This paper is designed to fill the need for an easily understood introduction to the computing and data processing field for the layman who has, or can expect to have, some contact with it. Information provided includes the unique terminology and jargon of the field, the various types of computers and the scope of computational capabilities, and…

Success in using a computer in education as a problem-solving tool requires a change in the way of thinking or of approaching a problem. An algorithm, i.e., a finite step-by-step solution to a problem, can be designed around the data processing concepts of input, processing, and output to provide a basis for classifying problems. If educators…

Arguing that complete, reliable, up-to-date system documentation is critical for every data processing environment, this paper on computer disaster recovery planning begins by discussing the importance of such documentation both for recovering from a systems crash, and for system maintenance and enhancement. The various components of system…

Issues and strategies for developing a campus data communications system are discussed. It is suggested that individual microcomputer (MC) workstations will occasionally have a need for (1) access, via a data communications network, to a more powerful processor; (2) specialized software; (3) sophisticated output devices; (4) central data sets; or…

Computers have been used in a variety of applications for athletics since the late 1950's. These have ranged from computer-controlled electric scoreboards to computer-designed pole vaulting poles. Described in this paper are a computer-based athletic injury reporting system and a computer-assisted football scouting system. The injury reporting…

The introduction and diffusion of automatic computing facilities during the 1960's is reviewed; it is described as a time when research strategies in a broad variety of disciplines changed to take advantage of the newfound power provided by the computer. Several types of typical problems encountered by researchers who adopted the new technologies,…

Fifteen papers on computer centers and data processing management presented at the Association for Educational Data Systems (AEDS) 1976 convention are included in this document. The first two papers review the recent controversy for proposed licensing of data processors, and they are followed by a description of the Institute for Certification of…

The paper sets the stage for the effective and efficient use of computers in institutional research. The microcomputer and the mainframe computer are contrasted for those researchers who have a choice of where to process data. General computer use, specific microcomputer and mainframe computing guidelines, and an application utilizing both…

The School District of Philadelphia has had a continuously maintained computerized data system for its 270,000 pupils since 1967. This paper outlines: the general procedures and descriptions of the file; the need for establishing a pupil data-base file; the systems products and services; its value to research and evaluation as well as to the…

Computer developments that might concern educational administrators are outlined, including physical size, processing performance, peripheral performance, cost of computation, and software development. Computer development and advances in data processing technology are expected to continue to be as dramatic in the 1980s as they have in the past 25…

The computer is seen as a powerful tool that offers great potential for administrators in tertiary institutions. The impact of the computer on processing data, database concept, computer communication, utilization of operations data for analytical reports, use of management science tools, and evolution in administrative data processing are…

The revised organizational structure for computing at The Medical University of South Carolina, the planned computer and telecommunications architecture, and the current state of implementation of these projects are discussed. Recommendations concerning resource management, software, and hardware are presented. The college had several different…

This discussion of the computing network and word processing facilities available to professionals on the Indiana University campuses identifies the word and text processing needs of technical writers and faculty, describes the current computing network, and outlines both long- and short-range objectives, policies, and plans for meeting these…

For several years, the University of Washington School of Communications has been evaluating the costs and advantages of incorporating electronic editorial systems in its educational program. Concurrent with the development of newspaper editorial systems, other applications of computer technology have evolved that are of potential use to…

In 1972, Main Township (Illinois) High School District 207 eliminated its inhouse data processing operation and joined Educational Management Systems (EMS), a regional data processing cooperative. EMS was created by the Institute for Educational Research (IER), which first conducted a thorough study of school district's data processing practices.…