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The first topic of the conference was creativity. Papers delivered were Knowledge and Creativity by Theodore C. Denise and Hobert W. Burns; Potentiality for Creativity and Its Measurement, by J. P. Guilford; and Some Methodological Issues in the Study of Creativity by Robert L. Thorndike. In the second session, a paper on comparability of scores was entitled: Can Useful General-Purpose Equivalency Tables be Prepared for Different College Admissions Tests? by William H. Angoff. The third session dealt with processing educational data and consisted of two papers: Information Systems in the Educational Environment, by Charles R. De Carlo; and The Role of Machines in Education Decision Making, by Ralph W. Tyler. The luncheon address, entitled Approaches to the Measurement of Intellectual Disposition, was delivered by T. R. McConnell. (MH)

A method for improving the induction of computer programs from human problem solving protocols begins with four steps. The first step requires dividing the protocol into phrases that represent the performer's single assertions about the task or a single act of task oriented behavior. Second, the operators and information constituting single states of knowledge are set down in the construction of problem spaces. Next, a Problem Behavior Graph (PBG) is plotted by proceeding through the phrases of the protocol. Finally, a production system, which captures the regularities in the subject's search behavior, is created in several stages: (1) conjecturing individual productions at each node of the PBG; (2) consolidating the production system, a process analogous to the subroutinization of a large program; (3) plotting the production system against the PBG; and (4) determining a conflict resolution rule. A 33-reference bibliography is appended. (KB)

Recently, we have come to view the organization as a system in which inputs such as labor, capital, material, etc. are processed and converted to outputs, such as a product or a service. The organization, or process, is depicted as a network of interdependent parts linked together by flows of material, capital, and especially information. Our goal as management specialists is to understand the organizational system and to attempt to optimize its efficiency. The management of a system (organization) therefore, is a function of the decisions involved in the design of the system, its operation, and its control. This is the reason that many students of organizational theory are currently placing so much emphasis on decision making as related to the process of management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major concept to be explored in this paper is the interrelationship between cybernetics, power and human and organizational values. There is little doubt that cybernetics will affect organizational value systems. It is fairly obvious that sovereign power resulted in the imposition of political values. Further, corporate power resulted in the imposition of economic values. Finally, human power manifested through the individual and the work group will result in social values becoming the dominant three in managerial philosophies. The cybernetic revolution will require a total re-evaluation of many of society's closely held precepts. Yet, in a world where starvation, poverty and oppression are real characteristics, re-evaluation is certainly a basic need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provided in this report are substantive summaries of the papers presented and discussions held at the Spring 1973 conference convened by EDUCOM, the Interuniversity Communications Council. The general focus is upon issues and obstacles related to the development of national computer networks in higher education; these networks have become more and more necessary due to increases in both the contributions and the costs of computers. Part I of the report considers the general question of networking, with individual papers dealing with the kinds of networks needed, the development of a national science computer network, and computing resource networks from the buyer's and seller's perspectives. Part II treats networking for disciplinary users, with specific presentations reviewing applications in transportation, chemistry and chemical engineering, economics, business administration, and medicine. Part III covers national and regional networking. Separate chapters discuss: 1) the Advanced Research Projects Administration Network (ARPANET); 2) the relationship between the states and the universities; 3) network instructional aides; 4) the datacomputer, a network data utility; 5) Project MAC at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and 6) regional networks as a basis for national networks. (PB)

Computing at Stanford University has, until recently, been performed at one of five facilities. The Stanford hospital operates an IBM 370/135 mainly for administrative use. The university business office has an IBM 370/145 for its administrative needs and support of the medical clinic. Under the supervision of the Stanford Computation Center are three facilities: ACME with a 360/50 to provide computer support for medical research, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) has a 360/91, and the campus facility tries to provide flexibility for general use with a 360/67. There have been moves toward changing the facilities and administrative structure of computing at the university. With separate computing support for the hospital, clinic, and medical research areas, it was proposed that these facilities be consolidated to form a central computer center for medical use. SLAC also needed an expansion of its facility. In April 1973, all facilities were unified under a central administration and soon there will be just two computer centers, one on campus and one at SLAC. (WH)

