Some of the economic and technological influences under which computing centers of the 1980s will have to operate are reviewed. Several strategies for hardware, software, and personnel management to cope with and to take advantage of in relation to a trend in changing costs are outlined. (Author/MLW)

Information systems are becoming more than computer systems, with new equipment and techniques combining with data processing to form a new field called information technology. The emerging discipline of systems engineering is discussed along with nine systems engineering techniques. An organization chart of an information services department is…

Discusses forces at work within today's on-line data base environment which could lead to the emergence of a distributed information network; identifies several important modules in such a network, including an automated subject switching module; and reports research investigations, critical issues, and preliminary findings with regard to…

Examines studies that evaluate public access systems spanning experiments, field tests, and prototypes, and discusses quality control, cost-effectiveness, and issues for future research. Results suggest that system designers and developers need to be more selective in the type of evaluations they conduct; and there is a need for comparative…

Describes two experiments that were conducted at the University of Illinois to determine how cognitive abilities of users of information retrieval systems and specific design features combine to create system usability. Logical reasoning and perceptual speed are examined, and reliability and validity are discussed. (Contains 12 references.) (LRW)

Presents exploratory individual, group, and organizational learning instructional systems development (ISD) models based on four conditions: integration of the questions of what and why in instruction and learning; reflection of impacts of environmental factors; non-linear and flexible instructional processes; and future-centeredness in…

Provides a list of potential strategies and tactics for improving the performance of individuals, groups, and organizations. The performance technologist must be able to integrate these strategies to be successful. Lists and describes 20 categories/interventions. The process of performance technology is discussed, as well as tips for mastering…

The importance and attention given to information systems are relatively new phenomena in the history of higher education. This chapter documents the ascendancy of information systems in the scheme of institutional priorities and considers the strengths and weaknesses associated with vended and homegrown systems.

Computer-assisted school information systems (SISs) are developed and used worldwide; however, the literature on strategies for their design and development is lacking. This paper presents the features of a fundamental approach to systems design that proved to be successful when developing SCHOLIS, a computer-assisted SIS for Dutch secondary…

Focusing on the need for information systems that provide faculty, staff, and students with open access to all necessary information resources, this paper begins by discussing the issues involved in developing such systems. A review of the traditional environment looks at the traditional centralized resources versus the current trend toward…

Potential uses of a central registry/clearinghouse approach in the Child Support Enforcement Program (CSEP) are described in this publication. The CSEP was established in 1975 under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act in an effort to reduce federal monies spent supporting dependent children not receiving financial assistance from absent parents.…

This paper is based on the assumption that in shaping academic strategies for long-range planning purposes, educational institutions must be able to gather adequate information on which to base administrative decisions. Information on how the institution has operated in the past as well as how it is currently operating are critical items for valid…

This overview of the role of the General Information Programme (PGI) in Major Program VII: Information Systems and Access to Knowledge, one of 14 major Unesco program areas for the period 1984-1989, includes the goals of the program, a review of issues and problems in the area of information technology applications in developing countries, and a…

A study was conducted to develop a monitoring system detailing the employment demands in Bridgeport, Connecticut for graduates of the city's vocational and training programs. The project was divided into two phases and involved the collaborative efforts of the educational, community, and business-industrial sectors of Bridgeport. A checklist based…

This index represents the fourth of five components of a project conducted to design a comprehensive information system (termed SYSTEM) for identifying, selecting, and disseminating relevant military curriculum materials to civilian vocational and technical education programs. The bulk of this particular document consists of abstracts of the…