D. Michele Jacobsen

What Are Computing Experiences Good For?: A Case Study in Online Research

The argument has been made that discovery-based experiences in learning to program in LOGO on computers reduce mathematics anxiety. Broadening this perspective, we speculated that the result should be a decrease in test anxiety and an increase in selfconfidence, with enhanced general academic performance, not just mathematics performance. Further, we hypothesized that this benefit would not be limited to the LOGO language, rather it should be a general by-product of self-instruction (discovery) experiences with computers in general. We developed an on-line survey to explore this possibility. This chapter will summarize some of the results of this survey and our experiences with on-line data collection.

Web-based distance education learning environments in graduate software engineering

The Software Engineering Research Network (SERN) has experimented with methods for delivering graduate software engineering courses at a distance. This paper describes our experiences with course redesign and delivery using the web, distance instruction, evaluating student learning environments, and technology tools and requirements. The methods used to prepare courses for distance delivery are described. Several technological tools to facilitate computer-mediated communication, WebCT, electronic mail, a list server, and NetMeeting, were used. Observations about workload requirements for teaching, support, instructional design, and maintenance are described for the benefit of faculty members who are interested in moving towards distance delivery methods. The evaluation methods used to understand the distance learning environments experienced by graduate students are outlined and explained. An analysis and report on the data and information collected from students and instructors is presented and discussed. Finally, recommendations are made for future research and practice with distance learning environments in graduate education.

What Are Computing Experiences Good For

The argument has been made that discovery-based experiences in learning to program in LOGO on computers reduce mathematics anxiety. Broadening this perspective, we speculated that the result should be a decrease in test anxiety and an increase in selfconfidence, with enhanced general academic performance, not just mathematics performance. Further, we hypothesized that this benefit would not be limited to the LOGO language, rather it should be a general by-product of self-instruction (discovery) experiences with computers in general. We developed an on-line survey to explore this possibility. This chapter will summarize some of the results of this survey and our experiences with on-line data collection.