Gerald N. Pitts

A Software oriented Computer Science program

Many Computer Science programs are mainly concerned with hardware and software theory. Computer Software especially is studied with very little application. American Technological University has attempted to breach the gap in the area of qualified software computer science graduates by tailoring the courses to allow students to study or write, and/or modify operating systems. This is accomplished by selected course work and “hands on” use of the 370/145. Junior, senior and graduate level students are allowed to sign up for blocks of time between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday when available and on most week-ends. A description of courses, the philosophy of teaching, the computer facilities, and a critique of our former students is presented.

Peripherality based level of detail switching as a visualization enhancement of high-risk simulations

Creating virtual training simulations for high-risk tasks in both the private and government sectors is a necessity in this age of tremendous technological change. Producing simulators/trainers capable of a large volume of highfidelity sensory feedback under current processing constraints is a significant challenge to the simulation developer. Level of Detail (LOD) switching is a visualization technique available to simulation designers for increasing frame rendition rates without sacrificing scene quality. This paper examines the use of several criteria to build upon existing LOD techniques to develop a holistic approach to LOD switching for visual simulations of high-risk environments. It investigates both the types of model changes that are acceptable in situations as well as the thresholds of the user’s preattentive perception. Scene modifications that degrade the fidelity of the simulation can cause a potentially dangerous deterioration of training quality. Experimental results exploring the feasibility of these techniques are presented along with directions for further research in this field.

Computer science as a foreign language substitute

The world of today has a diversified opinion concerning the worth and value of the computer. For some it is a monster to be feared, while for others it is a friend to be respected. Two statements will probably best demonstrate these different points of view. Lewis Mumford has said, “Nothing that man created is outside his capacity to change, to mold, to supplant, or to destroy. His machines are not more sacred or substantial than the dreams from which they originated.”

Undergraduate research—welcome to the 21st century

Someone coined the term “Harvard-ization” to describe the goal of many American colleges and universities. If this is your goal, you pick out the best university you know, and do your best to imitate it. Over the course of the 20th century, Georgia Tech was guilty of its share of “Harvard-ization.” We added the requisite graduate programs and developed a solid research agenda, and in the process we advanced from a very good regional school to one with a national presence. Yet the path we trod through the 20th century was largely blazed before us by the likes of MIT and Harvard.

Micro computers - the procurement process (Panel Discussion)

The rapid proliferation of microcomputers in higher education for uses which vary from process and instrumentation control to computer aided instruction has caused many universities and state coordinating agencies to reevaluate their master plans for computing. This panel will discuss these issues and offer insight into possible solutions to some of the most common problems facing present and potential users of this technology. The use of microcomputers in the classroom and methods of acquisition utilized by a private university will be the concern of Dr. Pitts. Comparisons of the acquisition process between a large state institution with which he was recently affiliated and the private university will be emphasized. A different approach to the acquisition process and microcomputer utilization will be presented by Dr. Newman.

A two year computer science program

The accelerated accumulation of knowledge in recent years has illustrated graphically the value of developing human resources to their most usable form at an early point in each persons life span. Not only is this early development important to the continued growth of the nation but to the expanded life style and earned human dignity of each individual. Traditional education techniques have fallen short in this regard. Students have graduated from two year colleges, four year colleges, and graduate programs with ill defined capabilities directed toward no specific area within the world of work. Human resource capability loss has been staggering and in some instances, irreparable harm has resulted. In recognizing the problem and its wide-spread ramifications the Federal Government as well as State Governments have developed programs of career education for junior and four year colleges. Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas, is one of these development areas and provides an excellent two year associate degree in Computer Science. The curriculum and text requirements are presented in this paper.

Simulation of commercial job stream in a multiprogramming scheduling environment

The selection of computing equipment for application to commercial uses is a giant financial step for any company. Justification may sometimes be only the salesmanship of a particular vendor. Many times this has provided a disasterous effect because the machine in reality was unable to handle a specific job stream efficiently. It is far too expensive to try all possible combinations of job stream inputs to check a computers ability to handle each. Simulation provides a feasible method for trying all combinations of job stream on a particular machine before it is purchased or leased. The purpose of this simulation model was to generate job streams consisting of programs possessing characteristics which are typical of those programs existing in a varied business type application. If specific job stream input is known then the model is able to give a “feel” for plausibility of a particular machine without running the risk of purchasing the machine in doubt.

A Pageable Memory Dictionary Information Retrieval System

A Pageable Memory Dictionary Information Retrieval System (PMD) was designed and implemented using a time-sharing operating system under the virtual memory concept. The PMD system utilizes three separate data bases which may be used independently or in conjunction with each other, depending on the search parameters entered into the system. The PMD system was designed to use the ACM Computer Review Number and Category Number in addition to the normal search parameters. The test data base was formulated using information from the ACM Computing Reviews. The presentation includes the design criteria, file descriptions, retrieval techniques, examples of the retrieval process and their associated timings, and conclusions.