The Status of Computing in Public Schools in the West Kootenay Region of British Columbia.

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of the use of computers in the schools within the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia (Canada). Thirty teachers, librarians, principals, and senior district administrators were interviewed to determine the computing background of the interviewees and how they were using computers in education. Results indicated that computers are being used quite extensively in the schools; the ratio of computers to students in the school ranged from 1:6 to 1:10; the equipment in use varied; the most common software applications were word processing, spreadsheets, and database and communications applications; computers were in use in all grade levels from kindergarten to grade 12; and CD-ROMs and electronic catalog systems were common in primary, elementary, and secondary school libraries. This report is presented in five sections: (1) Introduction--problem statement, purpose of the study, significance, assumptions, limitations and definitions; (2) Review of the Literature--importance, current status, uses, benefits, and future role of computers in education, and barriers to computer use in education; (3) Research Methodology--problem restatement, population and sample, research design, description of the interview questionnaire, administration and analysis of interviews; (4) Results and Analyses--selection of interviewees, interview process, question summaries, findings, status of computers in West Kootenay schools; and (5) Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations. Appendixes contain the interview questionnaire and a list of interviewees with background data. (Contains 19 references.) (ALF)