In this research, we examine the design, construction, and implementation of a dynamic, easy to use, feedback mechanism for social software. The tool was integrated into an existing university's online learning community (OLC). In line with constructivist learning models and practical information systems (IS) design, the feedback system provides…

Among educational researchers and practitioners, there is a growing interest in employing computer games for pedagogical purposes. The present research integrated a technology education class and a science class where 5th graders learned about environmental issues by designing games that involved environmental concepts. The purposes of this study…

Most of the emphasis on mining online assessment logs has been to identify content-specific errors. However, the pattern of general "consistency" is domain independent, strongly related to performance, and can itself be a target of educational data mining. We demonstrate that simple consistency indicators are related to student outcomes,…

Teachers in e-learning play a crucial role as facilitators of the students' learning experiences. To this end, a teacher needs to monitor, understand and evaluate the activity of the students in the course. What is more, e-learning can be enhanced if tools for supporting teachers in this task are provided. In this paper, two experiences are…

This paper explores a relatively new area in the design and development of assessment procedures for the evaluation of coursework and student performance on computer and video games degrees. Emphasis is placed on an assessment which involves the development of and interaction in a virtual world, where lecturers and students are represented as…

Like any infrastructure technology, Virtual World (VW) platforms provide affordances that facilitate some activities and hinder others. Although it is theoretically possible for a VW platform to support all types of activities, designers make choices that lead technologies to be more or less suited for different learning objectives. Virtual World…

The aim of this study was to assess the learning effectiveness and motivational appeal of a computer game for learning computer memory concepts, which was designed according to the curricular objectives and the subject matter of the Greek high school Computer Science (CS) curriculum, as compared to a similar application, encompassing identical…

Community and culture significantly influence value orientation, perceived needs, and motivation as well as provide the ground for creating shared understanding. All disciplines have their own cultures, and all cultures evolve through cross-cultural exchanges. The computing community has created and documented a sound body of knowledge of…

In today's technology-laden society human-computer interaction (HCI) is an important knowledge area for computer scientists and software engineers. This paper surveys existing approaches to incorporate HCI into computer science (CS) and such related issues as the perceived gap between the interests of the HCI community and the needs of CS…

The "Computers-for-edu" case is designed to provide students with hands-on exposure to creating Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP) reports and dialogue programs, as well as navigating various mySAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) transactions needed by ABAP developers. The case requires students to apply a wide variety…

This paper presents the results of a project in robotics education that included: (1) designing a mobile robot--the Personal Instructional Robot-1 (PIR-1); (2) providing a guide to the purchase and assembly of necessary parts; (3) providing a way to interface the robot with common classroom microcomputers; and (4) providing a language by which the…

This report provides 1-page reviews of 113 highly-rated computer software programs, identified from the evaluation reports of the following 16 evaluation services and educational technology magazines: Province of Alberta (Alberta Education), Baltimore County (Maryland) Public Schools, Province of British Columbia Ministry of Education, California…

Addresses the question of what parents can do to help their children get a better education by using computers at home. The age span covered ranges from preschool to high school. Sources of educational software catalogs and list of educational computing magazines with applicability to home use are included. (JN)

Presents a program listing and asks students what the program does. Also challenges them to draw a heart in LOGO (listing is included) and to match LOGO repeat statements with eight geometric shapes. Suggests using a power strip to turn off all microcomputers and monitors in the classroom. (JN)

Offers suggestions for five computer-oriented classroom activities. They include uniting a writing class by having them collectively write a book using a word processor, examining FOR/NEXT loops, using a compound interest computer program, and developing a list of facts about computers. Includes four short programs which erase monitor screens. (JN)