Reports on a study that investigated the collaborative interaction patterns exhibited by five-year-old preprimary children in a multimedia educational computer environment in Perth, Australia. Discusses software appropriateness; preexisting computer competency and computer attitudes; friendship between collaborators; social goals; learning…

A study on gender and computer use surveyed 773 ninth-grade students from Tokyo (Japan) and from Stockholm (Sweden). Regardless of country, males reported higher scores of aptitude with and enjoyment of computers than females did. Overall, boys also showed more positive attitudes toward mathematics and sciences; girls consistently reported…

Examines the applicability of Kuhlthau's Information Search Process Model in the context of a virtual learning environment at the University of North Texas that used virtual collaborative software. Highlights include cognitive and affective aspects of information seeking; computer experience and confidence; and implications for future research.…

This study describes the development of the Children's Attitude toward Technology Scale (CATS) with 574 children in a rural school district. Discuses differences between elementary and middle school students, gender differences, interest and aptitude, and alternative preferences (for videos and books). (Author/LRW)

Reviews three articles that discuss the ways gender issues and personal characteristics impact computer use. One paper proposes an alternative to using Likert-style attitude measures to study the computer gender gap, and two articles discuss the personal characteristics of teachers that influence computer use. Related studies are mentioned and…

Describes a study of first-year students at a university in Scotland that was conducted to determine their use of computers at home and in school, their knowledge about information technology, and reasons for not studying computing. Results are compared with two earlier studies to examine gender-related differences over time. (Contains 12…

An Internet mailing list designed to conduct a council-style forum among American Indian people encountered problems such as non-Indians posing as Indians, intertribal differences impeding consensus, and the lack of socioeconomic diversity among participants. American Indian culture may be philosophically incompatible with the impersonal nature of…

Describes a study of college students that investigated whether various types of visual illustrations influenced abstract concept learning when combined with audio instruction. Discusses results of analysis of variance and pretest posttest scores in relation to learning performance, attitudes toward the computer-based program, and differences in…

This study, utilizing data from 208 educators, obtained estimates of the reliability of the four subscale version of the 40-item Computer Attitude Scale (CAS); provided detailed information regarding the factor patterns of the CAS subscales; and provided evidence about the differential validity of the CAS among four groups with differing intensity…

Discusses the importance of technology-enriched curriculum for preservice teacher education and describes a study that evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively the effectiveness of a redesigned introduction to technology course for preservice teachers. Results showed more positive student attitudes toward computers and less anxiety after…

Examines expectations about a computerized student management-information system (SMIS) and how these perceptions influence effective use. Investigates relationships between design, use and effects in developing a model for understanding strategies for effective implementation and use. Focuses on a public school district in Texas. (AEF)

Discussion of students' computer attitudes focuses on the development of an Internet attitude scale for Taiwanese high school students that considered gender differences and Internet experience. Includes four subscales: perceived usefulness; affection, including feelings and anxiety; perceived control; and behavior, including actual practice and…

Describes a study of Belgian secondary school teachers that investigated the relationship between computer use in the classroom and influencing factors on an individual level. Considers age, gender, teaching a technology-related subject, computer attitudes, and innovativeness; and uses stepwise logistic regression to analyze the strongest…

Use of technology in middle grade mathematics is controversial. Major policy documents have teachers torn between enthusiasm for technology-facilitated mathematical investigation and cautions about undermining students' computational skills. This article examines research concerning use of computers and calculators in mathematics at the middle…

The study examined the extent to which case-based learning could have an effect on pre-service teachers' beliefs about the pedagogical uses of ICT in the classroom. One hundred second year early childhood pre-service teachers enrolled in an ICT course participated in the study. Research data were collected with a questionnaire, reflection papers,…