Activities in three of eight school districts that linked testing and evaluation data with instructional decision-making matched the seven components of management information systems. Each district had a unique system that focused, respectively, on student achievement, school improvement, and staff capacity building. (MLF)

This report proposes a model for designing decision-making information systems in education. In the first section, several relevant themes in education and data processing are summarized, including user involvement, team effort, decision orientation, indicators, enabling technology, design methodologies, and process rather than product. The six…

A model for evaluating special education programs is presented and applied to a microcomputer management and instruction program. The five stages of the model are developing the evaluation model, collecting the evaluation information, analyzing the data, writing and presenting the report, and applying the evaluation findings. (CL)

Effective support for end users of computers has been an important issue in higher education from the first applications of general purpose mainframe computers through minicomputers, microcomputers, and supercomputers. The development of end user support is reviewed and organizational models are examined. (Author/MLW)

The technology of integrating microcomputers into mainframe computing networks is difficult. The functional needs that users have for micro/mainframe linkage are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Discussion of how moving image documents (MID)--i.e., film, videotape, and videodisc--can be described for information retrieval highlights the Image Structure Information System (ISIS) project. This project elaborated a definition of abstract suitable for MID and constructed a microcomputer environment that selects elements useful for access and…

The need for a coherent information systems development strategy that integrates both voice and data communications with computing into the campus computing environment is described. The need for a strategy, as opposed to a set of goals, in light of rapidly changing technological parameters, is discussed. (MLW)

The applications of a recently developed computer program for microcomputers in developing models in an institutional research environment are considered. The VISICALC program requires no user programming skills, is available for all major brands of microcomputers, and provides for easy exchange of information between users of different computing…

Some of the major problems facing higher education over the next decade and how microcomputer-based decision support systems can be used to address these as well as everyday administrative problems are discussed. Examples using electronic spreadsheets and database management systems are provided. (Author/MLW)

Some of the major problems facing higher education over the next decade and how microcomputer-based decision support systems can be used to address these as well as everyday administrative problems are discussed. Examples using electronic spreadsheets and database management systems are provided. (Author/MLW)

Discusses databases and database management systems and explains how they can be used to organize and provide access to information. Highlights include relational models, database design considerations (particularly normalization), query languages used in programming, screen displays, data integrity and security, and effects of the organizational…

Suggests decision making techniques that can be used to estimate the consequences of choosing alternative courses of action, to select an optimum strategy, or to determine how sensitive predicted outcomes are to particular assumptions. Microcomputer use, quantitative techniques, and examples involving item reordering and adoption of word…

A discussion on the impact of the information explosion on society provides the context for this paper's examination of procedures for designing the first stage of a systematic plan to incorporate computer technologies in elementary and secondary schools. Based on the rationale that a computer literate faculty must be available to make decisions…

Describes development of system for retrieval of documents from magnetic storage that uses stored font definition codes to control an inexpensive laser printer in the production of copies that closely resemble original document. Trends in information equipment and printing industries that will govern future application of this technology are…

Describes the emphasis of decision support systems as being on the decision making process itself, rather than the flow of information; reviews the uses of microcomputers in libraries in recent years; and compares five decision modeling software packages. An appendix lists the name, manufacturer's address, price, and hardware requirements of each…