Thoughts on planning, from the perspective of managers/administrators are presented. Eleven steps of the planning process are identified: statement of objective, proposal outline, management approval, organization, outline of plan, organization of data, evaluation of data, formulation of conclusions, review of draft plan, preparation of plan, and…

Results of a national survey investigating problems with aging college computer systems are reported. On average, 68 percent of systems were identified as aging (five or more years old or not under database management systems). Strategies for upgrading obsolescent systems are discussed, and the role of planning is emphasized. Anecdotal information…

Yale University (Connecticut) uses a "constructive evolution" method of coping with maintenance and fine-tuning of aging information systems. In this process, system developers form partnerships with user department representatives to plan and coordinate system changes. Evolution of the personnel/payroll system over five years provides…

An approach is presented which uses the sociotechnical systems concept and a generic planning model as a guiding perspective in the implementation of computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies. (CT)

Colleges should not be overly concerned with technology as an end in itself; computers are only part of the solution. As new applications are developed, interaction and information seeking of members of the academic community will change dramatically. Emphasis should be on service and support of technology to reach scholarly objectives. (MSE)

Virtual reality is a three-dimensional, participatory, multisensory, computer-based simulated environment occurring in real time. Applied to instruction, it has the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning processes. Dialogue must begin for development of a national agenda to link this technology with higher education, addressing…

Computer assisted career guidance (CACG) systems and other computer applications are becoming established components of counseling and guidance services. While technical details involved in software and hardware operations are usually attended to, problems resulting from interpersonal dynamics in the implementation process often contribute more to…

Common challenges faced by colleges and universities in fulfilling information system needs are explained and discussed, including frequent and bothersome database and application program upgrades, bugs in the application programs, business systems lacking the required business capability, upgrades to software tools used to build the business…

In a six-month period, the University of Alberta (Canada) campus computing services department formulated a strategic plan, and downsized and reorganized to meet financial constraints and respond to changing technology, especially distributed computing. The new department is organized to react more effectively to trends in technology and user…

Scientific and technological advances affecting dental education in the near future are examined, including the growing role of saliva in diagnosis, direct imaging methods, biomaterials research, computer-aided design and manufacturing, molecular biology, and new restorative dentistry. It is argued that dentistry should be a fully recognized…

This case study of the acquisition and utilization of microcomputers for administrative purposes at Chipola Junior College, Florida focuses on the reactions of faculty and staff. After a brief review of the college's prior microcomputing activities from 1981 to 1985, the report is divided into four major sections: (1) how administrators involved…

Using the book "Mindstorms--Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas" as a reference point, this paper deals with the sociological challenges raised by Seymour Papert and explores such issues as the role of computers as carriers of powerful ideas and the seeds of cultural change. Recent studies are cited indicating that although the…

The increased use of educational technology represents an attitudinal, as well as a technological, change in instruction. Educational technology affects instruction in that it allows the student to accept more of the responsibility and effort connected with learning; provides for new criteria for grading by competencies in specific areas; widens…

The use of computers by institutional researchers is considered, with a focus on West Germany and Europe. Two developmental stages concerning higher education's political and economic contexts and information technology are addressed, along with the emerging tasks of instititutional research in higher education, and the functioning of…

Educational changes in Wyoming that are linked to the emergence of new informational technologies are considered. Attention is directed to the following topics: assumptions for Wyoming educators as they plan to respond to the impact of technology on teacher education; the importance of educational goals and objectives; the national climate…