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Browsing by Author "Heafner, John F."

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    Acquisition of an Interactive Computing System for Academic Use: A Case Study
    Heafner, John F.; Nance, Richard E. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 1981)
    The acquisition of a large-scale computer system is a complex and important task that universities face periodically. The large capital expenditures and the always expanding need for computing services ensure an increasing importance. Virginia Tech recently made such an acquisition. This paper describes the evaluation procedures leading to the acquisition, beginning with needs assessment and concluding with system selection. The acquisition of a computing system, in this instance a system primarily for interactive instructional support of undergraduates, is a decision that is subject to a variety of influences technical, managerial, political, and personal. This paper describes the authors' attempts (as then Associate Director of the Computing Center and then Head of the Computer Science Department, respectively) to deal with these influences through the use of quantitative techniques, behavioral analysis, and common sense.
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    Developing Curriculum for Use in an Interactive Computational Environment
    Heafner, John F.; Lee, John A. N.; Shrock, Sharon A. (Department of Computer Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 1979)
    The advent of the interactive computer classroom and laboratory on the campus leads naturally to the increased usage of the computational facilities in undergraduate education. This report reviews a number of alternative plans for the integration of these facilities into various curricula, and provides outlines for the development of course syllabi which are appropriate.