The introduction and diffusion of automatic computing facilities during the 1960's is reviewed; it is described as a time when research strategies in a broad variety of disciplines changed to take advantage of the newfound power provided by the computer. Several types of typical problems encountered by researchers who adopted the new technologies, together with the solutions adopted by the researchers, are described. It is shown how the local computing facility expanded to the centralized facility as a result of these problems; new types of needs and uses for computers continue to favor evolution and change. One result was the growth of large-scale computer networks. An alternative to established forms of networks--hierarchical computing systems--is suggested as providing better answers to more kinds of needs. The Minicomputer Interfacing Support System (MISS), developed at the University of Chicago, is briefly described as a prototype system allowing minicomputers to be used in a hierarchical system which would provide more powerful capabilities when they are needed. Finally, it is suggested that traditional attitudes of researchers toward computation facilities should be reevaluated, as new possibilities are being developed and made available. (WDR)

A case study approach is used to document the on-line information system developed by the Office of Management Information and Computing at the University of Vermont. Stanford University's Project INFO On-Line Administration Information System, OASIS, was chosen as a model. The administrative system is one of two on campus, the other designed for academic use. Appendixes provide organization charts of the university and the Office of Management Information and Computing, a schematic diagram of the computer system, the current systems being used, the file structure, and examples of the use of the computer inquiry service, QUERY. (WH)

The Chemistry Department at the University of California, San Diego, has 35 members, 20 of whom are experimentalists with either computers or plans to acquire one. Within the department there are turn-key systems connected to mini-computers or the department computer, an IBM 1800. There is little control over computers in the department and little standardization. The campus computer center is in debt, and there is political pressure to make greater use of this center. With a short supply of research dollars, it is important to utilize local existing facilities to the greatest extent efficiency allows. The objectives to be achieved are to promote the innovative use of computers in chemistry, to enhance turn-key systems to greater capabilities, to provide a consistent level of systems support--both with hardware and software, and to utilize the campus computer center whenever possible. (WH)

This paper states that there are two fundamental reasons for the comparative absence of computer use for parks and recreation at the present time. These are (1) lack of clear cut cost justification and (2) reluctance on the part of recreation professionals to accept their role as managers and, consequently, to utilize modern management tools. The paper attempts to describe the most effective use of the computer and telecommunication technologies for the leisure service provider. It seeks to make the part and recreation professional recognize that the ultimate effective use of the technology will be in the hands of those professionals who combine a basic understanding of their own profession with that of the technology itself. The paper contains a primer on computers for the recreation/park professional. A section on the primary applications of computer technology to recreation and parks is followed by examples of specific application to these areas. More detailed examples are appended. (Author/DDO)

The computer center of the University of Iowa is the topic of this informal panel presentation. The present structure of the facility is described in terms of batch and remote terminal services. The job scheduling method used is shown to provide acceptable turn-around times, but usage is unexpectedly low, in spite of the low cost to student users. Plans for a large number of remote terminals are reviewed, and the allocation of terminals to departments within the university is described. Finally, a line drawing showing the interconnections between the main processor, the small minicomputers, and the remote terminals is provided. (WDR)

A computer program to perform a Monte Carlo simulation of counting experiments was written. The program was based on a mathematical derivation which started with counts in a time interval. The time interval was subdivided to form a binomial distribution with no two counts in the same subinterval. Then the number of subintervals was extended to infinity to form the Poisson distribution. Under restricted conditions the Gaussian (normal) distribution can approximate the Poisson. The computer program was written in the BASIC and FORTRAN languages and generates a pseudo-random number for each subinterval. These generated numbers are then compared with the Poisson and Gaussian distributions. A graphical display of the results is part of the program. A sample output is supplied in an appendix. (WH)

Several computer programs were developed to solve various versions of the quadratic capacitated facilities location problem. Matrices, which represent various business costs, are defined for the factors of sites, facilities, customers, commodities, and production units. The objective of the program is to find an optimization matrix for the lowest cost, given the restrictions of the problem. The algorithms, COMPAT and SWITCH, are devised to solve portions of the problem with the subroutines, CHANGE and MUNKRES. These programs are tried on several different problems, and the different results are compared. Suggestions for future research, particularly using Gilmore's branch and bound technique, are made. (WH)

