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The concluding series of a research program designed to validate a battery of task indexes for use in forecasting the effectiveness of training devices is described. Phase I collated 17 task indexes and applied them to sonar training devices, while in Phase II the 17 index battery was validated, using skill acquisition measures as criteria. Training of procedural skill was carried out in a modularized, synthetic sonar trainer. Significant multiple correlation coefficients were obtained for performance time and errors during skill acquisition. Phase III validated the index battery against transfer of training criteria, for the results demonstrated that quantitative variations in task designed related to variations in transfer of training measures. A set of predictive equations was constructed, and it was concluded that these equations could be used to compare trainer prototypes, although additional field validation was recommended. It was also concluded that the battery could be used in research on the interaction of task and other variables. Training method as a function of task complexity was studied, with the results indicating that the effectiveness of dynamic versus static procedural training varied with a change in task parameters. (Author/PB)

Instructional Management must be carried out so that it is responsive in an accountability sense to the social system; there must be negotiation and communication among a variety of parties; and the work must be understood, accepted, and supported by all key participants. Communication is needed to establish and maintain the system, to resolve problems and improve negotiations, and to provide information to everyone interested in the instruction process. The author discusses some of the research by the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development into the relationships between personal variables and administrative styles. He also describes a simulation that attempted to learn how the differences in the effectiveness of the performance of elementary principals might be described. (JF)

The nature of the work on an automated assembly line is the major cause of complaint among workers and labor unions. In trying to solve the problem of alienation among American industrial workers, a simulation model, "Kingscity," patterned after the General Motors plant at Lordstown, Ohio, was utilized in a basic interpersonal communication course at the State University College at Brockport, New York. Results suggested that a simulation model can aid in studying worker alienation with these modifications: (1) the choice sheet should be reduced to a few items or only items dealing with powerlessness; (2) the Zuckerman and Lubin Multiple Affect Adjective Check List could be eliminated or reduced to a shorter form; and, (3) the model should attempt to measure dehumanization feelings based on Kahn's definition. (DS)

The Career Area Rotation Model (CAROM) was developed as a result of the need for a computer based model describing the rotation of airmen within a specific career area (occupational specialty) through various categories of tour duty, accommodating all policies and interactions which are relevant for evaluation purposes. CAROM is an entity simulation (gaming) model providing long term projections, up to 30 years. This user's manual provides user-oriented documentation in sufficient detail to give the prospective user a complete group of the concepts and logic underlying the model. The presentation includes: (a) a comprehensive overview of the system; (b) a description of the system's modules and the interrelationships of their inputs and outputs; (c) detailed instructions on input card formats, with appropriate discussion as to the relationship between input parameters and applications of the model; and (d) a description and explanation of reports generated by the model. (Author/DS)

Simulation, defined as a representational model of a particular theory, has been the subject of some research in the communication field, but there has been little material published on the uses of simulation as a research tool. Simulations are considered helpful in closing gaps between field studies and laboratory research, serving to increase coherence and consolidate theories. A simulation will be representative of the theory it serves only to the extent that it fits a well-constructed, representative model and accounts for the interaction of variables consistent with the theory. If data from a simulation do not support the hypotheses of the theory, either the hypotheses or the simulation should be adjusted according to the experimenter's goals and his degree of objectivity. The validity of simulation must be tested for specific objectives. Many simulations are more correctly identified as games or metaphorical extensions of man's social behavior. Important considerations in the use of games as simulations include control of game behavior consistent with the reference system, proper introduction of subjects to the game activity, and determination of whether or not role playing behavior best serves the game. (RN)

