Based mainly on interviews conducted at 14 federal agencies that had completed or were involved in software conversion projects, this publication provides guidelines for the entire process of software conversion. This is defined as the transformation, without functional change, of computer programs or data elements to permit their use on a…

This guide discusses four types of microcomputer-based communication programs that could prove useful to evaluators: (1) the direct communication of information generated by one computer to another computer; (2) using the microcomputer as a terminal to a mainframe computer to input, direct the analysis of, and/or output data using a statistical…

This paper describes and evaluates a computerized system, MATCH, which is being used in South Carolina to match or link student records from year to year. The functioning of MATCH and its specific features are described, and its use in matching student test scores is detailed. The problem of mismatched records and the use of visual editing to…

Describes system developed at Bennett College for recording grades on a spreadsheet that allows multi-user access for updating student test scores. The interaction between spreadsheets, user-developed statistics programs, and word processing documents is discussed, and a process for using spreadsheet data in a BASIC statistics program is…

Integrated software is available to help with many of the small- to medium-sized school's management tasks requiring data analysis. Typical integrated programs include spreadsheet, database, graphing, and word processing components and cost less than the price of all the components purchased separately. (PGD)

An online data retrieval system for administrators of departments at Ball State University is described. The underlying concept is to pull together data elements from operational databases available on the mainframe and to make this information accessible to administrators through a straightforward retrieval system. (MLW)

Discusses the role of computer keyboard operators in typesetting complex mathematical expressions used in instructional materials, examines the role of software in producing good quality output, and describes Expressionist, software for Macintosh hardware that can be used with desktop publishing and word processing software to enter mathematical…

This article discusses how to use technology to collect, store, sort, and reformat assessment data on the school improvement process, explaining the use of desktop computers with databases and the use of portable devices in the assessment process. (SM)

The University of Calgary (Canada) medical school admissions process has been streamlined with the Student Admission to Medicine computer program, largely paperless, that creates a database from student applications. The database then converts grades to the university's standards and assists with administrative details, statistical analyses, and…

This guide to ERRATA, a set of HyperCard-based tools for response analysis and error diagnosis in language testing, is intended as a user manual and general reference and designed to be used with the software (not included here). It has three parts. The first is a brief survey of computational techniques available for dealing with student test…

TPLANSYS (Training PLAN SYStem) is a software program that provides classroom teachers with a convenient way to record, print, and maintain cooperative training plan information for students in their classes. It allows them to identify their classes, the training plans that can be used, and the students who are using these training plans. This…

An interactive, self-guided program for the joint post-processing of bibliographic citations from the federal information centers of the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is described. The program, presently installed on the Intelligent Gateway Processor of the…

A discussion of expert systems, computer programs designed to simulate human reasoning and expertise, begins with the assumption that few business educators understand the impact that expert systems will have on international business. The fundamental principles of the design and development of expert systems in business are outlined, with special…

The potential uses of microcomputers in evaluation research are discussed in this pamphlet. At the beginning, a matrix is provided showing the relationship between the steps in the evaluation research process and common types of computer software. Thereafter, the guide is organized sequentially around the evaluation research activities that are…

Consumers and producers of educational software must make decisions about what kind of software to buy and create. Both groups must base these decisions on criteria that consider what it is important to learn in our technological era, what is workable, and what is currently practical and cost-effective. Five criteria that are central to these…