Search

A combination of revitalized employment policies, greater industrial democracy, and new ways of distributing both the hours of work and the fruits of technological change are essential if the benefits of the microelectronic revolution are to be equitably shared. Microelectronic technology promises an array of benefits, and the electronic age is already well under way. As it progresses during the last two decades of the twentieth century, it will lead to improvements in productivity in factories and offices, changes in the way information is processed, stored, and communicated, and alterations in the content of many jobs. Differing rates of development of the electronics industry may lead to shifting advantages of competition in the international marketplace. Like all major technological changes, the transition to microelectronics will raise difficult political issues, among which the impact on jobs and employment is the most prominent. (KC)

According to Wikipedia "Automation is a step beyond mechanism." Whereas mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist them with the muscular requirements of work, automation greatly reduces the need for human sensory and mental requirements as well. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was founded on the claim that a central property of human intelligence can be so precisely described that it can be simulated by a machine. Proponents have long claimed that increases in computational power will eventually overtake the human mind. IBM's Big Blue beating Chess masters is often sighted to support this claim. On the other hand, most AI research has become increasingly technical and specialized. Progress is being made in subfields: solutions to specific problems can be automated. This is a pattern that has been replicated in almost every software intensive application area. Who today would compute taxes using paper and pencil? Keep records on a Rolodex? We have immediate access to almost any information in databases, instant communication throughout the world and the ability to quickly find information on almost any topic--at least if it occurred or was documented after the advent of the world wide web. Intelligent behavior has not happened, however, except in a very special sense: More and more things that humans used to have to do themselves can be automated on the computer. Increasingly complex tasks have been automated--not to the extent that they can be done as well as humans, but better. My goal today is to draw and develop parallels to education. Major attention is being given to immersive, often game-like environments. Students are placed in situations--and allowed to explore on their own or with various kinds of hints (typically called "scaffolding"). The big questions here are what kinds of scaffolding will be of (most) help and when should it be given? I will show that these trends are premature. Advances in SLT [Structural Learning Theory] and AuthorIT and TutorIT technologies based thereon make it possible not only to duplicate human tutors in many areas but to do better. I will go further: a) I will show that AuthorIT makes it possible to create and that TutorIT now makes it possible to deliver highly adaptive (and configurable) tutoring systems that can do as good or better job on well-defined math skills. b) I will show why and in what sense TutorIT tutorials can guarantee mastery of such skills. c) I will show why TutorIT tutorials can be developed cost effectively--at half the cost of traditional CBI [Computer Based Instruction] development. d) I will show how TutorIT tutorials can gradually be extended to support the development and delivery of higher as well as lower order knowledge. e) I will demonstrate why TutorIT tutorials can be expected to produce as good or better learning than most humans. The basic steps in SA [Structural (domain) Analysis] (detailed in Scandura, 2007, in press) carried out by subject matter experts (SME) are detailed in an appendix. (Contains 6 figures.

This final report describes activities and findings of a project which examined computer-automated scheduling in institutions for higher education and secondary schools and selected two sources for scheduling systems products which it recommends to institutions in the member states of the Midwestern Higher Education Commission and members of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. It notes that automated systems can achieve significant administrative and cost efficiencies, but most are financially unattainable. The project selected two companies--Universal Algorithms and Applied Business Technologies--after a comprehensive review of available products and services over an 18-month period of research and inquiry. Submitted software was assessed for functional requirements, service expectations, and financial parameters for academic scheduling and management software in higher and secondary education. Negotiation of special pricing was accomplished to bring computer aided course scheduling on a variety of platforms within the financial reach of virtually all member institutions. Appendixes include detailed product information, survey results, and a copy of the original Request For Proposal. (Author/NAV)

