The purpose of this guide is to help lower barriers for instructors who are interested in using student response systems, or "clickers," but are intimidated by the technology or the time investment. This guide is a step-by-step overview of the process of adopting clickers based on the author's experiences as a professor who recently took the…

Collaboratively observing tutoring is a promising method for observational learning (also referred to as vicarious learning). This method was tested in the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center's Physics LearnLab, where students were introduced to physics topics by observing videos while problem solving in Andes, a physics tutoring system.…

In March 2009, Kansas State University successfully implemented the ELATEwiki website to encourage a public exchange of e-learning and teaching resources. ELATEwiki, the Electronic Learning and Teaching Exchange, facilitates the creation and documentation of innovative teaching approaches used by individuals and organizations interested in…

Digital storytelling is a viable tool to help struggling writers resist the social position of struggling writer that is often exacerbated by state-mandated writing assessments. While some writers may struggle with traditional literacy, tapping into new literacies may boost their motivation and scaffold their understanding of traditional…

The use of qualitative analysis software has become extremely popular over the recent years; educational researchers now have a range of tools at their disposal, from the ubiquitous word processor to more specialized computer packages. This paper deals with the use of CAQDAS (computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software) in educational…

Conventional introduction to computer science presents individual algorithmic paradigms in the context of specific, prototypical problems. To complement this algorithm-centric instruction, this study additionally advocates problem-centric instruction. I present an original problem drawn from students' life that is simply stated but provides rich…

This article reports on the use of a virtual world ("Second Life") in computing education, and identifies the precursors of current virtual world systems. The article reviews the potential for virtual worlds as tools in computing education. It describes two areas where "Second Life" has been used in computing education: as a…

Nonlinear growth curves or growth curves that follow a specified nonlinear function in time enable researchers to model complex developmental patterns with parameters that are easily interpretable. In this article we describe how a variety of sigmoid curves can be fit using the M"plus" structural modeling program and the nonlinear…

This note suggests delta method implementations for deriving confidence intervals for a latent mean effect size measure for the case of 2 independent populations. A hypothetical kindergarten reading example using these implementations is provided, as is supporting LISREL syntax. (Contains 1 table.)

Embedded systems have been applied widely, not only to consumer products and industrial machines, but also to new applications such as ubiquitous or sensor networking. The increasing role of software (SW) in embedded system development has caused a great demand for embedded SW engineers, and university education for embedded SW engineering has…

Twitter provides rapid information in a short form, and it is extremely easy to follow the updates of others because of myriad software applications with which it works on both mobile devices and traditional computing hardware. Currently, most academic librarians are using Twitter primarily as a tool at library conferences and seminars to capture…

This article examines how play is affected by computers and digital toys. Research indicates that when computer software targeted at children is problem-solving oriented and open-ended, children tend to engage in creative play and interact with peers in a positive manner. On the other hand, drill-and-practice programs can be quite boring and limit…

Work at Northumbria University has focussed on activity that extends opportunities for students to engage directly with the skills development necessary for sound academic practice. This has included highly visual campaigns on the "Plagiarism trap", providing access to Turnitin plagiarism detection software, guides and sessions to…

The current paper describes an empirical study with the aim of producing insights about how students experience programming and software engineering. The research aims to investigate the students' world, and hence, we have chosen a phenomenographic approach. Our questions focus on the students' experiences of concepts related to a realistic…

This article presents a comprehensive evaluation of the Pediatric Attention Disorders Diagnostic Screener (PADDS). PADDS was developed as a computer-based assessment system to screen for attention and executive function disorders in children aged 6 through 12 years. The evaluation of the PADDS indicated that it can be a useful and efficient…