Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 26 Number 4

Edited by Dennis W. Spuck and William C. Bozeman

formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education

Volume 26 Number 4 -- Summer 1994

Table of Contents

Socioeconomic Status, Parents-- Sex-Role Stereotypes, and the 

Gender Gap in Computing

Lily Shashaani                                           433



Educational Change in a Technology-Rich Environment

Margaret Riel                                            452



Effects of Aptitude and Corrective Feedback on Performance in 

Computer-Directed Mathematics Instruction at the Memory and 

Interpretation Levels of Cognition

James A. White, Frank Breit, and Andria P. Troutman      475



Combining Problem-Solving Instruction and Programming 

Instruction to Increase the Problem-Solving Ability of High 

School Students

Demetria L. Ennis                                        488



Students as Expert System Developers: A Means of Eliciting 

and Understanding Commonsense Reasoning

Nancy Law and Jon Ogborn                                 497



Computer Use and Cognitive Style

W. Paul Jones	514



Transfer Effects of a High School Computer Programming Course 

on Mathematical Modeling, Procedural Comprehension, and 

Verbal Problem Solution

Madeline A. Bernardo and John D. Morris                  523



The Effects of Technology on Online Education

Terence C. Ahern and Judi Repman                         537



Automating the Professional Journal Technique for Computer 

Science Education: A Case Study

J. A. Johnson and G. M. Johnson                          547



The Effect of Logo on the Nonverbal Reasoning Ability of 

Rural and Disadvantaged Third Graders

Lillian Kay Reeder and James S. Leming                   558



                      Abstracts



Socioeconomic Status, ParentsÕ Sex-Role Stereotypes, and the 

Gender Gap in Computing



Lily Shashaani

Duquesne University



Abstract

This study examined the effect of family socioeconomic status 

(SES) and parental sex-typed views and behaviors on 

childrenÕs attitudes toward computers. The study sample 

consisted of 1,730 male and female high school students in 

grades 9 and 12. The results indicated that SES, including 

the parentsÕ occupations and education, had significant 

effects on studentsÕ attitudes toward computers. In general, 

gender-differential attitudes were more pronounced in the 

lower socioeconomic group. SES had a stronger effect on girls 

than boys. Analysis of the research findings revealed that 

both girls and boys perceived the gender stereotypes about 

computing held by their parents, and such attitudes inversely 

affected the female studentsÕ own attitudes. Further 

examination showed that parental encouragement positively 

influenced boysÕ and girlsÕ attitudes. Step-wise regression 

showed that parental encouragement had the strongest effect 

on childrenÕs attitudes, parental sex-typed views ranked 

next, and SES had the weakest effects. 




Educational Change  in a Technology-Rich Environment



Margaret Riel

Education Consultant



Abstract

This article examines the visions that have been created for 

the redesign of schools and the ways in which computer and 

communication technology have provided the means for people 

to work toward these visions. It presents an integrated view 

of school reform ideas and describes the ways in which our 

current technology has provided the platform to support these 

changes in three areas, (a) instructional practices, (b) 

school design, and (c) school organization. It presents 

examples of how collaborative technologyÑtools that help 

individuals produce shared knowledgeÑand technological 

settings for new collaborative designs are continuing to 

change the process of education. 



Effects of Aptitude and Corrective Feedback on Performance in 

Computer-Directed Mathematics Instruction at the Memory and 

Interpretation Levels of Cognition



James A. White, Frank Breit, and Andria P. Troutman

University of South Florida



Abstract

This study investigated both main effects and interaction 

effects of the level of feedback in computer-directed 

instruction (CDI) and learner aptitude for mathematics over 

two different cognitive levels of task for mastery of 

mathematics. Each of 239 education undergraduates received 

one specific level of feedback while attempting to master 

tasks at one specific cognitive level. The dependent 

variables were (a) the number of trials required for the 

participant to respond correctly twice in succession and (b) 

time to completion. Results indicated no support for the 

assertion that level of feedback enabled learner performance 

at either level of cognition. These results held true across 

all ranges of learner aptitudes. 



Combining Problem-Solving Instruction and Programming 

Instruction to Increase the Problem-Solving Ability of High 

School Students



Demetria L. Ennis

University of North Texas



Abstract

Researchers have identified a number of reasons why many 

programming students have difficulty acquiring a knowledge of 

programming, writing programs, and transferring programming 

knowledge to other problem-solving domains. These reasons 

include a lack instruction in basic problem-solving skills 

and poor programming skills. In the study described here, 

students were introduced to a generalized problem-solving 

strategy, and were given instruction in BASIC programming in 

an attempt to determine whether this combination enhanced 

student problem-solving ability. 




