This project involved interfacing of microcomputers with three chemical instruments--Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), and the spectrophotometer. A Pascal program called "Spectrum" allows data from the NMR to be read and graphed, a specific area of the graph zoomed, ratios of specified areas of the graph…

Eight papers making up Track VI of the 1989 conference of the Professional Association for the Management of Information Technology in Higher Education (known as CAUSE, an acronym of the association's former name) are presented in this document. The focus of Track VI is on academic computing issues, and the papers include: "Loan-a-Mac: A…

A practicum involved the creation of an instructional unit that used a microcomputer and a graphic writing program, Transportation Transformation, to motivate at-risk learners to write (focusing on creative stories) as well as to increase their writing. The target population consisted of fourth graders who were attending Birch Lane Elementary…

Based on data gathered and analyzed for the Home Information Technology Study (HITS), which was jointly sponsored by the Center for Education Statistics in the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to study informal, nonschool learning in households, this report focuses on the use of computers in home study. The…

This digest discusses several aspects of electronic networking, including network functions, implementation, and applications in education. Electronic networking is defined as including the four basic services of electronic mail (E-mail), electronic "bulletin boards," teleconferencing, and online databases, and an overview of these four…

This resource unit, an addendum to The Exploratory Computer Literacy Curriculum Guide, Grades 9-12, is designed to provide teachers with guidelines and classroom computer activities for integrating the exploratory computer literacy program into the curriculum. An overview of the guide is given in the introduction, which notes that the materials…

In October and November 1986, the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) sponsored a series of forums for elementary teachers to share ideas about the use of computers in the classroom. During the forums, each teacher took from 15 to 30 minutes to explain how he or she taught the lesson that was being shared. The informality of the…

Focusing on the application of new technologies to the creation of rich environments for writing, this project entailed the assembling of a low-cost microcomputer system that included a microcomputer, speech synthesis, voice recognition, and videodisk player. A variety of alternative input devices were explored, and software that permitted the…

Changes that computer technology has brought about in higher education and skills needed by faculty and students are discussed. Computer/information literacy is important in higher education and in graduates' work after college. Tools introduced by technology include: microcomputers connected to the university's central computer, electronic mail…

In December of 1985 the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) conducted a survey of its 105 academic members to determine which libraries were acquiring and circulating microcomputer software and what policy guidelines were regulating this library function. Of the 74 libraries that responded, 72 indicated they were acquiring microcomputer…

Choosing a machine for the new microcomputing program at Drexel University is described. It was necessary to give students access to computing capabilities that were versatile and powerful enough to assist them in the full range of their coursework. The university made the decision to have students bear part of the expense of the new curricular…

The proposal put forward in this presentation centers on the use of the microcomputer for the generation of educational research, both as a powerful tool for information collection and as a means for analyzing the generated data. The microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) principles described in this paper may be used in rural classroom settings as…

As part of California's comprehensive program to improve and strengthen its schools by incorporating educational technology into the entire curriculum, funds have been provided to school districts that have developed an educational technology or computer education plan. This guide identifies planning activities and describes steps district…

A promising new development in science education is the use of microcomputer-based laboratory tools that allow for student-directed data acquisition, display, and analysis. Microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL) make use of inexpensive microcomputer-connected probes to measure such physical quantities as temperature, position, and various…

This paper explores the feasibility of developing a single-user microcomputer-based testing system. Testing literature was surveyed to discover types of test items that might be used in the system and to compile a list of strategies that such a system might use. Potential users were surveyed. Several were interviewed, and a questionnaire was…