The process of focus-finding in qualitative research is ongoing and dynamic, involves researcher choices and decisions (rather than pure discovery), and is a process of social construction in which the researcher interacts with the research setting. Focus-finding is discussed in the context of a qualitative research study of the integration of…

A product of the UNISIST International Centre for Bibliographic Descriptions (UNIBID), this reference manual presents a standardized communication format for the exchange of machine-readable bibliographic information between bibliographic databases or other types of bibliographic information services, including libraries. Its first section defines…

This demonstration introduced microcomputers into St. Amant High School in Louisiana by instituting a word/information processing program. Microcomputers, printers, and necessary software were purchased, and the manufacturer's educational representative instructed the word/information processing teacher on the operation of the equipment. The…

Process evaluation has great potential to meet the needs of managers who are charged with operating employment and training programs under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). One adaptation of process evaluation could make use of a personal computer to enhance the cost-effectiveness and quick turn-around time of this method of assessing the…

A national sample of 134 vocational educators, representing 6 vocational disciplines (agriculture, business, home economics, marketing and distribution, trade and industrial, and health occupations education), was surveyed to ascertain the relative importance of 47 competencies for applying microcomputers in vocational education. The 12-member…

Trident Technical College developed a process using microcomputers to produce certificates for competency-based curricula. At the beginning of the process, criteria were set for the program. A software program was needed that used available computers, was easy to use, and produced a competency statement that was easy to read and interpret. A…

This paper defines problems of school officials in dealing with the new information society, and suggests a planning framework applicable to the design of school and district microcomputer systems. Educators' problems in addressing the demands and opportunities of the emergent information society include inadequate comprehension of a major shift…

These 43 papers focus on changes in vocational assessment and evaluation. Selected titles include "Review of the Needs of Physically Handicapped Persons in the Vocational Counseling Process and a Possible Solution" (Ranson); "Vocational Assessment in the Management of the Chronic Pain Patient" (Dutton); "Vocational Evaluation of the Individual…

This paper describes the equity component of an ongoing mathematics and technology inservice program which aims to create awareness of equity issues and develop strategies essential to achieving equity. Equity interventions are briefly reviewed. Research evidence suggests that social and experiential factors help determine participation in…

Microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL), the use of microcomputers for student-directed data acquisition and analysis, represents a promising new development in science laboratory instruction. This descriptive study determined the impact of MBLs on middle school students' understanding of graphs of distance and velocity. The study was based on the…

This paper reviews the basic elements of the EM approach to estimating item parameters and illustrates its use with one simulated and one real data set. In order to illustrate the use of the BILOG computer program, runs for 1-, 2-, and 3-parameter models are presented for the two sets of data. First is a set of responses from 1,000 persons to five…

In April of 1982, the German Federal Armed Forces initiated the first empirical pilot project in the area of computerized adaptive testing (CAT). The configuration of hardware, psychological section, and physiological section is discussed, as well as two current problems (data transfer from the TEST 2000 microcomputer to a large sized computer for…

Reports in the ERIC database have found that computer-assisted writing instruction has some effect--if not a dramatic impact--in both the quantity and quality of student writing. Although computers are becoming more common in schools, the influx of computers into schools may not assure students ample opportunity to use them. Limited time-on-task…

The development of a data-based technical education curriculum at Western Kentucky University is described, with consideration of: assessment of the technical needs of the industrial community to identify topics for inclusion in the computer integrated manufacturing technology (CIMT) curriculum, assessment of available physical and human…

A literature review revealed that few colleges of education offering courses in microcomputer applications are addressing the training needs of college professors and graduate students aspiring to faculty positions. A study was therefore conducted to define and prioritize microcomputer applications needed by college faculty in vocational-technical…