The use of computers in sports science

A survey of UK sports scientists was carried out to identify the extent and nature of uses for computers, it was found that over 40% of those surveyed use computers for teaching and research. Whilst a number of areas were shown to be amenable to computer application, exercise science was the most common. Generally the software was considered to be robust, flexible and of great value. Approximately two thirds of all software was commercial in origin. Many people were unsure about licence agreements and copyright but all expressed a keen desire for better communication between users and a greater sharing of information.     

The use of computers in K-12 schools in turkey

Through the determined efforts of MONE, more than one third of the existing 5,851 schools have at least one computer lab. It is clear that the number of computers in schools in Turkey will continue to increase.     

Secondary school students' use of computers at home

This article presents the results from a survey of students in Year 9 in secondary schools in England (ie, aged about 14 years) which investigated access to computers at home, frequency and duration of use, the applications used and students' reasons for using a computer at home. Responses showed that the majority of students had access to a computer, although few had one for their sole use. The most widely used applications were games/adventures and word processors. There were significant gender differences in access to computers at home, frequency of using computers and the applications that students spent most time using.     

Preparing preservice teachers to use computers effectively in elementary schools

Abstract

Computers and computer software have become integral components of the elementary school curriculum. Classroom teachers often express concern about the inadequate training they receive in the use of technology in the classroom. To meet the needs of future teachers, three university professors added issues related to using technology with young children to existing courses for elementary education majors. In addition, they introduced criteria for evaluating software and gave students opportunities to select software for instruction. After completing the courses, students were more comfortable with using computers, felt more competent about reviewing software, and were more aware of the issues related to using technology for instruction.     

Usefulness of concept maps in college chemistry laboratories: Students' perceptions and effects on achievement

The problem addressed by this study is that first-year college chemistry students learn little of the conceptual material associated with chemistry experiments they perform. The thesis of this research is that the construction of prelab and postlab concept maps help students understand the concepts involved in the experiments they perform. The study was conducted using 32 non–science majors enrolled in a first-year chemistry course. The experimental group constructed prelab and postlab concept maps, while the control group wrote essays explaining the conceptual chemistry of the four experiments used in this study. Both groups took 25-item achievement tests 1 week after each experiment. Prelab and postlab concept maps were scored and evaluated for significant differences. Five students were interviewed to investigate their perceptions regarding the usefulness of concept maps in chemistry laboratories. No significant differences were found between treatment groups with respect to students' conceptual understanding as determined by the multiple choice achievement tests. Students responded very positively toward the use of concepts maps in the laboratory. They felt strongly that constructing prelab and postlab concept maps helped them understand the conceptual chemistry of the experiments. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 35: 1015–1029, 1998     

Students' use of content in Web-supported academic courses

The use of the Internet as an instructional tool in higher education is rapidly increasing. Today, there is an increase in the development of academic course websites with huge amounts of learning materials imbedded within them. However, there is little empirical evidence regarding the actual use of these contents by students. In this study, a computer log is used to evaluate how online contents are consumed and to identify the individual differences among students in terms of contents usage and the amount of contents that are presented in Web-supported course sites. The findings of this study show that the amount of content that is accessed is very high, but large differences exist among students. The authors conclude with some ideas for further implications of information retrieved from the Web log as related to content usage in academic websites and show the relevance of logs and content usage for the evaluation of Internet implementation in higher education institutions.     

Some institutional influences on secondary mathematics teachers' use of computers

This paper discusses the manifestations of both schools' IT policies and available technical support as reported by thirty-eight secondary teachers from different schools. Two categories of whole school policy were identified. The first insisted that IT should be taught by specialist teachers whilst the second devolved this responsibility to subject areas. For a variety of reasons both were viewed as problematic. A minority of schools appeared to have no coherent policy. Departmental policies, which were generally a consequence of the enthusiasms of an individual or an impending school inspection, were rarely indicative of coherent views on the impact of computers on teaching and learning. Teachers' computer usage was frequently dependent upon a willing and able IT coordinator although few such colleagues had sufficient time to offer support in systematic and consistent ways. A similar story emerged in respect of IT technicians.     

Evaluating the use of computers in science assessment: Considerations and recommendations

The use of computers in science assessment is viewed through the eyes of the program evaluator by examining six considerations: (1) purpose of computer use in assessment, (2) value of program evaluation models, (3) possible harmful side effects of assessment, (4) nature of imbedded questions, (5) definition of treatment, and (6) computers and the classroom context. Following a discussion of the considerations, four recommendations are offered in regard to continuing to study the use of computers for assessment (examples provided), utilizing the ideas contained in program evaluation models, capitalizing on several interesting, novel possibilities for evaluation design, and combining qualitative and quantitative techniques (mixed methodologies) into the evaluation procedures.     

Students' Pedagogical Thinking and the use of ICTs in Teaching

This article discusses students' pedagogical thinking in situations where the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has a (well-defined) pedagogical role and rationale. By analysing students' pedagogical thinking in this setting, it is also possible to better understand their motivations and self-regulation. Pedagogical thinking as viewed from the student's angle is a new area of educational research. Our research method is a combination of the Stimulated Recall interview and the semi-structured theme interview. In addition, some background data were gathered by questionnaire to discern students' different uses of ICTs and their contexts. The findings suggest how the educational use of ICTs is considered to be meaningful and motivating by both genders and among all the interviewed age groups, in spite of the fact that an acute and vocal critique seems to develop among older students. The differences reside in students' reasoning regarding decision making in task operations between genders, which was one of the background variables—girls actively include identity and opinion, while boys emphasize the quality of performance as motives for decisions.     

The use of computers in the teaching and learning of functions in school Mathematics in Eritrea

Abstract

This article reports on an empirical investigation in which quantitative and qualitative methods were utilised to determine the effect of the use of computers on Grade 11 Eritrean Mathematics learners' mastery of the quadratic function concept. MS Excel and RJS Graph software were used to teach this topic, which is usually regarded as difficult subject matter, to an experimental group. The results of this study indicated that the use of computers had a positive impact on learners' achievement, problem-solving skills, exploration of mathematical ideas, motivation, attitude, and classroom interactions. In particular, computer use reduced the tedium of creating tables and drawing graphs and enabled learners to analyse functions and their graphs more easily, represent functions in different ways and solve real life problems using these programmes. Moreover, learners were more motivated to explore the nature and properties of functions and their graphs both on their own or in a group, make conjectures, and verify their findings. Taking into consideration the limitations in schooling in developing countries, the utilisation of computer technology can contribute to the advancement of Mathematics learning, which is a very important issue.