This issue of the newsletter describes the five Soloworks Laboratories which are being developed in conjunction with Project Solo. These are: 1) The Computer Laboratory, focusing on those aspects of mathematics which are well described by algorithms and which encourage student access to a local computer and terminals; 2) the Dynamics Laboratory, which deals with mathematical processes that take place in time; 3) the Logical Design Laboratory, involving digital and analog circuit modules; 4) the Synthesis Laboratory, which is concerned with that type of mathematical analysis which makes use of the principle of superimposition, of producing complex effects by adding together simple ones; and 5) the Modelling/Simulation Laboratory, which uses mathematics as a tool for the creation of new models of reality. (PB)

An individual trainer for giving students in the radar intercept observer (RIO) schools concentrated practice in procedures for air-to-air intercepts was designed around a programmable graphics terminal with two integral minicomputers and 8k of core memory. The trainer automatically administers practice in computing values of variables in the intercept triangle, and in making the turns required to put the fighter into position for a sidewinder attack. In an initial field trial at the RIO school, Glynco, Georgia, each of 29 students received 10 hours of practice on this trainer. Data for the values of 33 variables were automatically recorded and were analyzed. It was concluded that this form of computer assisted instruction does produce worthwhile gains in fluency of performance and understanding of the intercept problems. (Author)

Educational facilities have changed to accommodate changes in the provision of educational services. Today, educational facilities utilize innovative design concepts, new materials and finished surfaces, and sophisticated furniture and equipment. The full utilization of such facilities can easily suffer from a lack of adequate knowledge about them. Hence, orienting users to new facilities is a vital step in the completion of a school and the beginning of its use. This report addresses itself to this step and provides some guidelines in conducting a program of user orientation to new facilities. Case histories of two high schools, a junior high school, and an elementary school are cited as examples. (Author/MLF)

This paper synthesizes research in videotape utilization within several disciplines--teacher education, counselor education, psychological therapy, business training, and speech education--with three objectives: to bring mass communication educators upto-date in the non-broadcast uses and techniques of videotape; to provide guidelines for videotape utilization; and to encourage educators in mass communications to convey these guidelines through workshops or seminars to utilizers of videotape systems in other disciplines. In this paper the scope of videotape utilization considered is narrowed to that which provides a structured stimulus for specific viewer responses--development of skill, change of behavior, or greater self-knowledge--rather than videotape as a means of exposition. A selected bibliography covers the following subject areas: business training and development, counseling, micro-teaching, practical consideration for utilization, psychiatric therapy, simulation, specialized uses, speech education, and teacher education. (LL)

The community college president's role in facilitating institutional computer utilization is explored, and recommendations are made for his/her behavior and priorities in connection with educational concerns, institutional concerns, and statewide concerns. Typical institutional organizational arrangements regarding campus computers, research, planning and development and management information systems (MIS's) involve the following: (1) the director of research, planning and MIS reports directly to the president; (2) data processing, under this director, is a service-oriented function; (3) the development of MIS's and simulation models are a vital function of this director; and (4) two data processing committees exist; one is advisory and the other is user-oriented. To implement CAMPUS/COLORADO on a statewide basis, each institution must first create a data base that is compatible with a common statewide data base. When this has been done, institutional MIS's can be generated from the same data base. In addition, manpower and financial assistance should be supplied to any institution contemplating the CAMPUS/COLORADO model. Institutions currently implementing this model should validate it within the scope of a statewide data base before other institutions implement it. A central statewide computer center should also be established. (KM)

Research investigated computer simulations of a hypothetical self-paced training program to determine the utility of this technique as a planning aid for Army training program managers. The General Purpose Simulation System (GPSS) was selected as the programing language and the study was divided into three stages. In Stage I, the daily number of entering and graduating students was computed and displayed in a printout. In Stage II, statistics were added to deal with attrition rates, advanced training schedule comparisons, training load, and completion times. In the last phase, the final simulation program made possible the determination of the most efficient follow-on course location of each student, the medium of instruction assigned to each student, the session attended by the student, the absentee rate, and additional summary data on student flow through the course. It was concluded that the simulations were useful planning tools, for they allowed training managers to offer advanced courses on a schedule consistent with student flow through basic courses, thus reducing the student's waiting time between courses. The use of the simulations was recommended in planning training programs. (Author/PB)