Students as Expert System Developers: A Means of Eliciting 

and Understanding Commonsense Reasoning



Nancy Law

University of Hong Kong



Jon Ogborn

University of London Institute of Education



Abstract

Knowing what the learner knows is an important prerequisite 

for effective teaching, although what this actually entails 

is not necessarily self-evident. In response to the 

increasing recognition that intuitive knowledge gained 

through everyday life experience constitutes an important 

part of prior knowledge, ways of probing into this knowledge 

have been developed. Depending on the investigatorÕs 

particular view of teaching and learning, the object of the 

enquiry may vary from identifying specific elements of the 

learnerÕs knowledge to identifying patterns of reasoning to 

identifying general structures of cognition. The methods of 

inquiry used for acquiring an understanding of a learnerÕs 

prior knowledge generally have been developed from one 

particular perspective, and they do not support explorations 

under alternative perspectives. This article reports on a 

method for exploring commonsense reasoning via engaging 

subjects in the development of an expert system representing 

their own intuitive expertise. This method provides insights 

into the learnerÕs understanding from three perspectives: the 

learnerÕs knowledge, patterns of reasoning, and general 

structures of cognition. It also provides information on how 

these perspectives are dynamically linked in the individual. 







Computer Use and Cognitive Style



W. Paul Jones

University of Nevada, Las Vegas



Abstract

Attempts to identify variables that predict attitudes toward 

computers and probable computer use have included some 

attention to the cognitive style construct. Because measures 

of cognitive style are often already available in educational 

settings, the construct would seem particularly relevant if 

the relationship between style and computer valence is 

evident. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to 

assess cognitive style, this study found a relationship 

between style preferences and selected computer use and 

attitude variables in a population of university students. 

These results suggest that attention should be given to both 

the direction of cognitive style preference and the strength 

of that preference. 




Transfer Effects of a High School Computer Programming Course 

on Mathematical Modeling, Procedural Comprehension, and 

Verbal Problem Solution



Madeline A. Bernardo

Spanish River High School, Boca Raton, Florida



John D. Morris

Florida Atlantic University



Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate transfer effects 

of a high school BASIC programming course on skills in 

mathematical modeling, procedural comprehension, and verbal 

problem solution. The sample consisted of 44 BASIC students, 

44 computer literacy students, and 44 students who had no 

computer training. Results indicated no significant 

differences in scores among groups for mathematical modeling 

or procedural comprehension however, the BASIC group scored 

significantly higher than the other two groups on verbal 

problem solution (p < .01). Neither the gender x treatment 

interaction nor gender alone was found to be a significant 

source of score variance. Although the variance caused by 

student grade level was not significant, a significant 

interaction was found between group membership and grade 

level with respect to verbal problems (p < .02). Implications 

for computer education are offered. 





The Effects of Technology on Online Education



Terence C. Ahern and Judi Repman

Texas Tech University



Abstract

As new technologies become more commonplace in the support of 

instruction, new questions are being raised concerning the 

effectiveness of traditional pedagogical methods and learning 

environments. Traditionally, distance education became 

synonymous with correspondence courses. Today, however the 

designer of online learning programs has a myriad of choices 

ranging from synchronous to asynchronous delivery systems. In 

addition, research on the effects of distance learning 

systems has traditionally focused on student outcomes. Given 

the complexities of online education, research into this new 

domain of instructional delivery should take a variety of 

forms and seek to answer a wide range of questions. This 

article illustrates the need for greater complexity in basic 

research on online education programs by exploring the 

effects of two different delivery technologies on the nature 

of interaction. 




Automating the Professional Journal Technique for Computer 

Science Education: A Case Study



J. A. Johnson

University of Regina, Canada



G. M. Johnson

University of Alberta, Canada



Abstract

The extent to which electronic communication can be 

effectively integrated with professional journal writing is 

explored. A class of university computer science students was 

instructed to use electronic communication to reflect on 

their personal learning experiences in a distributed 

databases and networks course. In general, students did not 

reflect upon the nature of their learning activities but 

instead used the electronic professional journal as a means 

of interacting with the instructor. Tutoring students in the 

value of professional reflection is necessary if the 

professional journal technique is to be successfully 

integrated with electronic communication technologies. 






The Effect of Logo on the Nonverbal Reasoning Ability of 

Rural and Disadvantaged Third Graders



Lillian Kay Reeder

Murphysboro Public Schools, Murphysboro, Illinois



James S. Leming

Southern Illinois University



Abstract

Prior research that has attempted to assess the impact of 

Logo programming on the cognitive abilities of youth has 

utilized samples drawn primarily from white middle class 

populations. This study assesses the impact of Logo 

programming using a sample that consists of rural and 

disadvantaged students. Thirty-six third-graders were 

randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control 

group. The Matrix Analogies Test, a test of nonverbal 

reasoning ability, was selected as the dependent variable. 

The treatment group received eight weeks of Logo programming 

experience. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) computed on 

the MAT posttest, controlling for pretest, revealed a 

significant group effect. The Logo group scored significantly 

higher than the control group. 

A PDF file of each full article is available. Contact: jrte@iste.org. Please specifiy Volume and Issue number and article name.

Copyright © 1994, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.