Information Technology and Education: Trends in Educational Computing: Decreasing Interest and the Changing Focus of Instruction
Marlaine E. Lockheed, Ellen B. Mandinach · Educational Researcher · 1986
This article presents a rationale for changing the current emphasis of precollege computer courses. It suggests that as an interim approach, to be used before computers are integrated effectively across the curriculum, computer courses deemphasize BASIC programming skills and instead focus on teaching applications software skills. The research evidence regarding the quality of computer literacy courses is reviewed, and the parallel cognitive and affective consequences of programming and applications software are discussed.