Describes a laboratory designed to give students practical experiences with experimental phenomena discussed in lectures, focusing on laboratory organization and typical experiment. In addition to a list of experiments, three exercises are discussed: fluorescence/laser, ferromagnetic domains, and thermal population (which uses PET computer…

Describes a general purpose microcomputer-based system designed to support small-scale experimentation in the physical sciences in student laboratories. System requirements, teacher reactions, and educational implications are discussed; design criteria are established; and examples are given of the system's application to some simple experiments.…

Describes a microcomputer-based software package developed at the University of Surrey for teaching digital signal processing to undergraduate science and engineering students. Menu-driven software capabilities are explained, including demonstration of qualitative concepts and experimentation with quantitative data, and examples are given of…

The basic hardware configuration of a network of up to 17 TRS-80 microcomputer systems (1 central, 16 peripheral) is described as implemented in the psychology department at the University of British Columbia. Such a system can serve several instructional functions (e.g., data generation for lab experiments, simulation of theories or experiments,…

Discussion of microcomputer-based social science laboratories highlights a program for data analysis that was developed by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD) primarily for use in high schools. Four teaching packages are described that include data material and workbooks, and future packages under development are described. (LRW)

Describes study conducted at Memorial University to determine how students were using the Biology Microcomputer Resource Centre. The four main purposes of the survey were to determine (1) level of use of the center; (2) whether students benefited from this use; (3) characteristics of center users; and (4) influence of the instructor on center use.…

Describes the development of a financial computing laboratory at the University of Lancaster (United Kingdom) and outlines the ways in which online financial information has been integrated into teaching and research. Highlights include hardware used; computer networks; commercial databases used in the financial sector; and teaching and research…

This study evaluated the multi-use concept and impact of 30 microcomputers in 2 laboratories of 15 microcomputers each, which were placed in 8 Vancouver, British Columbia, elementary schools for 5 weeks each between January and June 1983. Approximately 2,780 elementary students and 120 elementary teachers, 300 district teacher inservice…

The main part of this project involved using a computer, either an Apple or an IBM, as a chart recorder for the infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrophotometers. The computer "reads" these machines and displays spectra on its monitor. The graphs can then be stored for future reference and manipulation. The program to…

This project involved interfacing of microcomputers with three chemical instruments--Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), and the spectrophotometer. A Pascal program called "Spectrum" allows data from the NMR to be read and graphed, a specific area of the graph zoomed, ratios of specified areas of the graph…

Based on an examination of the organizational features of editing during collaborative computer writing in a combined first and second grade classroom in a Catholic school during the 1985-86 school year, this paper argues that there is a fundamental difference between collaborative and solo computer writing, and that collaboration during computer…

Discussion of the use of microcomputers in secondary schools in the United Kingdom focuses on classroom use versus separate computer laboratories. Group dynamics among students working at computers are discussed; teachers' attitudes are considered; single microcomputers versus computer networks are examined; and case studies from geography classes…

A study of the behavior of children working on mathematics drill and practice on one of four Israeli computer-assisted instruction (CAI) systems--Mashov, Semel, Tapuach 1 and 3, or Toam 2--was carried out via observations in a sample of 21 computer rooms throughout Israel, and in a computer room operated by research staff. These observations…

Describes results of a computer use survey of 210 graduate programs in educational administration throughout the United States and Canada. Highlights include specific types of computer hardware used in the past, types that are expected to be used in the future, computer lab access, and implications for resource allocations for microcomputers.…

Describes the objectives and format of a course developed at the University of British Columbia (Canada) that was designed to introduce information technology to preservice science teachers. Sample student microcomputer-based laboratory projects are described that include computer simulations, multimedia presentations, and videodiscs; and…