FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE AND PRIORITIES OF COMPUTING APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRIAL TEACHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE

This study investigated potential factors influencing the use of computer applications in Industrial Teacher Education departments.;A questionnaire was then developed and sent to members of the Mississippi Valley Industrial Teacher Education Conference to investigate the uses and priorities of uses of these and any other computer applications that were to be found. This framework of eleven main applications was found to be complete. All of these eleven main applications were found to be used in sizable numbers.;The study analyzed the levels of use and the priorities of use of these applications corresponding to a number of factors that might influence them. It found that while a number of factors might have minor influences on the use and priorities of use of these computer applications, there is no simple set of factors solely responsible for the use or nonuse of any of these computer applications or for the priorities thereof.;The study conducted further investigations of six departments, reported to be amongst the leaders in using computer applications by means of telephone interviews. A variety of questions were asked in an attempt to uncover other factors which might influence the use of the computer applications within an Industrial Teacher Education department. The departments contacted provided a range of answers to most of these questions rather than a unified response. It was again found that no simple set of factors could be identified to be solely or primarily responsible for the use or nonuse of any of these computer applications or for the priorities thereof. Suggestions also were obtained to aid departments wishing to become involved with various computer applications.;Research of the literature found that there are eleven major applications of computers that are used by Industrial Teacher Education departments: Administrative Data Processing, Word Processing, Research Data Processing, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Managed Instruction, Computer Literacy, Computerized Instructional Design, Software Technology, Hardware Technology, Computer Assisted Design, and Computer Aided Manufacturing.