Designed to complement the manual, "Evaluation of Educational Software: A Guide to Guides," which provides an overview of 10 different models of microcomputer courseware evaluation instruments, this 5-section workshop guide outlines an approach to using the evaluation materials in a hands-on workshop setting. Session notes, reproducible…

Lists seven steps to help in making sound decisions when purchasing educational tutorial software. They include considering all possible options; ordering software on an approval basis; running programs from start to finish many times, focusing on a different aspect each time; and completing the software evaluation form that is provided. (MBR)

The results of a study conducted during the period August 1982 to January 1983, this overview of federal agency experiences with microcomputers represents a synthesis of information gathered from interviews with staff of one state and 12 federal agencies, informal discussions, and examination of the available literature, agency documents, and…

Describes Cataloging in Publication (CIP), a cooperative program begun in 1971, whose partners are the Library of Congress (LC) and approximately 2,000 U.S. publishers. Why publishers participate and use of program by school libraries are discussed. Questionnaire for school librarians concerning provision of CIP cataloging for microcomputer…

Contains a check list to aid teachers in evaluating software used in computer-assisted instruction on microcomputers. The evaluation form contains three sections: program description, program evaluation, and overall evaluation. A brief description of a software evaluation program in use at the Granite School District in Utah is included. (JJD)

A survey instrument was designed and administered to obtain a broad base of information concerning the presence of computers and computer literacy classes in public libraries in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota. The results indicate that 50.8% of the 100 libraries that responded to the survey (80.6% of the original random sample) have public…

The article presents a software evaluation checklist developed by a teaching-research laboratory for severely handicapped students in New York City. In an introductory section, the use of laptop microcomputers in helping handicapped learners acquire, maintain, and generalize functional skills is described as the fifth ingredient of an integrated…

This collection includes four handouts: (1) "Selection Critria Considerations for Computer-Based Resources" (Linda B. Richardson); (2) "Software Collection Policies in Academic Libraries" (a 24-item bibliography, Jane W. Johnson); (3) "Circulation and Security of Software" (a 19-item bibliography, Sara Elizabeth Williams); and (4) "Bibliography of…

Presents suggestions for selecting authoring systems based on reviews of over one dozen systems; defines authoring systems; discusses their potential benefits; introduces background evaluation concepts; describes procedures for collecting information about system attributes; and presents a system selection checklist and an authoring system…

An evaluation form used at Ashland College (Ohio) for critical evaluation of educational software is presented. The form covers basic product information, program content, educational appropriateness, organizational and technical components, teacher's manual, and product revision. (MBR)

Discusses evaluation of microcomputer courseware for school libraries, noting the evaluation process (selecting evaluation instrument, selecting and obtaining courseware for review), and steps of the evaluation program. Sources of evaluation instruments and courseware reviews, and evaluation forms of California Library Media Consortium for…

This practicum report describes an instructional program designed to increase teacher awareness of the technological applications of musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) in the classroom. The primary goal of the study was to assist music teachers in becoming more informed about MIDI, and to enable them to effectively select the appropriate…

Designed to assist administrators in making intelligent decisions about microcomputer selection, this nontechnical guide provides information in three areas: how, where, when, and why to use a microcomputer; what questions to ask about software and hardware; and what terminology to use. It provides a framework for answering six questions the…

The development of a two week summer institute for seventh and eighth grade students who are gifted in math and science and are interested in computers is summarized, and various project materials are appended. Objectives of the 1982 microcomputer summer institute, which was sponsored by the State University of New York at Albany, included:…

A survey of the current practices in school library-media centers in the Southwest, Three Rivers, Pathfinder, and Arkansas Valley Regional Library Service Systems in Colorado was conducted in the fall of 1986. The survey covered reference materials; media selection; computer usage, including cataloging, online searching, and use of library…