Experiences in introducing computing into schools in Wexford, Ireland, are described. What went wrong is discussed in terms of lack of clearly defined objectives, teacher training, and relevance. Directions for future work and courseware trends are then discussed. (MNS)

Describes ways of using spreadsheets to maintain gradebooks, including use of weighted scores to calculate a student's running average and potential for use in preparing report cards. Several spreadsheet programs currently available are reviewed, and their advantages and disadvantages for educators are indicated. (MBR)

Suggests practical steps to follow in searching for microcomputer systems to be used as instructional aids. Poses questions regarding general equipment type; kind of system needed; financial and administrative support; committee formation; information sources; and final decision making. (DMM)

Describes an inexpensive, simple, microprocessor-based instrument which quickly and accurately measures and displays the indicated power and the pressure-volume indicator diagram of a reciprocating compressor or internal combustion engine. Hardware requirements, software considerations, and the instrument's educational value are discussed. (JN)

Describes preliminary efforts to create the Lesson Design System, a computer-guided instructional design system written in Pascal for Apple microcomputers. Its content outline, strategy, display, and online lesson editors correspond roughly to instructional design phases of content and strategy analysis, display creation, and computer programing…

Describes a methodology for linking instructional objectives to computer assisted instruction software and for evaluating the software in regard to such objectives. The proposed taxonomy codifies instructional objectives into machine readable format and includes the elements of subject, function, skill hierarchies, capability level, and…

Explores use of interactive videodisc, which combines videotape in disc format, with its various video and audio information, and the computer, either as part of disc player or external interface. Examples of a variety of industrial/educational applications are cited: Library of Congress, inventory, physician instruction, University of Iowa. (8…

Examines the susceptibility of computerized institutional records to security violations by "hackers," wishing to change grades/records or merely demonstrate their ability to access the systems. Points to practices that encourage security abuses and risk confidentiality. Outlines procedures used by Northern Virginia Community College to…

Explains how a microcomputer and a word processor can be utilized to keep teachers' records and presents a brief BASIC word processing program called SCRIPSIT to show how grades can be calculated from those records. Possible program modifications and how to construct the SCRIPSIT file are discussed. (MBR)

Objectives and outline are provided for a 10-week, upper-level nutrition and computer course. The outline specifies weekly topics and the focus of accompanying lectures and laboratory sessions, including the specific microcomputer program used with each task. (JN)

Developed by the Sperry Corporation, MAPPER is an interactive report processing system that uses simple English-language commands. The system is used by departments at the State University of New York at Albany to access institutional data. (MLF)

Discusses how four standard business software packages can be made to work together as a means of storing herbarium specimen label data and printing new labels. The packages include dBASE III, Quickcode, SuperKey, and PC-Write. Reasons for selecting these packages are considered. (JN)

Shows how electronic spreadsheets can be used in science classrooms for such tasks as ordering and keeping track of supplies and for organizing experiments. Sample printouts of records prepared by use of the spreadsheets are included. (JN)

How to use the electronic spreadsheet (e.g., VisiCalc) creatively is discussed, with computer printouts for a number of algorithms. (MNS)

Two college of education experts present a system which trains university students to administer and interpret standardized tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), thus easing time demands upon their instructors. (JN)