The Emerging Technology. Instructional Uses of the Computer in Higher Education.

By presenting a comprehensive non-technical review of how computers operate, how extensively and effectively they are used, and what they cost, this book provides the lay person substantial information concerning computers in higher education. The major trends in computer development, past and future; the role of the computer in the administrative, research, and instruction areas of higher education; and the principal methods of providing computer service are discussed. The instructional aspect is reviewed in greater detail, dividing the analysis into three areas: the quantitative spread of computers in the nation's campuses; the technological range of machines and programs; and the state of the art in computer-assisted instruction. Future prospects for computers are examined, particularly cost-effectiveness analyses of not only economics and technology but also of institutions and attitudes. (MC)