Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 154-160). Also available in print.

This qualitative naturalistic research study investigated peer interaction and its relationship to the learning of Logo geometry concepts within an elementary school computer lab classroom environment. The work of four focal children (10-11 years old) and their partners was analyzed. The study looked at (1) the kind of working relationships which existed between the partners, (2) the verbal strategies used by the partners during their mathematics disagreement, and (3) the ways in which the talk between the partners and the strategies they used both contributed to their learning, and reflected their learning, of the geometry concepts (with an emphasis upon the aspect of angular rotation). / The findings revealed that all but one of the dyadic (and triadic) partnerships were collaborative and symmetrical: the children took turns giving information and explanation. At times the information was incorrect. The number of explanations given was very small. A range of peer teaching skills was in evidence. There was no correspondence found between the rate of use of higher level strategies (which included talk supported by reasons), and the child's general Logo achievement. However, the verbal strategies used during disagreements did reveal the children's modes of working and thinking. Seven of the ten children worked in an algorithmic way; the other three seemed to understand what they were doing when they worked with angular rotations. The study was able to report on aspects concerning the children's understanding of angular rotation in the early stages of Logo learning, as well as on the sociocognitive aspect concerning the effects that children working together can have upon their learning of Logo geometry concepts.

D.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

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This study seeks to explore relationships between Logo turtle graphics and visual literacy by addressing two related questions: (a) can traditional visual literacy concepts, as found in the published literature, be synthesized in terms of Logo turtle graphics, and (b) do the literature and "hands-on" experience with turtle graphics indicate that visual competencies are pertinent to graphics-based electronic communications in computer culture? The findings of this research illustrate that Logo turtle graphics is a self-contained model to teach visual literacy skills pertinent to computer culture. This model is drawn from synthesizing published literature and the classroom experience of Logo learners, which is demonstrated through their visual solutions to Logo assignments. A visual analysis and interpretation of the subjects' work concludes that the principles and competencies associated with traditional visual literacy skills manifest during the Logo turtle graphics experience. The subjects of this study demonstrate that visual literacy pertinent to computer culture includes reading, writing, and drawing alphanumerics and pictographic information with linguistic equivalence. The logic for this symbolic metaphor is body-syntonic spatial experience explained in geometric terms. The Logo learner employs computational models for visual ideas and visual-verbal symbols for spatial ideas in the course of doing turtle graphics.

Thesis. 1976. B.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Engineering. / Bibliography: leaf 21. / B.S.

A methodology was developed in this study for identifying the cognitive, pedagogical, and computational characteristics of computer-based learning environments. The characterization of the cognitive and pedagogical features was achieved by decomposing the learning environments into episodes which were composed of sequences of "views". Each "view" was described in terms of the different types of knowledge presented, the pedagogical strategies used to present the knowledge, and the forms and functions of user-computer interactions elicited. The computational characteristics were described in terms of modularity and other programming properties. The methodology was applied to characterizing the instructional programs produced by student teachers using Logo. / The results showed that this methodology can successfully identify the cognitive, pedagogical and computational characteristics of the learning environments. It can also clarify what can be learned in a microworld, especially the "powerful ideas" in Logo environments. In addition, the usability and constraints of learning environments in meeting the learners' cognitive needs during the learning process can be assessed.

This thesis describes the construction, form, purpose and motivation for LogoRhythms, a sound synthesis and computer audition API intended to be used as a tool in the teaching of computer programming, computer science and associated skills. LogoRhythms is built into Berkeley Logo (UCB Logo), a contemporary open source Logo interpretter. In addition to serving as a user manual complete with program description and code examples, this work documents an exercise in experimental archaeology that traces the unfortunate shift in educational computing and personal computing in general from an emphasis of 'computer literacy' to one of 'user-friendly.' Arguments in defense of command-line and text based computing parallel those for computing as a tool for creative expression and are made in three ways: historical analysis, a new user-study and philosophical investigation. Programming is a widely learnable skill and debugging a useful skill transcending a utility limited to computer programs. Digital musical composition provides a perpetually renewable Opportunity for custom software, underscoring that programming is a creative endeavor.

This study was set up to assess the contribution that a computer modelling approach using the language LOGO could make to the quality of mathematics learning in primary school children. Following a constructivist theory of mathematical learning it is argued that many problems children have with their mathematics results from instrumental learning without understanding, rather than relational learning. LOGO was developed, in part, to provide a learning environment for children to investigate mathematical ideas and thus develop their own understanding. Previous research has not provided much evidence that this happens, nor specified what mathematical learning could be expected to take place and what pedagogic approach could bring it about. Other questions relating to the maturity of the children and their aptitude for programming have similarly been neglected. This study was set up to identify the mathematical ideas intrinsic to Turtle Geometry and to explore the conditions under which this learning could best be fostered. The study was carried out in three phases. The first phase considered the constraints of maturity and the need to program on the learning of 9 and 11 year old children. The second phase of the study followed up the programming of the older children, to see what mathematics they were encountering, and what sort of activities encouraged them to think mathematically. Pre and post tests were used to identify the mathematical learning which was taking place. In Phase III a control group was used to identify the particular mathematical learning which could be attributed to LOGO experience, and to assess the transfer of mathematical learning from the LOGO context to novel problem solving. The first two phases revealed considerable mathematical activity intrinsic to Turtle Geometry. The need to learn some simple programming apparently did not present a barrier to mathematical investigation. The test results in the third phase showed that the children had deepened their understanding of angles, variables and general process aspects of mathematics through using LOGO. The performance of the children on the computers was monitored and was found to be revealing of their current mathematical understanding.