An experimental project sought to build a replicable model of a viewer-active television simulation. Other educational goals were to 1) increase citizen concern for environmental factors and land use in Maine; 2) disseminate information on land use agencies; 3) illuminate the citizen's role in public planning; and 4) develop new patterns of problem solving. Five hour-long television programs were broadcast, each of which presented alternatives for the use of a simulated parcel of Maine land. Viewer and leader guides and a land use game were supplied at no cost to viewers who requested them and after each program viewers voted on alternative uses of land via toll-free phone lines. Post-program survey results indicated that viewers of the simulation programs; 1) became better informed about land use issues; 2) developed an appreciation for the complexity of environmental problems 3) began to debate more actively about land use; and 4) had positive feelings about the worth of the simulation. It was concluded that such television simulations were useful instruments of public education and policy-making. (PB)

Computer simulations of three individualized adaptive instructional models (AIM) were undertaken to determine if these models function as prescribed in Air Force technical training programs. In addition, the project sought to develop a user's guide for effective understanding of adaptive models during field implementation. Successful simulations of the Drill and Practice Model, the Pacing Model and the Monitoring Model were accomplished and operational feasibility was demonstrated. In addition, a User's Guide was prepared and a single integrated technical package developed to describe how the models operate. It was recommended that simulations of at least two additional models--Concept Acquisition and Dynamic Programing--be made and that empirical validation of model effectiveness be conducted employing actual students in real time. Such research would allow the comparison of alternative instructional strategies, assess student attitudes toward computerized instruction, and provide a means of gaining experience in the optimization of instructional strategies prior to widespread Air Force implementation. (Author/PB)

In order for research on the educational utility of simultation games to advance, there must be some stipulation of a set of significant variables. This, in turn, requires the building of testable theoretical models and the formulation of strategic propositions to test their validity. An example of the process involved is as follows. Focusing upon the domain of what people learn at the cognitive and affective levels from participating in a simulation game with a discussion component, one can identify the four major attributes of: individuals, group participation, simulation game-with-discussion, and learning outcomes. Specific variables within each of these attributes can be identified and laws of interaction devised, such as that learning variables are dependent upon game-with-discussion variables. Strategic propositions are thus generated; e.g., that participants in game-with-discussion demonstrate higher cognitive learning outcomes than participants in games-without-discussions. Specific hypotheses can then be devised and tested; for example, that subjects experiencing games-with-discussion will score higher on an immediate true-false posttest of knowledge of the game, than will subjects who experienced the game without discussion. (PB)

The feasibility of using a particular simulation as (1) an aid in management, (2) a management training device, (3) a tool for management research is reported. Corresponding interfaces for the simulation are described and discussed in terms of the way they represent the activity for the user. Estimated costs are reported for alternative implementations of the simulation through the use of several costing categories. (Author)

This is a model to find out if a problem-solving process can be specified clearly enough to be modeled by a computer, thus providing a simulation which can be used to train preservice teachers to use this process to solve classroom problems. In the model, the teacher trainee must respond to eight successive questions which form a strategy to analyze the problem defined. The answer to each question must be consistent with the trainee's goal, that is, the solution to his problem. After answering the questions, the trainee records the questions and his answers on a computer. The proof of his success is the acceptance of the answers by the computer since they are monitored for consistency. If the proposed solution is accepted by the computer, it is then evaluated according to its plausibility. If the solution passes this criterion, it can then be put into practice. This model is currently inoperative since the consistency criterion must be defined operationally for the computer. (PD)