High tech systems not only generate new structures in the production process, but also involve profound changes in job organization, which in turn imply that job qualifications must be modified. In view of the changes within engineering systems and the relevant technologies, it seems expedient to choose a curricular approach based on the concepts of key qualifications and key contents. A model production system serves as a teaching plant at which students would develop company-specific key qualifications. The teaching plant is an assembly plant composed of six self-reliant, but networked learner subsections. A material flow is determined by the structure of production cells (micro view), and the plant represents the product-related production of a model car. To simulate the sequence of the production steps, beginning with the vehicle as ordered by the customer, the production planning system follows the normal company practice and includes elements of the forecasting phase and of production planning. The course provides for a training program in which faults within automated systems must be eliminated. The course covers three major categories of competencies: expert, methodological, and social. Instructional methods include team conferences, self-study of manuals, and group or cooperative learning. Production statistics serve as evidence of the performance in the learning process. (Contains 10 references.) (YLB)

At the University of New Mexico, stakeholders from the Computer and Information Resources and Technology (CIRT) department, Financial Systems, the Health Sciences Center, and the General Libraries, were involved in deciding on the goals of a project to replace Telnet with a suite of network middleware and productivity software on campus computer systems. Staff from each area assisted in selecting and testing the software. The primary goal was distribution of network productivity software, the initial focus being on tools used daily by most campus network users. CIRT staff, student employees, and staff from collaborating departments joined the team with these responsibilities: select desktop TCP/IP clients, review documentation, assess network performance, design automated installation, assign IP numbers, handle software licensing and distribution, prefigure the TCP/IP client software, and plan a configuration for the Campus Computer Labs. Topics include: (1) service and productivity gains; (2) selection issues; (3) the significant time and ease gains of automated installation; (4) distribution options; (5) the impact of licensing issues on productivity gains; (6) site-specific implementation; (7) testing and integrating supporting software; (8) handling Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) attachments and compressed files; and (9) adding value for users and gauging computer center impact. A description of and manual for Mirada, an integrated collection of Internet tools created to simplify and streamline the use of network services is included. (Author/SWC)

Unions and employers currently operate in an environment that does not support investment in skill development. However, competitiveness demands that both work and the way workers are educated and trained be radically restructured. In high-performance workplaces, participatory labor-management approaches to job-linked basic skills development are necessary. The following are suggested union strategies in response to workplace redesign: (1) ask for a briefing on the company's business position; (2) assess management's plan for change; (3) insist that the plan be sufficiently comprehensive; and (4) ensure that any training is part of a broader education program. When faced with proposed workplace changes and corresponding training needs, unions should consider the following assumptions: (1) Is the change necessary to solve the problem? (2) Is a job-linked basic skills program the key to implementing the change? (3) Is the union or management more of an obstacle to worker training and skill development? (4) What labor relations reform is essential to work force development? and (5) Is competitiveness the compelling reason for worker education and training? To be successful, job-linked training must be worker centered, reflect an equal partnership between union and management, and be part of a comprehensive view of the future. (MN)

The changes to be effected by high technology in both projected employment growth and existing jobs seem to require significant changes in the American educational system. However, government estimates for the period 1978-90 suggest that employment growth will favor jobs that require little or no training beyond the high school level (for instance, janitors, nurses' aides, sales clerks, cashiers, and restaurant workers). Although the percentage of high technology occupations will increase quickly over this decade, the contribution of these jobs to total employment will be quite small. On the other hand, the evidence from past and present applications of technology to existing jobs suggests that future technologies will lead to further job fragmentation (where work tasks are simplified or routinized) and job "deskilling" (the reduction of opportunities for worker individuality and judgment). While such mechanization does reduce labor costs, it also allows management to control more easily the pace of production. This assessment favors a solid basic education over narrow vocational preparation, since a strong general education improves understanding of modern complexities and enhances worker adaptability in a changing job market. Quick and efficient response by educators to training needs and recurrent education are also important, since workers' skills may not be useful over their entire work lives. (PB)

