Seymour V. Pollack

Use of the computer to teach introductory statistics

It has always been obvious that the aid to calculation offered by the computer forces a change in the curricula of mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering and other courses. Not so obvious are the many pedagogic aids the computer can offer in teaching the subject matter. The possibilities of giving the student a better technical as well as conceptual understanding of statistics were explored for a number of years at the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati and are reported here.

BLNSYS—a 1401 operating system with Braille capabilities

An assembly program for a phrase structure language. A general translation program for phrase structure languages. On the implementation and usage of a language for eontraet bridge BLNSYS is an operating system designed for a 4K 1401 with common optional features and two attached tape drives. Printed output of this system or of executing programs may be in either English or braille. Even though this system was written for a small machine with minimal peripheral equipment, jobs may be batched, so that card handling and lost processing time is at a minimum. This system will perform any or all of the following users specified functions: assemble SPS source decks, post list, produce condensed or uncondensed object decks, execute users program, list card input to a program, list punched output, provide a storage dump, execute a program submitted for execution as an uncondensed object deck under debugging trace control, card-to-braille conversion, brailled listings of 7040 IBSYS batch output, and update or duplicate the system tape itself. Input-output subroutines are also included in the system.

A BIOLOGICALLY‐ORIENTED COMPUTER LANGUAGE*

When the life sciences turned towards computers, their major initial concern was with instrumentation and construction of interfaces between tissue and recording equipment or between recording and digital hardware. During these years of learning, the concept of the computer-based robot slowly emerged. This is basically the idea of the digital computer controlling much of the procedures of data processing or the workings of peripheral instrumentation. However, even some modest accomplishments in this work demand a sophistication in software which simply does not exist in present day computer science development. This is true especially for the environment in which this robot operates or the languages with which it can be instructed. Historically (if such a short period of time as we refer to here can be graced by the term history a t all) we saw impressive developments from crude machine languages to the more vernacular-based and much easier to manipulate problem-oriented language. These languages have answered the need of the scientist who designs a context within which he wants his robot to operate. Our existing vernacular-oriented languages (we prefer this term to problem oriented) such a COBOL, FORTRAN, LISP, etc., still operate on the constructional or comprehensive instructional level. The investigator is still forced to instruct the machine a t each step and build a program of what he wants the computer to do. That is, the person preparing the program still must concern himself with the individual mathematical, logical, or iterative steps required to synthesize a given program or data processing procedure. If the life science investigator prepares the program, he must be willing to spell out the detailed specifications and formats to be used for transmitting his prepared data to the computer and for formatting the computer output in acceptable form. If the life science investigator is also a mathematician and wishes to explore new mathematical and computational techniques, then he may have to spell out and solve in detail computational procedures, such as programming problems. The logical extention of problem oriented languages as well as a fulfillment of the need created by the complex work of the biologist lies in supplying a multi-level language system and environment to the medical and biological investigator, which permits him to instruct the computer to use certain procedures rather than to build these procedures himself. We are speaking

The role of the blind in data processing

Imagine that you are asked to evaluate a candidate for a job as a programmer. The applicant appears to be extremely intelligent. He has shown himself to be very inventive. He seems to have a number of outstanding capabilities which point to him as an especially gifted programmer. There is no question but that he is highly motivated to do well in his profession. He can show that he is well trained in all aspects of computation and related topics. He also appears to have a good general education besides being personable. Yet, despite these desirable qualifications, the applicant may be disqualified because he is blind.