This study investigates the performance of students in a simulation correlated with selected measures of their personality, attitudes toward children and teaching, creativity, and effective reasoning in an attempt to discover variables which identify good and poor solvers of teaching problems. Thirty-six elementary education majors were administered the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator, the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory, the Verbal Test (Form A) of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal tests prior to participation in the simulation. Subjects were provided simulated professional materials and an orientation describing the city, the city school district, and the elementary school and its program. Next, each subject was asked to write responses to eight simulated critical teaching problems, which were rated on a scale ranging from high to low by 25 teachers. An overall score was computed for each subject on each of the eight problems and a correlation matrix was set up using scores from the eight problems and nine predictor variables. The results suggest notation of the distinction between statistical significance and the magnitude and importance of the relations among variables. It is recommended that more data be collected before making a final judgment. (A table of results and a list of nine references are included.) (PD)

This document presents a three-step model for providing teachers with basic information on year-round or extended school plans. As a first step, descriptions of basic plans are given. The four used in this paper are Staggered Quarter for All, Full 48-week School Year for All, Voluntary Summer Program, and A Summer Program for Professional Personnel. After there is a common basis of understanding of the general characteristics of the year-round or extended school and of the four specific plans, the second step is initiated. This involves dividing the group into smaller groups, one for each plan to be discussed, and having the individuals in each group choose the role they wish to play: principal, superintendent, teacher, school board member, townsperson, or student. The task of each group is to discuss the plan assigned with reference to their own particular school situation, determine the advantages and disadvantages of the plan, and make a recommendation to the larger group. As the third step, each group reports its findings, and the facilitator of the simulation again summarizes some of the characteristics of the plans which have been used and mentions some of the more common modifications of these plans and locations where implementation is taking place. He might also summarize some of the advantages and disadvantages of various plans as derived from the national conferences on the topic. (DDO)

Analysis of the use of educational technology in public education reveals the following. First, technology is generally an added-on, teacher-dependent tool, although there is a trend to student-focused, individualized uses. Second, technology does not lead to increased learning, although it can offer advantages such as time savings and curricular enrichment. Third, educational technology is expensive and as long as student time in school is fixed independent of learning, less capital intensive approaches will be more cost effective. Finally, the activities of the Federal agencies are focused upon the newer technologies such as educational television, simulations, computer-assisted instruction and multimedia systems. Thus, it is evident that technology is not about to revolutionize education by radically lowering costs or increasing instructional effectiveness. There is a need for both the coordination of Federal activities in the area of educational technology and for greater dissemination of information about successful implementations. Finally, educational technology's hardware needs to be standardized and more attention should be paid to the use of technology for special applications and with special populations, rather than as a substitute for conventional instruction. (Author/PB)

The Huntington Computer Project has developed 17 simulation games which can be used for instructional purposes in high schools. These games were designed to run on digital computers and to deal with material from either biology, physics, or social studies. Distribution was achieved through the Digital Equipment Corporation, which disseminated teacher manuals, resource manuals, and student manuals to over 600 teachers and 25,000 students in 400 secondary schools during the 1972-73 school year; these target populations were expected to quadruple in the following year. Evaluation of the use of the computerized simulation games led to the conclusion that they made a significant contribution to learning. This was particularly true in situations in which students were denied direct experience with the phenomena being studied due to such problems as the students' inexperience with experimental techniques, the lack of laboratory equipment or time, difficulty or danger in obtaining adequate samples, and the impossibility of controlling extraneous variables in real life. Descriptions of six of the simulation games are appended to the report. (PB)

An overview is provided of the Management Information System for Occupational Education (MISOE). MISOE is described as an interactive, computerized information system designed to be prototypical for the statewide management of education and to help managers at all levels better understand, through numerical analysis of past experience, the causal relationships between current policy and future results. Part I of the report outlines the structure and scope of MISOE, discussing the system's data files, its sampling design, and its data system index. Part II focuses upon policy analysis and data analyses within MISOE and describes dynamic simulation, a process which relates the future consequences of current decisions made within the context of a complex social system. Part III deals with the potential which MISOE has for improving the quality of human life. (Author/PB)