This paper attempts to characterize some of the knowledge that people have of their language's semantic structure, in order to determine what a computer has to know to perform the operations of searching for facts and answering questions. Necessarily, this sort of semantic analysis is done in connection with syntactic structure. The meaningful elements of English are divided into sets of words and sets of sentences. Their general properties are examined as well as the general relations between elements. The paper concludes with a discussion of the controversy between generative semanticists and interpretivists over syntactic and semantic structure. The work of logicians on artificial language is cited as being helpful in explanations of syntactic and semantic structure in natural languages. (AM)

The paper argues that existing computer programs for thermal predictions do not produce suitable information for architects, particularly at the early stages of design. It reviews the important building features that determine the thermal environment and the need for heating and cooling plant. Graphical design aids are proposed, with examples to show the summer conditions in naturally ventilated buildings. It is shown that it is not realistic to consider thermal conditions in isolation: the feasibility of achieving the desired natural ventilation rate and the use of artificial lighting are also important. Sample design aids are included for these aspects. (Author)

The paper descibes a compact and highly efficient disk file management system responsible for the management and allocation of space on moving head disk drives in a medium-scale time-sharing system. The disk file management system is a major component of the Experimental Time-Sharing System (ETSS) developed at the Learning Research and Development Center. ETSS has been successfully operating for nearly two years and is a multilanguage general-purpose time-sharing system based on Digital Equipment Coporation's PDP-15. (Author)

The ninth annual EDUCOM conference developed its theme along four major lines: computing for research; computing for instruction; management information systems; and the allocation of computing resources. Papers in this volume address primarily the organizational and political considerations (Parts II, III, IV, and V), and technological/economic issues (Part VI) relevant to the utilization of computing and networking in higher education. (WCM)

This report describes a set of procedures for analyzing communication networks in large organizations. The procedures include the identification and evaluation of various kinds of networks, assessment of the organizational hierarchy, appraisal of various departments within the organization, and evaluation of individual communication behavior. The report begins by describing and illustrating the essential concepts of network analysis, thereby providing a vocabulary for talking about the process. In the second chapter several comparative techniques are described for evaluating the network, including overlaying the actual network on the organizational chart and comparing different networks. Several important network metrics, called communication structure variables, are identified, and their relationships to important aspects of organizational processes are suggested in the third chapter. Finally, information is provided to enable a reader to gain access to and utilize existing software for conducting a large-scale network analysis by computer. (Author/RB)

Geosystems are computerized techniques for matching information to places. They correlate demographic and socioeconomic information with locations on the surface of the earth. Using geosystems the college administrator can: (1) improve his overall planning, (2) define college service areas, (3) assist in site selection for new programs and facilities, and (4) develop grant proposals. A geosystem contains a geographic base file and a file containing the information to be mapped. In addition, a program for merging the two files is needed. When the computer is fed the base map, the pertinent information file, and the program, the desired map is automatically produced. Computers may eventually assist in the process of student counseling, i.e., students would receive periodic mailings of suggested changes in program, vocation, occupation, or even career. Such a counseling service could be extended to nonstudents as well as students, and the college would thus become a clearinghouse for community-wide job placement, provide essential vocational training and retraining, and guide citizens through the complex lattice of job opportunities. (DB)

The computer programing language APL is used to describe a "learning" game, and the functions developed are generalized to extend to a class of rules. (Author/WH)

Students in two biostatistics courses at the Cornell Medical College and in a course in applications of computer science given in Cornell's School of Industrial Engineering were given access to an interactive package of computer programs enabling them to perform statistical analysis without the burden of hand computation. After a general discussion of the possible educational impact of the package, a brief report is given of its use in the above mentioned courses at Cornell. (Author)

