Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 22:16:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Dick Seabrook <seabrook-AT-clark.net>
Subject: Re: Anybody out there?


You replied to me directly with a cc to the list so I'm doing likewise.
Sorry if you get two copies...

On Wed, 31 May 1995 glevy-AT-acnet.pratt.edu wrote:

> agree).  In other fields, I am amazed that so many schools are still 
> using old DOS programs for instruction.  Apparently, these older programs 
> (e.g. Word Perfect 5.1; Lotus 1-2-3 for DOS; DBase III Plus, etc.) are 
> selected not only for budgetary reasons (a issue that cc's are quite 
> familiar with), but also because the lab technicians and instructors 
> believe the older programs are better for instructional and vocational 
> purposes.  I find this line of argument to be rather spurious and I 
> suspect that many instructors simply don't want to invest the time 
> necessary to learn newer programs.  For the most part, this fear is based 
> on a misunderstanding concerning the amount of difficulty learning newer 
> software programs.

I just finished a year teaching Internet Fundamentals on vintage 1984
PC-XTs!  It's all we had in a pinch, all other labs packed.  With
GVC 14.4 modems it went OK.  We converted the operation to 8 486s last
week.  We're gonna load Linux on 'em now that we've become a host.
In Community Colleges we must make do with what we've got and stretch
things well beyond their original purpose -- money's tight, staff is
scarce.  Right now I've got an 8-station Sun lab with no system
administrator, tho my student lab assistant sure is learning a lot
fast!
	I agree that computer support is not appropriate for all classes.
I'm still waiting to hear wonderful results from the 'writing lab' over
in the English Department...but maybe I'm just pessimistic...
Dick S.






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