Planning Educational Small Computer Systems.

This paper defines problems of school officials in dealing with the new information society, and suggests a planning framework applicable to the design of school and district microcomputer systems. Educators' problems in addressing the demands and opportunities of the emergent information society include inadequate comprehension of a major shift in societal values and a lack of skills in computer technologies, systems analysis, and planning. Accordingly, a systems-based planning framework is described that might focus school administrators' efforts to conceive and implement a comprehensive microcomputer system. This framework consists of administrative components (purposes, policies, organizational structure, procedures, and feedback control) and computer system components (people, applications, software and supplies, and hardware). This suggested planning framework is illustrated through concrete examples of the application of each of the model's administrative components to its computer components. Seven principal ideas for adapting schools to a computer driven society are summarized at the end. References are included. (TE)