New technical specialties are emerging within the computer industry at a rate threatening the ability of educational institutions to train those who would understand and apply them. The industry's ability to undertake more ambitious projects and to thereby solve more complex problems is limited by an inadequate force of skilled manpower. Thus, it finds itself in the following position: (1) there exists a distressingly large number of poorly qualified people at all levels; (2) those who are now competent are becoming less so every day as technological developments continue; (3) long-term career prospects for data processing people in most user organizations are not sufficiently promising to attract the talented; (4) universities are turning out far too few computer-oriented problem-solvers; and (5) the industry is having a difficult time achieving professional maturity. The solution of these problems will require considerable effort. (Author/WCM)

Four speeches are presented, each of which deals with the use of conputers to organize and retrieve news stories. The first speech relates in detail the step-by-step process devised by the "Free Press" in Detroit to analyze, categorize, code, film, process, and retrieve news stories through the use of the electronic film retrieval system, Miracode, designed by Eastman Kodak. The second speech discusses the idea of a regional newspaper library which would employ the paper tape used to produce a newspaper to index by computer that day's news stories and to provide a computer-produced microfilm for mounting in member papers' retrieval devices. The third speech discusses the Automated News Clipping, Indexing and Retrieval System (ANCIRS) which uses a minicomputer to control a very high speed microfiche retrieval terminal so that any piece of morgue copy is available to the viewer in approximately four seconds on the Image Systems terminal. The fourth speech concerns the development of a new, automated computer-assisted system, ACCESS, now in use by the "Chicago Daily News" and "Chicago Sun-Times" Editorial Library. (KKC)

This publication includes the proceedings of the June 5-8, 1974 curriculum development workshop of the Cooperative Academic Planning (CAP) program. Emphasis is placed on curriculum change and improvement. Topics discussed include indicators for academic planning; competency-based education; research centers as a mechanism for strengthening academic programs; college reading and the content areas; innovative computer services for colleges; and the problems, prospects, and promises for black colleges offering multicultural education. Abstracts of documents by 20 of the 25 CAP participating colleges and universities are included. (MJM)

The AAMP (administrative abilities matched to problems) system is simply one or more school administrator(s) designated by the school system's computer information system as having those abilities, preferences, and characteristics required to solve a particular system problem. An AAMP is formed on the basis of information provided concerning the characteristics of the problem in relation to the stored model of the school system and the stored information about each administrator. Once an AAMP is formed, the objective is to design a solution to the problem and to relate the solution to the existing school system. During the process of designing a solution, AAMP has available an information model of the school system as well as problem-related information from a variety of sources stored in or retrievable by the computer system. (Author)

A study was made of the aims governments have with respect to computers and what methods they have at their disposal for achieving these aims. The Canadian experience provided an example. In general, throughout the world, governmental objectives with regard to computers come under three headings: (1) to use computers effectively in governmental operations, (2) to promote an indigenous computer industry, and (3) to direct and regulate computer growth. The methods available for promoting these objectives involve passing legislation and allocating money. In Canada, a redefinition of the powers and a desire to establish a distinctive "Canadian" approach has resulted in a conscious and intense study of information processing and related technologies. However, although it is not difficult to agree on general principles and goals, it is enormously difficult to translate these principles into programs which further national goals. In Canada, the federal government has adopted a decentralized approach of computer services, while at the provincial level, the trend is toward centralization. The general position in Canada is that computer services and software industries are to remain largely unregulated; the problem of whether to participate in a computer network remains unresolved. (WCM)

Data from a brief survey of current and potential uses of minicomputers in small educational institutions suggests that the principal role of minicomputers in such institutions will be for school administration and for teaching the use of computers. In the instructional area, emphasis should be placed on teaching (1) the potentials and significance of computer applications; (2) algorithmic problem solving skills; and (3) computer programing. Recommendations for minicomputer software to support such courses are given. (DGC)

The first of information science is in something of a jumble, because there is no universally accepted definition of the field, much less an agreement on what the core information is or what curriculum should be followed. Information science teachers must decide what kind of graduate they are trying to turn out in order to be competitive with business and computer science graduates. The job market for information science graduates is potentially larger than the current one composed of libraries and information marketing companies. In order to be competitive in this larger job market, information science curriculum should be strengthened so that library science graduates know information technology and how to use it on an equal basis with computer and business graduates. An attempt should be made to attract more business and science students into the field of information science. (KKC)

