The promise of mainframe computers in the 1970s for management information systems (MIS) is largely unfulfilled, and newer office automation systems and data communication systems are designed to be responsive to MIS needs. The status of these innovations is briefly outlined. (MSE)

Contributions in mineral-deposit model formulation, geochemical exploration in glaciated and arid environments, analytical and sampling problems, and bibliographic research were made in symposia held and proceedings volumes published during 1982. Highlights of these symposia and proceedings and comments on trends in exploration geochemistry are…

Discusses use of computer programs in handling such library tasks as cataloging, inventory, and circulation. Reviews several programs and provides a listing of available library software. These include library catalog programs, circulation/overdues programs, and inventory control. (JN)

Explores the history of robotics and its effects upon the manufacturing industry. Topics include robots' capabilities and limitations, the factory of the future, displacement of the workforce, and implications for management and labor. (SK)

Examines the implications of word processing technology for the English teacher. (JL)

Word processing may change how people learn to write. The use of a word processor to teach a sixth grader with writing problems showed how the machine can alleviate problems involving writing with pencil and paper, correcting errors, evaluating and revising, and producing a good-looking text. (RW)

Predicts that the availability of computers and demands for competency testing could drastically alter the character and uses of standardized testing by the end of the century. Warns administrators to begin preparing for the future in order to prevent misuse of the new computer capabilities. (PGD)

In February 1983, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District in California's Silicon Valley will link its school computer to privately owned microcomputers in students' homes. Funded by a $75,000 grant from the Atari Foundation, the link will initially help students to match their school records with college admissions requirements. (RW)

Provides instructions for interfacing a pH meter directly to an Apple II microcomputer without an analog-to-digital converter. Includes program listing (with enough remark statements to make it self-documenting) in Integer Basic to display the pH readings. (Author/JN)

Reviews an educationally valuable and reasonably well-designed simulation of volcanic activity in an imaginary land. VOLCANOES creates an excellent context for learning information about volcanoes and for developing skills and practicing methods needed to study behavior of volcanoes. (Author/JN)

Describes how the Stillwater (Minnesota) Independent School District uses microcomputers and an adaptation of a widely available software program to compute, during collective bargaining sessions, the costs to the district of proposed compensation packages for teachers and other employees. (RW)

Use of existing computer software within the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), offering the mechanism for an automatic management information system, is described. A historical database on students, staff, and costs was developed for eight Australian colleges. The system compiles and tabulates a wide range of reports. (MSE)

Louisiana State University applied a wholistic philosophy to its computer applications development. The new standards provide a step-by-step plan for the entire application process, from initiation to implementation and maintenance; list required deliverables instead of rules; and allow the programer and analyst flexibility to exercise technical…

Describes NEGOTIATE, an interactive computer model that synthesizes bargaining theories into algorithmic functions capable of simulating complex labor relations. The models employed in the simulation, the instructional dimension of NEGOTIATE, and various applications of the game are discussed. A seven-item reference list is included. (Author/JL)

Suggests that computer expertise is becoming an irrepressible force in the business environment and that the ability to use a personal computer may be a key to success for young executives in the 1980's. (Author/JN)