The Computer Literacy Assessment Tool (CLAT) (Hackbarth, 1997) was administered to third-grade classes over the course of one academic year, measuring factors that affected changes in students' computer literacy. Results presented here focus primarily on the impact of classroom computer access on computer vocabulary, and the extent to which…

Provides background information related to the use of computers in classrooms that have diverse populations including students with disabilities. Offers a rationale for examining structured approaches to teaching computer skills to young children. Describes one such structured approach. (TJQ)

Describes the development of a Web Certification Program at the University of Virginia. This program offers certificates at three levels: Web Basics, Web Designer, and Web Master. The paper focuses on: determination of criteria for awarding certificates; program status; program evaluation and program effectiveness; and future plans for the Web…

Provides empirical data on the extent to which English language learners around the world actually use computers. Results of a survey of takers of the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) throughout the world indicated that a high percentage had used computers. This high overall use is tempered by the variation found among regions and by…

Surveyed 47 students in an online business course at an Australian university to determine their attitudes toward, and use of, the online course delivery system. Identified three critical success factors: (1) the technology; (2) the instructor; and (3) previous use of the technology by the student. (SLD)

Self-efficacy in computer skills of 165 students in an introductory computer course at Sultan Qaboos University (Oman) was examined according to gender and cognitive learning style. Results indicated no gender effect on the overall computer self-efficacy score, differences in some low-level computer skills favoring males, and differences in…

This article describes the CHECK procedure for teaching students with learning disabilities skills in the actual operation of a computer spell-check. Students are urged to check the beginning sound, hunt for correct consonants, examine the vowels, make changes, and keep repeating the process. (CR)

Describes a program at Eastern Washington University that integrates library skills as a component of the English composition program, and is part of a computer-literacy program stemming from a general-education curriculum reform. Discusses program development and design, assessment of student learning, and effectiveness of the program. (LRW)

Examines the experiences of three school districts that provide effective, district-wide staff development on teaching with technology, embracing three major concepts: delivering staff development in a variety of ways, having teachers teach teachers, and using technology-based lesson plans, instructional units, and other teaching tools (often…

Identifies some strategies for supporting young girls in their use of computer technology through appropriate role modeling, thoughtful selection of software, and "gender fair" teaching strategies for classroom practice. Outlines some sources of gender bias in the use of computers by young children. (JPB)

Many researchers have found differences in the ways in which boys and girls use computers, but there has been no systematic investigation into what types of electronic textbook are good for girls and which are good for boys. This paper describes an experimental investigation in which 35 units from electronic textbooks on mathematics, history,…

Benchmarking information technology services has become a vital activity for colleges and universities. The COSTS Project (http://www.costsproject.org/) is an ongoing quantitative effort to benchmark the costs of providing IT services in higher education; the project helps institutions understand their IT budgets and staffing relative to peer…

The setting of this case study was a course within a large university's teacher preparation program entitled "Integrating Technology Into the Social Studies Classroom." Simultaneous with this course, the students in this study also received instruction in effective teaching strategies, social studies methods, and completed two field experiences in…

Powerful applications such as Microsoft Office's Excel and Word are widely used to perform common tasks in the workplace and in education. Scripting within these applications allows unanticipated user requirements to be addressed. We show that such extensibility, intended to support office automation-type applications, is well suited to the…

This article examines the change in teachers' attitudes and instruction following computerization of their schools. Parameters chosen to assure the success of the study were: teachers' training courses, establishment of teachers' teams, teachers' expectations and willingness, and teachers' use of the computer in the school. The study took place in…