The growing volume of heterogeneous and distributed information on the World Wide Web has made it increasingly difficult for existing tools to retrieve relevant information. To improve the performance of these tools, this paper suggests how to handle two aspects of the problem. The first aspect concerns a better representation and description of…

This volume of Resources in Technology contains the following eight instructional modules: (1) "Processing Technology"; (2) "Water--A Magic Resource"; (3) "Hazardous Waste Disposal--The NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) Syndrome"; (4) "Processing Fibers and Fabrics"; (5) "Robotics--An Emerging…

General background information on microtechnologies with implications for educators provides an introduction to this review of past and current developments in microelectronics and specific ways in which the microchip is permeating society, creating problems and opportunities both in the workplace and the home. Topics discussed in the first of two…

This collection includes five papers assessing current and projected developments in the field of robotics and the implications of these developments for vocational-technical education. The first paper, "New Applications for Industrial Robots--Perspectives for the Next Five Years" (M. Illi) compares advances in robotics in Japan and the…

This instructional manual contains 20 learning activity packets for use in a workshop on robotics. The lessons cover the following topics: safety considerations in robotics; introduction to technology-level and coordinate-systems categories; the teach pendant (a hand-held computer, usually attached to the robot controller, with which the operator…

This document attempts to identify and promote human factors research that would likely produce results applicable to the evolutionary design of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) national space station to be launched in the 1990s. It reports on a symposium designed to yield information applicable to future space systems. The…

The report describes three advanced technologies--robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer simulation--and identifies the ways in which they might contribute to special education. A hybrid methodology was employed to identify existing technology and forecast future needs. Following this framework, each of the technologies is defined,…

This document is a student guide for a course on robot service and repair. It is organized in four units covering the following topics: introduction to robots, power supply, robot control systems, and service and repair. Each unit contains several lesson plans on the unit topic. Lesson plans consist of lesson objectives, lists of teaching aids and…

The purpose of this paper is to assist those in education, government, and industry who are responsible for managing vocational and technical training in their decisions about what programs should be initiated to accommodate the growing use of robots. Section 1 describes robot characteristics (type of drive, method of teaching, lifting capacity,…

Describes how two professors used a robotic camera to tape their classes and improve their teaching style. The camera was found to be unobtrusive and useful in providing feedback; both professors adjusted their materials and delivery approach as a result. Tapes were used in later classes and for students who missed classes. (AEF)

Discusses two computer problem solving programs: rule-based expert systems and decision analysis expert systems. Explores the application of expert systems to automated chemical analyses. Presents six factors to consider before using expert systems. (MVL)

This document--intended for secondary school and college students--contains technology education instructional units on engines and power, energy conversion, energy futures, energy sources, communication and society, energy and power in communication, communication systems, microelectronics in communication, transportation in society, energy and…

The Robotics/Automated Systems Technician (RAST) project developed a robotics technician model curriculum for the use of state directors of vocational education and two-year college vocational/technical educators. A baseline management plan was developed to guide the project. To provide awareness, project staff developed a dissemination plan…

New technologies will produce a radical restructuring of work, including a devaluation of current work skills and the creation of new ones at an ever-increasing rate. The robotics industry provides a prototype for the impact of technology on society, and a context for examining the relevancy of schooling in preparing individuals to function within…

This publication, one of a series of instructional manuals for industrial arts education, is designed to assist teachers as they plan and implement new courses to create environments that integrate classroom learning with students' real life experiences. The material is organized in seven instructional units. Each unit consists of objectives, key…