William M. Marcy

Causality: Its characterization in system dynamics and KSIM models of socioeconomic systems

Abstract Two methodologies—Kanes KSIM and Forresters system dynamics—for modeling socioeconomic systems are compared and contrasted with regard to the manner in which each characterizes and classifies casuality in socioeconomic systems. The equivalence of the so-called casual diagram used in system dynamics to the cross-impact matrix used in KSIM is indicated. Each method identifies exactly two classes of casual links—the similarity between the classes distinguished in system dynamics with those employed in KSIM is suggested. Then the assumptions regarding the nature of causality that are implicit within the two methodologies are compared. In this context techniques for translating linear system-dynamics models to KSIM-like models (and vice versa) are provided. Examples are provided to illustrate the notions discussed in the article.

Why the distinction between on-campus and distance learning is blurring

The realization that two-thirds of a typical on-campus course occur outside the class meetings means that much of the material prepared to help on-campus students learn outside the classroom applies to distance learners, as well. Asynchronous learning networks (ALN) that exploit the World Wide Web are a particularly effective means of realizing learning environments that are useful to both on-campus and distance learners. The graduate distance learning program in engineering at Texas Tech University is a contemporary example of how ALNs can blur the distinction between on-campus and distance learning. The ALN model developed for the graduate distance learning program is being extended to help potential engineering students still at a high school campus bridge the gap to the university by taking first year engineering courses together with a high school teacher who serves as a peer/mentor.

Computer‐Aided Instruction

The sections in this article are 1 Learning Environments on Desktop Computers 2 Learning Environments on Networks 3 Appropriate Application of Computer-Aided Learning Environments 4 Creation of Learning Environments

A successful five-year experiment with a breadth-first introductory course

This paper discusses the implementation and evolution over a five-year period of a breadth-first introductory computer science course which has both lectures and structured, closed laboratory sessions. This course significantly increased both the retention and passing rates for the next computer course (which emphasizes programming), and computer science graduation rates.

Authentic and group learning technology using computer networks and intelligent tutors

A set of archetypal computer-simulated room or SIMPLEs (Simulation Implementations of Multifacted Peripatetic Learning Environments) have been developed. It is shown that the technology and software required to implement the SIMPLE paradigm exists today in a large number of governmental, business, industrial, and educational settings. SIMPLEs rely primarily on readily available, easily maintained, commercial software that runs as replaceable modules on a variety of platforms. Archetypes that run on both PCs and MacIntoshes have already been developed.<<ETX>>

Implementation issues using the SIMPLE learning environment

Authoring any engineering learning environment can be a daunting task. Once the learning environment is created, there still remains a formidable task of delivering the material to the students. It is one thing to demonstrate a learning environment on a single computer and quite another to deliver it to 300 students using a computer laboratory. Here, the author describes the SIMPLE approach using database technology and networks which makes configuration management a problem that an instructor can handle without the need for a large amount of staff support.

Digital Electronics for Microprocessor Applications in Control of Manufacturing Processes

Abstract The rapid development of microprocessor devices invites the industrial engineer to consider using microprocessors to solve data acquisition, machine control, and process control problems in ways that previously would have been apriori uneconomic. The initial simplicity of the microprocessor is often lost when the engineer finds that microprocessors are usually embedded in conventional digital electronic circuits. Fortunately, only a small class of digital electronic devices serves a variety of functions. When their operation and application is understood on a functional basis, the original simplicity of the microprocessor is largely retained. The suppliers of microprocessor products provide not only the microprocessor itself but also a wide range of supporting “chips” which allow the user to realize a microcomputer system of considerable power and flexibility. Nevertheless, the user usually finds a need to understand and use more conventional digital electronic circuits in conjunction with the mi...

The Legacy of PLATO and TICCIT for Learning with Computers

By the mid‐1970s, the U.S. National Science Foundation was funding two large projects, PLATO and TICCIT, designed to demonstrate the efficacy of teaching with the help of computers. Although neither project proved successful, they nevertheless propelled teaching with computers to a level that laid the foundation for most later efforts.

Real Time Fuzzy Logic Controller for Balancing a Beam-and-Ball System

Controlling a nonlinear system in real time is a challenging task which usually involves extensive mathematical formulation and intensive computation. In many cases, a linearization of the system model has to be derived first before the design of a controller, which limits the validaty of the system model. In addition, the detailed system parameters have to be known in order to perform such linearization, which can be difficult or even may not be practical in some real world applications. In this study, we demonstrated the design of a real-time fuzzy logic controller for a typical nonlinear system control application, balancing a beam-and-ball system in real time. Unlike the optimal or conventional control technique, the fuzzy logic controller requires no explicit system parameters, such as mass, torque etc., and it is characterized by its simplicity. A hardware prototyping system is built and the experimental results demonstrate the robustness of the controller. The comparative study reveals that the fuzzy logic controller outperforms optimal control based algorithm and in most cases outperforms trained human operators as well.

CD-ROM/WWW technology: a pragmatic approach to cross-platform archival publication

In the last quarter of 1996, the IEEE Transactions on Education will publish a special issue, accompanied by a CD-ROM organized essentially as a World Wide Web (WWW) server so that it can be viewed with browsers on any of the three major desktop hardware platforms. This paper discusses (1) how the combination of CD-ROM technology and the WWW de facto file format standards open the possibility for archiving multimedia and software and (2) how the WWW has permitted experimentation with a paperless review process.