The computer is currently a vital tool in engineering analysis and design. With the introduction of moderately priced graphics terminals, it will become even more important in the future as rapid graphic interaction between the engineer and the computer becomes more feasible in computer-aided design (CAD). To provide a vehicle for introducing undergraduate engineering students to the applications of CAD in the automatic control area, a series of three programs--named Control Oriented Interactive Graphical Analysis and Design (COINGRAD)--has been written. These incorporate the basic calculations in this area, including time response, frequency response, and root locus; in addition, a limited optimization facility is included with the time and frequency response programs. The major features of the programs include graphic interactive capability and ease of operation for the user. (Author)

Engineering is coming to rely more and more heavily upon the computer for computations, analyses, and graphic displays which aid the design process. A general purpose simulation system, the Time-shared Automatic Control Laboratory (TACL), and a set of computer-aided design programs, Control Oriented Interactive Graphic Analysis and Design (COINGRAD), are being used to introduce undergraduate engineering students to the power and utility of computer-aided tools for automatic control. TACL and COINGRAD simulate time responses for physical systems, provide standard analysis and design calculators, and introduce students to optimization in design. They are simple and user-oriented, have interactive and graphic display capabilities, and employ a natural mathematical language. Since these programs perform the basic calculations required for classical control system analysis, they free the student from the repeated enumeration of system behavior and allow him to concentrate upon the underlying principles involved. (PB)

Research investigated the effect that the uses of simulation-gaming techniques have upon the acquisition and cognitive retention of facts, concepts, and principles. Two hundred and ninety-five students in public secondary schools in Indiana participated in the project; these were divided into experimental and control groups which received instruction in United States History. The former employed the simulation-Gaming techniques, the latter the lecture-discussion method Posttest results showed that both groups performed equally well with respect to cognitive achievement, but that students in the experimental group performed significantly better on a delayed interval posttest measure of cognitive retention. It was thus concluded that the simulation-gaming techniques represented a pedagogical tool which significantly enhanced learning. (Author/PB)

The Management Information System for Occupational Education (MISOE) supports policy formation at two levels. On the static level, MISOE provides managers with data about students, teachers, administrators, costs, and the social impacts of educational programs which are essential to the accurate analysis of present policy. On another level, the technique of dynamic simulation is available to help the policy maker to foresee the future consequences of policy decisions before those decisions are made. Although MISOE is designed to support the manager of occupational education in the Massachusetts state system, the basic principles of its design are applicable to similar systems in other states and to systems at other levels and in other sectors of the educational enterprise. (Author/PB)

The methods of operations research (OR) can make many contributions to the solution of the complex problems which beset urban education. OR techniques such as PERT are useful aids to planning school construction, budgets, and research projects. System planning models can be used to represent urban educational systems and to predict the effects of possible system changes. Gaming can be employed in administrator training, systems analysis in the design of instructional systems, and techniques such as cost benefit analysis in educational evaluation. In general, operations research teams provide an organization with scientific bases for problem-solving. OR teams should be composed of individuals who understand operations research and scientific methods, who can handle management problems, and who can work effectively with others in the organization. These teams should deal with specific problems and report both to organizational directors and to individual management teams. (LB)

A computer-assisted instructional (CAI) program is being used at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry to aid in the teaching of oral diagnosis to dental students. The program is designed to simulate a real life situation--i.e., the diagnosis of patient illness-which would not be otherwise available to the student and to demonstrate to the dental student the need for correlating a thorough case history with a clinical examination and laboratory tests. The computer program is branching and non-linear, with a small specialized dictionary. It provides the student with a series of 15 case histories and a list of laboratory studies from which to choose. For each case, the student receives and verifies the results of the tests he specifies and then makes a diagnosis. Field test results show that the program meets student needs, saves them time, and that they prefer the CAI mode. At the suggestion of the students, plans are being made to expand the program to include a greater number and variety of cases and to offer more difficult challenges. (Author/LB)