Courseware (computer based curriculum materials) development should follow the lessons learned by software engineers. The most important of 28 principles of software development presented here include a stress on human readability, the importance of early planning and analysis, the need for independent evaluation, and the need to be flexible.…

Discussion of how to teach programming skills to novice programmers focuses on the use of a program animator that uses a copies model of recursion to teach the recursive function. Various mental models are reviewed; testing the recursion animator is described; and possibilities for further research are suggested. (12 references) (LRW)

Describes biographical/life story methods used to explore the underrepresentation of women in computing courses in the United Kingdom. Explains how interviews were structured and conducted and illustrates the method of transcription used. (SK)

Four conference papers are reviewed in this introduction to a symposium. The first paper is by Clements and Merriman, who make a case for the reflection of Steinberg's information processing componential model of cognitive processes in the LOGO language and computational environment; present a series of experiments that attempted to tailor the…

Computer programing and problem-solving steps in mathematics are viewed to have related concepts. Some heuristics are compared with some suggestions for structured programing. The one fundamental difference between problem solving in general and when using the computer is seen as the computer solution must be finite. The computer is viewed as a…

Some facts about the nature of computer studies are presented, and it is noted that males make up the majority of students. The nature of current assessment practices is detailed, and suggestions are made about future testing approaches. Mastery testing is promoted as the direction to take in the future. (MP)

The author looks at what self-taught computer whiz kids--primarily middle-class boys--find so fascinating about their hobby and what they accomplish with computers. She draws implications for schools about the motivational effects of computers and the need for teaching computer literacy. (SJL)

Although computer-assisted instruction is usually not cost-effective or educationally effective enough to be worthwhile in secondary schools, courses that actually teach computing and programing, although also expensive, pay off in increased job opportunities for graduates. The author explains how to plan them. (Author/JM)

Discusses barriers to the utilization of computers in instruction and outlines the program of the Elementary and Secondary School Subcommittee of the Association for Computing Machinery to identify and lay a foundation for the solution of problem areas. (Author/IRT)

Discusses the increasing exclusion of women from the higher levels of computing. Recommends changes in the content and focus of computer science curricula that might encourage greater participation by women. Describes how this would benefit the computer industry. (DM)

Describes the Portable AI Lab, a computing environment containing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, examples, and documentation for use with university AI courses. Two modules of the lab are highlighted: the automated theorem proving module and the natural language processing module, which includes augmented transition networks. (23 references)…

Describes a four-part curriculum that can serve as a model for incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the high school computer curriculum. The model includes examining questions fundamental to AI, creating and designing an expert system, language processing, and creating programs that integrate machine vision with robotics and…

Contemporary media and communication technology are expanding educational possibilities and probably will alter fundamentally the structure of educational institutions. As yet, however, only the surface has been scratched in applying media and technology to education. Moreover, early experiments, such as closed circuit television, either are not…

Professional computer education organizations serve a valuable function by generating, collecting, and disseminating information concerning the role of the computer in education. This report touches briefly on the reasons for the rapid and successful development of professional computer education organizations. A number of attributes of effective…

A sound approach to microcomputer instruction takes into account the special characteristics of microcomputers and uses them creatively to enhance the basic goals of education and to prepare students for a technological society. The most significant new tool man has designed in centuries, the microcomputer features one-person operation, low cost,…