A process developed at Colorado State University to assess college students' knowledge of microcomputers prior to taking an introductory microcomputer course uses self-questionnaires to place students in the microcomputer learning curve according to their knowledge of and interest in microcomputers. Students can then be grouped into different…

This article describes a model for implementing a microcomputer education program and identifies its common benefits. It identifies and defines key program elements: enlistment of community support, needs assessment, identification of goals and objectives, selection of appropriate materials, preparation for implementation, implementation,…

The use of computers to build diagnostic inferences is presented in two contexts: (1) closed world, exemplified by the space shuttle launch monitoring system; and (2) open world, represented by computerized diagnostic testing of reading comprehension. The analysis shows that the closed world provides a substantially cleaner environment within…

Offers suggestions and a model for implementing an inservice program for teachers on the instructional applications of microcomputers. Reviews the guiding principles of the model and identifies the conceptual understandings, technical skills, and application skills needed by educators for educational computing. (ML)

Reviews the efforts undertaken in the Florida Model Microcomputer Trainer Project (FMMTP) and its statewide impact. Outlines its procedural strategies, trainer curriculum, networking system, and the results of its multiplier effect. (ML)

The Computer Academy at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo) is a series of intensive, one-credit-hour workshops to assist professionals in increasing their level of computer competence. At the time they were initiated, in 1985, the workshops targeted elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators, were offered on Apple IIe…

Designed to offer direction for classroom teachers and administrators in the development of an exploratory computer literacy program for grades 9-12, this resource unit comprises four major sections, four appendices, and two resource lists. The introductory section provides information on the history of Hawaii's computer literacy program; cites…

Discusses the design and development of the user-computer interface in terms of the personal computer user's psychological needs and physical, perceptual, and conceptual contact with the system. Principles for the development of a user-system dialog that meets the requirements of transparency and visibility are suggested. Twenty-six references are…

A model project at Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, Iowa, provided a degree-bearing second-year course of vocational study to a nontraditional audience seeking high-technology training. The flexible, competency-based program offered three paths of study: a course in personal computing resulting in a diploma or an associate degree, an…

This document contains a project report and procedures manual from a project in which a group of junior colleges and postsecondary technical schools in Texas developed, pilot tested, and disseminated performance criterion-referenced occupational examinations for technical occupations. The report describes how teachers and industry personnel…

A review of the literature indicates that, in the 1990s, production workers will need significant amounts of human capital investments in terms of education, training, and retraining, to have the new and updated computer and technical skills required by American employers. The present empirical study determines and defines seven factors that are…