Computer science (CS) and its enabling technologies are at the heart of this information age, yet its adoption as a core subject by senior secondary students in Indian schools is low and has not reached critical mass. Though there have been efforts to create core curriculum standards for subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Math, CS…

For many years computing in New Zealand schools was focused on teaching students how to use computers, and there was little opportunity for students to learn about programming and computer science as formal subjects. In this article we review a series of initiatives that occurred from 2007 to 2009 that led to programming and computer science being…

Over the last two decades, advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have contributed to the ideological construct of an emerging "knowledge society"--one which places a high value on knowledge and education and promises a better future for humanity. However, the severe economic--and by extension, social and…

As the new English Language Arts Common Core State Standards take hold across the United States, the need grows for pre-service and in-service teachers to be ready to develop curriculum and instruction that addresses their requirements. This timely, thoughtful, and comprehensive text directly meets this need. It delineates a literacy practices and…

Examines ways in which educational policies which seek to meet challenge of new information technologies have emerged and are emerging in three educational systems in United Kingdom. Curriculum, funding, strengths and weaknesses of the British approach, and the strategy paper of the Microelectronics Education Programme are highlighted. References…

Outlines the 4-point Computer Literacy Requirement Plan for seventh and eighth grade students being implemented throughout Tennessee and discusses the purchase and distribution of microcomputer equipment, inservice training for teachers, development of computer literacy curriculum, and proposed support services. (EAO)

The symbolic function of curricular debate, as it is manifested in the minimum competency testing movement (MCT), is investigated. Curricular debate necessarily reflects the demands of the society in which it arises. The topics that are addressed spring from this milieu and the language in which issues are couched must be appropriate to it.…

Describes developments in Scottish computer education, highlighting overall policy for information technologies, Scottish Microelectronics Development Programme supporting production of educational software, Department of Industry initiatives, regional initiatives, teacher training in colleges of education, role of Microelectronics Educational…

Choices to be made in the formation of national policies for computer use in education, in all countries, are outlined. They include the issues of curriculum priorities, need for broad computer literacy versus specialization, educational level for introduction, teacher training, software development, hardware needs, coordination, and locus of…

There are three primary driving forces in West Virginia for responding to problems and for directing efforts concerning technology in education: (1) the "Master Plan for Public Education," calling for universal computer literacy, provides a framework for addressing within the educational system the issues, goals, and needs of an emerging…

The introduction of informatics into the national school curriculum in Japan requires changes to educational policy, curricula, methods, facilities, etc. Although the basic functions of the school--i.e., to transmit the culture and to cultivate competencies that will allow a future society to develop--remain unchanged, new technologies change the…

Discusses development of informatics and computer-assisted learning for general and vocational education in German schools, including policies and trends, curriculum development, activity at different school levels, technical prerequisites, teaching staff prerequisites, and adult education; and in higher education, including teacher training and…

Microcomputers are already in a majority of American schools, but little is known about their integration into the school curriculum. This study examines the features of an elementary school--Skyline School in the South San Francisco Unified School District (California)--that have contributed to the successful integration of computers in its…

This discussion identifies assumptions about the effects of computer learning activities upon students, and argues that more research is needed to justify the ongoing implementation of computer activities in education. Highlights include computer literacy, teacher training, and inequalities in socioeconomic groups and gender. Twenty-three…

Policy issues and their implications in the introduction of computer technology in the Northwest and Pacific schools are examined. Eight issues, focused on instructional uses of computer technology, are covered. (1) Establishing an overall state education agency (SEA) position will set the tone for statewide development of instructional…