The economic crisis of the mid-1970's is a symptom of a major social transition caused by the shift of the major industrial societies to postindustrial societies. The postindustrial society is one in which the dominant labor activity is information processing rather than industrial production. This shift has great significance for the resolution of social problems of society, particularly in the economic sector. The information based society is a more efficient user of energy and resources; furthermore the information industry itself is not an intensive user of energy and resources. This shift also requires the re-examination of key areas of economic policy problems such as productivity, natural resource constraints, information, international interdependence, and social issues (such as the distribution of information technology, privacy, property rights in information, and the use of leisure time). Computer telecommunication technology will impact a variety of applications areas of concern to governments: education, funds transfer, trade, consumer information, public administration, teleconferencing, and health services. In turn the structural change will require consideration of questions in relationship to research and policy analysis, economic infrastructure, research and development, network intercommunication, and right to access. (JY/SK)

In this paper we are considering problems of division and multiplication in a computational environment in which all basic arithmetic algorithms satisfy "on-line" property: to generate jth digit of the result it is necessary and sufficient to have argument(s) available up to the (j+δ)th digit, where the index difference 6 is a small positive constant. Such an environment, due to its potential to perform a sequence of operations in an overlapped fashion, could conveniently speed up an arithmetic multiprocessor structure or it could be useful in certain real-time applications, with inherent on-line properties. The on-line property implies a left-to-right digit-by-digit type of algorithm and consequently, a redundant representation, at least, of the results. For addition and subtraction such algorithms, satisfying on-line property, can be easily specified. Multiplication requires a somewhat more elaborate approach and there are several possible ways of defining an on-line algorithm. However, the existence of an on-line division algorithm is not obvious and its analysis appears interesting. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For the past 15 years there has been a serious interest in the processing of natural language (English) by researchers in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). This processing has included machine translation, question-answering systems, man-machine dialogue, and speech understanding. This interest has engendered an awareness of and a concern with the ongoing activity in contemporary linguistics. Therefore, it may be of interest to linguistis to discover what has seemed important for A.I. and how it has been adapted and used. Thus a brief history of the relation (almost always one-way) between A.I. and linguistics is presented. Some of the works in A.I. surveyed range from those of the early sixties, such as Lindsay's SAD SAM, Green et al BASEBALL, and Bobrow's STUDENT, to more recent efforts, including Wood's transition network grammars, Winograd's SHRDLU, and Schank's conceptual dependency models. In one way or another, these computer programs and others depend on the work of Chomsky, both "Syntactic Structures" and "Aspects," Halliday's systemic grammar, and some of the ideas of generative semantics as developed by G. Lakoff, McCawley, and Fillmore. (Author/KM)

Prior to the relatively easy access to computers which began in the mid-1960's, simulation was a tool only of researchers. Even now, students are frequently excluded from direct laboratory experiences for many reasons. However, computer simulation can open up these experiences, providing a powerful teaching tool for individuals, for small and large groups, for laboratory experiments, for independent enrichment activity, or for classroom use. To be effective, classroom use requires a display of the computer output which can be viewed by the entire class through the use of video converters, cathode ray tube terminals, opaque projectors, or overhead projectors. As computers become easier for teachers to acquire and use, the potential of computer simulation can be realized. A number of computer simulations, along with their various applications, are presented. (KKC)

An on-line information system was designed and implemented in an elementary school using a time-sharing DEC-15 computer system to facilitate the management of individualized instruction. The system stores students' background information, test data, and instructional tasks. Teachers and researchers were able to retrieve desired data using either the standardized reports or the flexible QUERY program. The paper emphasizes how the data base structure contributes to retrieval speed and output format flexibility, and how the organization of the system facilitates data base updating and student data utilization for monitoring student programs. (Author/SK)

