The first article in a three-part series to help purchasers obtain the best computer software for their budgets tells how to define requirements before soliciting bids for software. (Author/MLF)

The second article in a series of three to help purchasers obtain the best computer programs for their budgets, deals with bid solicitation and software evaluation. The first article appeared in the July 1981 issue. (Author/MLF)

Guidelines for selecting/buying educational software are discussed under the following headings: educational soundness; appropriateness; challenge and progress; motivation and reward; correctness; compatibility with systems; instructions and handlings. Includes several sources of software reviews. (JN)

The last section of a three-part series deals with computer hardware requirements, program installation, and evaluation techniques. The first two parts appeared in the July and September 1981 issues. (Author/MLF)

Seven factors that currently affect the potential for marketing and publishing computer software for education are discussed: (1) computers as an inplace technology in education, (2) marketing and distribution patterns for software, (3) consumer demand, (4) quality, (5) timelessenss, (6) basic skills, and (7) the future. The proliferation of…

Based on online searching experiences on microcomputer at a small liberal arts college, this article outlines for the novice advantages and disadvantages of micro-searching, legal implications, future trends, and factors to consider in selecting hardware and software. A 16-item bibliography arranged in order of usefulness and 10 references are…

Describes the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC), made up of universities, colleges, and the state department of education, which offers assistance in equipment procurement, courseware development, and inservice training in the use of computers in education. (Author/JM)