This general introduction to educational uses of microcomputers provides basic information to assist educators, parents, and concerned citizens in implementing microcomputer programs in the schools. An overview and brief history of educational computing is followed by suggestions which emphasize the need for planning, including pitfalls to avoid,…

Describes the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's three-phase planning model for microcomputer use to show other state departments how to make the integration of computer technology a much easier task. Includes information on development/implementation of the model, state recommendations, computer coordinator job responsibilities,…

Educational applications of computing are reviewed, beginning with a brief introduction to microcomputers and microcomputer characteristics that might be important for school use. An examination of significant models in computer education outside Australia emphasizes projects in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, including the…

Reports on a four-year study of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in which microcomputers were used in individual college classrooms as interactive instructional systems. Discusses students' feelings about CAI, the computer hardware and software, and the lesson models involved. (Author/RW)

The accounting cluster demonstration project conducted at Aloha High School in the Beaverton, Oregon, school district developed a model curriculum for high school accounting. The curriculum is based on interviews with professionals in the accounting field and emphasizes the use of computers. It is suitable for use with special needs students as…

Designed to be used as a model for workshop planning, this report describes the development and implementation of a series of four summer workshops, entitled "Computers Plus," which were designed to increase the computer literacy of teachers and administrators. Intended to provide introductory students with basic concepts, hands-on…

Describes a project undertaken at Florida State University to index the contents of its career library on a microcomputer. The Career Key provides easy access to materials and promotes information-seeking skills as a strategy for solving decision-making problems. (JAC)

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…

The development of the Castleton State College faculty computer literacy training program is described. Early attempts at training focused on the technology, but lost sight of the psychological variables that served as impediments to participation in the program. The peer involvement project is described. (Author/ MLW)

This paper describes cost models designed to aid schools in effective cost planning through analysis of the relative costs and benefits of individualized, computer-based instruction. The models are then applied to the Individualized Study by Technology (IST) program of the Alaska Department of Education (DOE) using data obtained in a pilot study…

A model of parent involvement in computer education is discussed in relation to activities of the Computer Discovery Project at the Center for Young Children, University of Maryland. Content focuses on parents' attitudes and concerns about the use of microcomputers in educational settings. Growth in parents' involvement with computers is…

Presents case study on personal computer teleconferencing to compare its cost effectiveness with that of on-site training. A model is described that uses a checklist for decision making in three areas: (1) initial considerations, (2) planning considerations, i.e., design elements, and (3) technical considerations, i.e., review and selection…

This guide is intended for local- and state-level vocational education administrators, planners, and evaluators who are responsible for making program planning and evaluation findings and decisions geared toward increasing program relevance. The method differs from more traditional approaches in its heavy reliance upon the selection and…

Discusses ways of providing training for educators in the operation and instructional applications of microcomputers on a large scale basis, and draws on the experiences of the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) for examples of successful networking activities. (Author/MER)

Evaluating the effectiveness of career guidance programs is a complex process, and few comprehensive models for evaluating such programs exist. Evaluation of career guidance programs has been hampered by the myth that program outcomes are uniform and monolithic. Findings from studies of attribute treatment interactions have revealed only a few…