Decision Support Systems (DSSs) are computer-based decision aids to use when making decisions which are partially amenable to rational decision-making procedures but contain elements where intuitive judgment is an essential component. In such situations, DSSs are used to improve the quality of decision-making. The DSS approach is based on Simon's…

A computer-assisted program has been developed for the selection of statistics or statistical techniques by both students and researchers. Based on Andrews, Klem, Davidson, O'Malley and Rodgers "A Guide for Selecting Statistical Techniques for Analyzing Social Science Data," this FORTRAN-compiled interactive computer program was…

In presenting the state of the art of the computer in guidance programs, it is maintained that there are many potential uses for computers in career decision making. Four types of computer-involved guidance systems were in use in 1970: indirect inquiry systems, direct inquiry systems without system monitoring, direct inquiry with system…

This paper examines some of the theoretical and practical issues confronting educational administrators who must make decisions regarding the implementation of microcomputers in their schools. A conceptual framework is offered for understanding the stages involved in the innovation decision process. Several attributes of innovations are discussed…

Management information systems have developed more rapidly than most innovations. In a relatively short period of time, the art has progressed from primitive routine clerical and accounting systems to elaborate management decisionmaking systems. Growing pains accompanied the rapid development and brought along many problems and critics. The…

Discusses the problem of developing a comprehensive self-image to guide policy decisions in institutional management. Six characteristics of the problem are given, together with seven traditional organizational responses. Gaming/simulation is proposed as a solution, and an example of a case study simulation is included. (JJD)

Characteristics of a decision support system (DSS) and factors that influence system design are described, along with a decision support database at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Reasons that the institutional research office is in a unique position to support decision-making are identified. A review of the literature of DSS briefly covers…

Perspectives on facilitating the use of quantitative tools in higher education decision-making are offered. Suggestions are directed to those in the institution who will be working with decision-makers, with a focus on how such individuals can assist the decision-maker in the development and use of computer-based tools. The instigators of computer…

APEX is a computerized gaming simulation; it is also the name of an interdisciplinary course in environmental problems in urban areas introduced at the School of Health Science, Hunter College of the City University of New York. In the course, students assume the roles of decision makers in both the private and public sectors. They receive data…

CALIS is an interactive computer-based simulation developed to assess career decisions and to present decisional alternatives to the players in career and life path choices, assessing the relative consequences associated with these choices. The CALIS game-simulation places the player in the social-psychological situation of an individual…

The implementation process and resource requirements of the University of Connecticut Budget Office's online decision support system are described. Successes and failures of shifting to a fully interactive budget review and development process are also reviewed. Special attention is given to the personnel problems and analytical challenges…

The University of Calgary Library has developed an automated information system to aid decision making in the area of collections development. The traditional format for collections policies in a written description of the areas and levels where a particular institution is collecting actively. Using a computer-based management information system…

NextStep is an IBM compatible, computer-assisted learning system to help users explore and reality test their tentative career plans and bring their career decision to a more real and community-oriented level. The NextStep system assumes that the user is literate and has at least one tentative occupational goal. The system is based on a…

This paper examines some of the applications of computers in education, focusing on the political and people problems involved. Through this approach it is hoped that superintendents, principals, data processing specialists, and scholars might develop a better awareness and understanding of how to assess the use of computers in school systems. The…

This paper presents an analysis of two cases developed by students in a course co-taught at the University of St. Thomas (Minneapolis, Minnesota) concerning how technology decisions get made and implemented. The aim is to demonstrate how leadership students can become adept at ferreting out and diminishing the biggest problems encountered in…