of issues, promise, and problems that building a developmental science of programming entails and emphasizes the need to highlight different types of programming and programmers, the different cognitive subtasks involved in programming, and the social character of many programming efforts. An introduction…

With the changing demographics of the American workforce, the National Science Foundation, along with the U.S. Department of Commerce, has highlighted the shortage of minorities in information technology (IT) careers (http://www.ta.doc.gov/Reports/itsw/itsw.pdf). Using data from a 6-year period and the psychology Involvement-Regimen-Self…

Components of a computer studies course are discussed, goals for 15 topics to be covered in a first-year course are specified, and sample evaluation items are included. (DT)

The costs and benefits are considered of offering computer terminal operation as part of secondary school or junior college business machines courses and general education technological background. (EA)

Described are the text materials "The Computer - Yours Obediently," developed for a course in computer appreciation. (SD)

Part of a series of case studies on successful academic computing programs at minority institutions, this monograph focuses on the Community College of Baltimore (CCB). Sections I and II outline the purpose and background of the case study project, focusing on the 11 computing activities the case studies are designed to facilitate, the need for…

This review of ideas from cognitive and educational psychology that are related to the problem of how to teach non-programmers to use computers explores two techniques. The first one discussed is the effects of concrete models on people's understanding and learning of new technical information such as computer programming. Research results provide…

To make training cost-effective for its small systems customers, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) is providing self-instructional packages that can be used by customers on-site for training people to run their systems. To control the quality of this training, Computer Managed Instruction (CMI) is now incorporated into some of these packages.…

Many devices and systems related to microprocessors are available on the marketplace. The author suggests that criteria for selecting and designing workstations and development systems are necessary. Seventeen important factors of designing workstations and six desirable features of a development system are presented. The kinds of places in which…

The school personnel program described here is designed to provide users with a basic, yet comprehensive understanding of computers--their concepts, functions, and their applicability to today's education. It is intended for teachers, school administrators, curriculum specialists, and undergraduate education majors who wish to acquire computer…

The Educational Data Services Department of the Palo Alto Unified School District is responsible for implementing data processing needs to improve the quality of education in Palo Alto, California. Information from the schools enters the Department data library to be scanned, coded, and corrected prior to IBM 1620 computer input. Operating 17…

Three postdoctoral fellows completed a 38-week training program designed to familiarize scientists already experienced in educational research with the techniques of designing and executing a large-scale, long-range educational research project. The program was conducted by the research staff of Project TALENT, a project of the Institute for…

This study measures the stability of performance exhibited where different computer programing classes study the same material. By focusing standard measurement techniques on the item difficulty (the proportion of students answering an item correctly), it was determined that up to two-thirds of the reliable variance of a classroom test is held in…