When a grammar is expressed in augmented transition network (ATN) form, the problem of detecting syntactic ambuguity reduces to finding all possible paths through the ATNs. Each successfully terminating path through the ATN generates an acceptable parsing of the input string. Two ATN forms, minimal-node and pseudo-tree, are described along with the conventions for traversing each. The two forms are compared in regard to efficient use of computer time and space and in regard to appropriateness for each of the three path-finding techniques. Three techniques are discussed for finding all acceptable paths through ATNs. The techniques are "Backtracking,""Simultaneous Parallel Analysis," and "Amputate And Re-enter." Relative merits of the three techniques are discussed in terms of computer execution time, required data storage, programmer time, and amenability of the program to modification. A rudimentary ATN-based parser for English has been written in SPITBOL to test the implementation of these techniques. (Author)

The most promising and significant utilization of computer science in school districts is said to be in the domain of curricular decision making. The potential for humanizing instruction for students and refining the content and make-up of curricular offerings is particularly emphasized. A step-by-step decision making method is advanced as follows: identifying and sequencing skills and processes; referencing skills and processes to curricular materials; constructing representative test items; referencing test items to skills and processes; and establishing decision rules. Methods for improving more effective delivery of services to students are described, along with the use of computers in curricular material organization and cost-effectiveness analysis. (SK)

The papers and discussions of the 1975 Pacific Region meeting of the Association for Computing Machinery are presented. Topics included (1) the current and emerging state of the art in data management software and hardware, (2) relational systems with particular attention to new developments in systems for relational data bases, (3) advances in data management techniques including optimization techniques and procedures for structuring and translating data, (4) data management applications, (5) data base languages, (6) approaches to the analysis and display of data, (7) data base administration, (8) the management of data security, and (9) recent developments in data communication networks. (DGC)

Briefly described is a numerical calculus course which provides (1) experience and practice in programing and the use of the computer in problem solving, (2) intermediate and/or advanced techniques in FORTRAN IV programing, (3) elementary error analysis, (4) programing efficiency, and (5) documentation of programs. The course, designed to fulfill the needs of several departments at Texas Christian University--background for physics, chemistry, and accounting majors, as well as for students who plan to enter graduate study in mathematics--enables the student to experience, early in his training, some of the ways in which computers can be used, and to see some of the considerations which must be taken in using the computer as a problem solving tool. (Author/KKC)

A brief case study of the resistance to technological change is presented using DOG, a small scale deterministic business game, as the example of technology. DOG, a decision mathematics game for the purpose of providing an environment for application of mathematical concepts, consists of assignments mostly utilizing matrix algebra but also some calculus, linear programing or free form modeling. It is a simulated environment originally written in BASIC, and now also available in FORTRAN IV. The problems involved in implementing DOG into the undergraduate curricula of the Georgia State University School of Business are discussed. It is concluded that it is possible to successfully introduce computer applications into large multi-section undergraduate courses, but not painlessly. If only the physical and technical aspects of the problem receive serious attention, then the likely outcome is disaster. Only careful coordination, much support, some sugar coating of the pill, and occasional genteel bullying will assure success. (Author/KKC)

Drawn from a survey of engineering departments known to be teaching microprocessor courses, this paper shows that the adoption of microprocessors by Electrical Engineering Departments has been rapid compared with their adoption of minicomputers. The types of courses that are being taught can be categorized as: surveys of microprocessors, intensive study of one microcomputer, inclusion of microprocessors in a general course, project courses, and specific applications courses. (MLH)

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) during the decade of the 60's was characterized by a number of limiting factors: insufficiently powerful computers and terminals, restriction to a few rigid "teaching strategies," and the splitting of resources among too many projects below critical size. During the present decade, CAI has undergone a remarkable change, due to a fair extent to two large-scale projects, PLATO and TICCIT, which differ in significant respects from earlier approaches to CAI. Some key aspects of this large-scale experiment involving PLATO and TICCIT are discussed, and some tentative conclusions, based on limited experience with actual instruction, are drawn. As an example of the use of such large systems, an automated system developed on PLATO for teaching computer science is discussed. (Author)

