Provides an example that illustrates the interrelationship of the factors that influence educational software portability. Nielsen's seven-level approach to human-computer interaction is used as the basis for a model for factors that influence portability, and five phases in the life cycle of a software product being adapted are considered. (10…

Describes the development of Usenet, the User's Network, a computer network that distributes group discussions (newsgroups) on different topics. Network News software is described, the rapid growth in popularity and heavy network traffic is discussed, and a hierarchical classification scheme to limit the amount of information for users is…

Describes the design of a prototype of a computerized courseware production and presentation system that provides a user-friendly environment for the creation, maintenance, and presentation of courseware. Object-oriented material is discussed, types of operations that may act on the objects are explained, and interaction techniques are described.…

Reviews several technology-related learning activities for elementary and secondary school students, including a computer animation program, a computer math game, a NASA telecommunication information system, a computer program and book about wild animals, and a monthly audiotape magazine for children. (SM)

Describes how microcomputer technology for processing textual data offers new options for the qualitative researcher in educational administration. Identifies both the potential benefits and limitations of such computer-assisted procedures, drawing on a study of local educational governance. Describes ETHNOGRAPH, a sophisticated, user-friendly…

Defines copyright and examines the interests of computer software publishers. Issues related to the rights of libraries in the circulation of software are discussed, including the fair use principle, software vendors' licensing agreements, and cooperation between libraries and vendors. An inset describes procedures for internal auditing of…

Computer simulation is an ideal framework to encourage decision making, active learning, and motivation. Appropriate software should be judged in terms of realism, relevance, complexity, interface, administrative efficiency, and use of microcomputers. (SK)

Review of research on computer technology in education in the United States focuses on four aspects of microcomputer use: (1) quantitative (number of microcomputers available to students and teachers); (2) qualitative (location and use of these computers); (3) the impact of computer use; and (4) hypotheses about nonuse, limited use, and…

Office professionals (n=490) completed a questionnaire related to their familiarity with database software, availability and type of database software used, how the software package was learned, frequency of use, features and applications used, and type of information stored. Findings show that database software is quickly becoming commonplace,…

Provides an acoustic profile of the prosody of right-dislocations in French, using the CECIL computer hardware and software package to analyze 28 right-dislocations occurring in a corpus of natural French discourse. It was found that, although right-dislocations appear to fulfill various functional roles in discourse, no correlation appears…

A FORTRAN-77 subroutine is presented to calculate two test statistics for assessing goodness-of-fit in categorical data. The test statistic inferences are based on the exact first three cumulants of the Pearson chi-square statistic and a recently published modification of the Pearson chi-square statistic. (Author)

Explains File Transfer Protocol (FTP), an application software program that allows a user to transfer files from one computer to another. The benefit of the rapid operating speed of FTP is discussed, the use of FTP on microcomputers, minicomputers, and workstations is described, and FTP problems are considered. (four references) (LRW)

A variety of paired comparison, triple comparison, and ranking experiments are discussed as generalized linear models. All such models can be easily fit by maximum likelihood using the GLIM computer package. Examples are presented for a variety of cases using GLIM. (SLD)

Discusses proposals for more standardized practices in CD-ROM development, sales, and distribution. Topics discussed include availability of trial copies; pricing policies; installation, including software, instructions, and compatibility; interface procedures; manuals; and vendor support services. A sidebar discusses proposals being addressed by…

Discusses issues involved in the evaluation of hypertext computer software, including implementation considerations, documentation and packaging, control of instruction by learners, navigation aids for readers, linking mechanisms in hypertext applications, and curriculum development and classroom management considerations. A checklist summarizing…