Microcomputers in Voc Ed: A Decision Guide. Research & Development Series No. 239A

Abstract

A synthesis of the report, "Microcomputers in Vocational Education: Current and Future Uses," this document identifies and addresses a number of critical issues associated with microcomputer use and offers ideas on explicit ways that the microcomputer is being and can be used for vocational instruction and management. The document contains seven chapters, each one designed to convey information on both the microcomputer's present uses in the vocational classroom and its future possibilities. Chapter I provides some general insights into the issues surrounding the use of this technology by presenting three possible scenarios on ways that the microcomputer may be used in the vocational setting, along with a brief history and definition of the microcomputer. Chapter II investigates the use of the microcomputer in vocational education in light of the changing social and economic needs of our society, while chapters III and IV explore the two most popular applications of the microcomputer in education: computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and computer-managed instruction (CMI). Chapter V presents much of the same information concerning the use of the microcomputer for administrative and management purposes. In chapter VI, future uses of the microcomputer are examined by exploring advanced technological devices that may help improve or modify the ways microcomputers can be used to deliver vocational instruction. Finally, in chapter VII, some of the possible applications of microcomputer technology are summarized, and suggestions on appropriate roles for federal, state, and local policymakers are offered. (KC)