Trends in computing and office automation and their applications, including planning, institutional research, and general administrative support in higher education, are discussed. Changing aspects of information processing and an increasingly larger user community are considered. The computing literacy cycle may involve programming, analysis, use of report or query languages, and use of home or office computers. Computing and computing literacy programs already exist in preschools, elementary schools, and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. Applications include programmed instruction, drill and practice, dialogue with computers, modeling and simulation, and instruction in computer programming. Attention is directed to technological solutions to office problems, access to academic computing facilities, the need to consider the availability of appropriate personnel before selecting a service model, and the nature of technology and technological change. Three service models for computing services are considered: completely centralized, distributed, and external. Institutional researchers who become involved in distributed computing will probably become involved in the problems of common data element definitions, documentation, software development, standards, and communications. The extent to which technology will affect the services and institutional researchers depends on the nature of the researcher's activities. Data collection and maintenance, for example, should probably be centralized if many departments are involved or distributed if only a single department is involved. Some resource materials on technological developments are briefly described; and a bibliography is appended. (SW)

The traditional systems used to produce goods and services in this country are being challenged by evolving alternatives. The focus of these new alternatives is on the human element in the work force. Studies in adult work attitudes indicate that a more humanistic system is needed to promote productivity. Inherent in the human condition is the need for some degree of control over the activities in which one engages. To meet this need, the new system of sociotechnical management allows workers to share in the control of their work activities and, in part, the destiny of their employing organization. This system was introduced in the Volvo plant in Sweden, where 15-20-member crews replaced the traditonal assembly line which had become outmoded as workers became more and more educated. Another example of humanizing formerly bureaucratic and autocratic management systems is seen in the Norwegian Merchant Marine, where very highly educated crews are needed to control the sophisticated equipment used on oil tankers. In the Merchant Marine, officers' special privileges have been lessened and more participation in management is being accepted by the crew. In recent months, General Motors has committed billions of dollars to redesign plants and involve employees in quality circles in an effort to increase productivity and reduce shoddy work. It is hoped that the industry of the future will become both more productive and more human through sociotechnical methods. (KC)

To be successful in implementing office automation, office managers must consider more than the obvious question of which system to purchase. They must consider whether automation of their particular office and operations will yield benefits of a significant magnitude to warrant the expense of money, time, and energy needed to install and operate automated office equipment. Office managers must realize that transition to automation almost always results in a temporary decrease in productivity and that automated offices always run the risk of unexpected work stoppages. Other factors to consider when deciding whether or not to automate include the following: the effects that changing over to a new system are likely to have on employees, the likelihood that automation will necessitate other changes in the physical office environment, the possibility that automating one department may have a ripple effect on an entire organization, and the possible development of feelings of antagonism in clients having to deal with an impersonal computer. With careful planning, however, most of these problems can be overcome. (MN)

This evaluation of information security programs in the executive agencies of the U.S. federal government was requested by the Subcommittee on Government Information and Individual Rights, a part of the Congressional Committee on Government Operations. The report focuses on automated systems for personal, proprietary, and other sensitive information, particularly systems using telecommunication networks. Evaluation results indicate that a reasonable level of protection over information systems is not being provided. Accordingly, 10 recommendations for improvement are made. A glossary of terms precedes the five appendices which constitute the largest part of the report. These appendices comprise: (1) a review of the study's objectives, scope, and methodology; (2) a discussion of the automated information security problem; (3) an examination of four reasons why Office of Management and Budget (OMB) security guidelines do not provide sufficiently comprehensive policy and guidance to executive agencies; (4) an explanation of why central executive agencies are not effective in fulfilling their information security program responsibilities; and (5) a demonstration of the fact that senior agency management gives only limited support to automated information security programs. A diagram of telecommunication network vulnerabilities and a map illustrating the telecommunication networks of three civil federal agencies are provided. (ESR)

This report is one of seven that identify major new and emerging technological advances expected to influence major vocational education program areas and to describe the programmatic implications in terms of skill-knowledge requirements, occupations most directly affected, and the anticipated diffusion rate. Chapter 1 considers technology as process, the relation of technology and productivity, and technology as the arbitrator of work. The first of three sections in chapter 2 presents the procedures used to identify and clarify the most innovative, new, and emerging technologies with implications for vocational education. Brief descriptions of the technologies expected to affect trade and industrial occupations are included in section 2. Section 3 contains eight essays describing these new and emerging technologies with implications for trade and industrial occupations: process control, microelectronic monitors and controls, computer-based design and manufacture, robotics, machining, welding, optical data transmission, and microcomputers and microprocessors. Chapter 3 is an annotated bibliography with citations descriptive of new or emerging technologies, their diffusion, or insights as to their vocational implications. (YLB)

