Edward A. Friedman

Evaluation of a Mentor Teacher Model for Enhancing Mathematics Instruction through the Use of Computers

Abstract Thirty-nine middle- and high-school mathematics teachers, located in 33 different New Jersey schools in 14 districts, were trained in the effective use of computer-based technologies for teaching mathematics. These 39 teachers were also trained and supported as mentor teachers who worked with 212 mentee teachers during Year 3 of the project. Thus, the program affected a total of 251 classrooms. In the classrooms where teachers became regular users of computer technology for mathematics instruction, greater use of student-centered teaching methods that employed cooperative-learning and problem-solving activities was observed. An important component of this project was the development of a model for working with schools and school systems to diffuse computer-based technological approaches to staff development. Application of the model developed in this project has the capability of achieving large-scale diffusion and institutionalization of new teaching methods that incorporate the use of computer technology.

Computer-assisted medical diagnosis for rural Sub-Saharan Africa

There is a pressing need to employ information technology for rural healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. Computer-assisted diagnostic systems provide an opportunity to help meet the physician shortage in developing countries. A necessary concomitant action to deployment of such technology is the development of appropriate rural healthcare infrastructure. Promising strategies employing computer-assisted diagnostic software have been used successfully for more than seven years in rural India. Similar approaches present opportunities for exploration of new paradigms for rural healthcare delivery in rural Sub-Saharan Africa.

The wired university: In a growing number of institutions, educators are integrating powerful personal computers and networks into a new learning environment

The author describes how educators are integrating powerful personal computers and networks into a new learning environment. He discusses the educational uses of computers, with emphasis on engineering education, computer networks, the impact of computers on the institution, and the progress made by various institutions in implementing a computer-intensive environment.

Enhancing rural healthcare in Rwanda through clinical decision support [News and Notes]

Rural healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa is incredibly short-staffed. Too little attention is devoted to development of primary health-care systems. Better approaches are needed to treat all patients without having to add doctors or expensive equipment. This paper discusses a tested and proven computer-assisted diagnostic system called Early Detection and Prevention System (EDPS), which was developed by Dr. Abraham George of the George Foundation. Its use enables people without extensive medical training to help diagnose illness, resulting in more people being cared for, prioritizing the most serious cases, getting patients most in need to the doctor more quickly, and establishing an electronic, portable medical record.

Computers in mathematics: teacher-inservice training at a distance

While research and experience show many advantages for incorporation of computer technology into secondary school mathematics instruction, less than 5 percent of the nations teachers are actively using computers in their classrooms. This is the case even though mathematics teachers in grades 7 - 12 are often familiar with computer technology and have computers available to them in their schools. The implementation bottleneck is in-service teacher training and there are few models of effective implementation available for teachers to emulate. Stevens Institute of Technology has been active since 1988 in research and development efforts to incorporate computers into classroom use. We have found that teachers need to see examples of classroom experience with hardware and software and they need to have assistance as they experiment with applications of software and the development of lesson plans. High-band width technology can greatly facilitate teacher training in this area through transmission of video documentaries, software discussions, teleconferencing, peer interactions, classroom observations, etc. We discuss the experience that Stevens has had with face-to-face teacher training as well as with satellite-based teleconferencing using one-way video and two- way audio. Included are reviews of analyses of this project by researchers from Educational Testing Service, Princeton University, and Bank Street School of Education.

Micros for students-a computer-intensive environment

In order to integrate effective computer utilization into undergraduate engineering, science, computer science, and management curricula, Stevens Institute of Technology has added to its central computer capabilities, personal ownership of microcomputers by students. In 1983, and again in 1984, all entering freshman at Stevens were required to purchase a Digital Equipment Corporation Professional 350 computer with 10 megabyte hard disk, 512K of random access memory and dual floppy disk drives with 800K bytes of storage. With this system, students received PROSE editing software for word processing and two programming languages, BASIC and FORTRAN. DEC PRO 350s have also been distributed in various campus locations and a subsidized program has resulted in widespread faculty ownership of these systems. External grants and institutional funds have supported faculty efforts to develop computer-related curriculum materials in more than 50 courses. Curriculum applications are extremely varied and include simulations, design projects, numerical methods, and tutorials. Currently, there are 1,400 DEC 350s being utilized at Stevens, a pilot networking effort is being implemented, and a fully networked campus is planned for implementation during the 1986/87 academic year. Curriculum examples, initial networking experience, and planning objectives will be discussed.

Machine‐mediated instruction for work‐force training and education

Abstract This paper reviews developments in the work force as they bear on training needs from entry level skills through professional continuing education. It summarizes the state of the art in various categories of information technology as they apply to education and training, including interactive videodisc, satellite communications systems, videotex, and artificial intelligence methods. These technologies and their potential are illustrated through case study examples. Policy recommendations are presented for governmental, industrial, and higher educational institution initiatives.