The first section of this course on programming introduces LISP as a programming language designed to do symbol manipulation, with consequent prevalence in auto-instructional (AI) work. A programming language specifies in its description a number of primitive operations which the computer knows how to perform. An algorithm is the set of instructions which constitutes a description of the method by which the task can be performed. This algorithm must be written in the programming language which the computer can deal with. The constructs (elements of LISP) that work in algorithms are described and an example task provided. LISP is a functional language, in that its instructions consist of directives to apply some function to some argument. Part 1 of the course concludes with a description of some of LISP's functions, and Part 2 deals with its symbol manipulation functions, specifically in manipulating LISP constructs known as lists. Part 3 gives instruction in writing inherently recursive functions non-recursively. Practice exercises follow each section of the course. (CLK)

Over 65 papers presented at a joint symposium sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Groups on Computer Uses in Education and on Computer Science Education are gathered here. The papers cover a wide range of topics, including structured programing, computer literacy, computer science education, computerized test generation, secondary school mathematics instruction, computer-assisted instruction, advanced computer science courses, and computers in society. (JY)

Educational Facilities Laboratories is developing a computer-based technical service--The Public Schools Energy Conservation Service (PSECS). As presently envisioned, PSECS would be capable of providing each participating district with information in five areas: (1) guidelines and instruction for establishing an energy usage data base; (2) a comparison of the energy usage at each of the district's plants with guidelines established by computer simulations and a nationwide data base of similar schools; (3) a "self-help" plant operations audit; (4) a cost-benefit analysis of modifications requiring capital investments tailored to each school plant; and (5) guidelines for monitoring the results of district decisions in each area of modifications. (Author/MLF)

The New Paltz, New York, school district has used the IBM Vehicle Scheduling Program (VSP) for scheduling its bus runs. In the process the district has reduced its transportation costs by 33.9 percent over a two-year period. (IRT)

Minicomputer networking can be an alternative solution to the problem of implementing various computer systems in universities. In its simplest case, networking takes the form of multiple small computers communicating over telephone lines to a larger host minicomputer which in turn communicates with the central mainframe. Using computers in this manner allows the small user to share the centralized peripherals on host minicomputers and to access the computational power of the central mainframe. (CH)

The use of computers in bilingual vocabulary processing and the task of compiling a Canadian bilingual legal dictionary are discussed. A model for automating lexicography and an analysis of the variables of bilingual communication are presented. It is emphasized that both human decision-making and computer manipulation are involved in this type of activity. The focus of this work is legal vocabulary which is written, formal, and of standard use in Canada since 1867. (SW)

University management has many and varied needs for effective computer services in support of their processing and information functions. The challenge for the computer center managers is to better understand these needs and assist in the development of effective and timely solutions. Management needs can range from accounting and payroll to university development and alumni relations, to admissions, registration, and public policy. The information necessary to meet these needs must be extensive, accurate, and timely. Because each top level manager in the university will have different requirements for information, a computer center will experience some conflict in satisfying those needs. Resources may be spread too thinly or jurisdiction may be over-extended, resulting in inadequate service. Frequently top managers do not see the relationship between data they want and the time requirements and accuracy of input into the computer system. Some may be suspicious of or feel threatened by computers, while others believe technology will save the world. To overcome the problems, the functions that top management and data processing perform should be delineated and each should develop an awareness of the environment and a sensitivity to the needs and requirements of the other. Four specific suggestions are: (1) recognize the elements required for change, (2) recognize the elements of stability, (3) organize in order to be responsive, and (4) keep in perspective the entire process of production, not simply the computer center. (DAG)

There is increasing evidence that information system development and personnel development within an institution must not only be parallel in sophistication and noncontradictory in design, but also that concurrently developing programs are mutually supportive and increase the effectiveness of each far beyond the capability of either. Management information system (MIS) design, implementation, report format, and use have become much more manager-oriented. Its purpose and uses are described, and various personal attitudes and skills related to the use of MIS are identified, including: (1) capability to manage "operations" efficiently and effectively; (2) provision of a comprehensive picture of the institution; (3) development of an awareness and a sense of availability regarding details within each institutional unit; (4) stimulation of an increased sense of the relationship between institutional units; (5) stimulation and facilitation of goal-oriented management; (6) encouragement and facilitation of multiyear management; and (7) stimulation and facilitation of vertical and horizontal communication. (LBH)