This report is one of seven that identify major new and emerging technological advances expected to influence major vocational education program areas and to describe the programmatic implications in terms of skill-knowledge requirements, occupations most directly affected, and the anticipated diffusion rate. Chapter 1 considers technology as process, the relation of technology and productivity, and technology as the arbitrator of work. The first of three sections in chapter 2 presents the procedures used to identify and clarify the most innovative, new, and emerging technologies with implications for vocational education. Brief descriptions of the technologies expected to affect office occupations are included in section 2. Section 3 contains nine essays describing these new and emerging technologies with implications for office occupations: personal computers, database systems, software, inventory control systems, word processing, optical data transmission, office automation (office of the future), alternative work scheduling, and worker participation in management (quality circles). Chapter 3 is an annotated bibliography with citations descriptive of new or emerging technologies, their diffusion, or insights as to their vocational implications. (YLB)

This report is one of seven that identify major new and emerging technological advances expected to influence major vocational education program areas and to describe the programmatic implications in terms of skill-knowledge requirements, occupations most directly affected, and the anticipated diffusion rate. Chapter 1 considers technology as process, the relation of technology and productivity, and technology as the arbitrator of work. The first of three sections in chapter 2 presents the procedures used to identify and clarify the most innovative, new, and emerging technologies with implications for vocational education. Brief descriptions of the technologies expected to affect technical occupations are included in section 2. Section 3 contains nine essays describing these new and emerging technologies with implications for technical occupations: process control, microelectronic monitors and controls, computer-based design and manufacture, robotics, software, optical data transmission, automotive services, renewable energy technologies, and microcomputers and microprocessors. Chapter 3 is an annotated bibliography with citations descriptive of new or emerging technologies, their diffusion, or insights as to their vocational implications. (YLB)

Technological innovation affects the structure and content of jobs. Research indicates that there is a need for a theory of technological innovation and strategic human resource management considering several factors, such as an employee's beliefs about the effect of technological innovations on the quality of work life and work content. Furthermore, application skills held by the individual should allow, the employee to use technology innovatively. Employees' beliefs about technological innovation need to be positive to assure a high quality of work life as well as the effective use of new technology. Relationships are proposed among several variables: quality of work life, acceptance of technology, job and task characteristics, anticipated technology-induced change, job content of skills, organized labor, and the public's acceptance of technological innovation. Relationships are also posed for these variables: range and depth of application skills, mechanical and application skills, variety and complexity of application, innovative application, discrete tasks, and developing job-related applications. Research testing of these relationships is suggested. (Author/ABL)

More than 7 million workers in the United States today use computer-based video display terminals to do word and data processing; an overwhelming number of these workers are women. Women make up most of the occupational groups identified as "administrative support," and they are particularly affected by the changes taking place in the workplace. The impact of new office technologies on clerical work is a subject of great concern to the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor. This concern extends to a wide variety of issues posed by the electronic office, including the following: (1) quality and content of the new jobs; (2) wages and status; (3) opportunities for mobility; (4) training and retraining; (5) health and safety factors; (6) equal opportunity aspects; (7) electronic "telework" and remote office work; and (8) the quantity of jobs or clerical employment prospects. Current research suggests that clerical workers often are excluded from the planning and implementation decisions leading to technological change. Although office automation promises greater efficiency and productivity, decision makers should remember that these outcomes are not independent of the people who operate the new equipment. (KC)

Presents the rationale for and the results of a pilot study attempting to document in detail how automatization takes place as the result of different kinds of intensive practice. Results show that reaction times and error rates gradually decline with practice, and the practice effect is skill-specific. (36 references) (CK)