Influence of Educational Computing on School Management

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Three indispensable components of computer use in schools are hardware, software, and man power. A study of cost analysis based on a survey on schools where educational computing was carried out concluded that an increase in personnel expenditures was indispensable for the effective operation of educational computing. Hardware has been diffused rapidly in Japanese schools to meet the needs of information oriented society. It is useful to conduct a comprehensive cost analysis on a nationwide scale at this time.Various factors have to be presumed to enable a projection of the cost of educational computing, however, the results obtained here are realistic and reasonable as indications of minimum levels of costs. Among the costs for public elementary schools, software, teacher training, and hardware cost consist of 42%, 29%, and 29% respectively in 1992. On the other hand, among the costs for public lower secondary schools, software, teacher training, and hardware cost consist of 47%, 13%, … More and 40% respectively. Among the costs for public upper secondary schools, software, teacher training, and hardware cost consist of 33%, 10%, and 57% respectively. The ratio of software cost is increasing at all levels of school education. It may be possible to reduce the cost of software through selection of types and adjustment of prices. The governments should take initiative not only to recommend cost-effective software to schools, but also to provide necessary software and to encourage software houses to make better software.Another concern is the cost of training. The training of teachers is lagging behind the diffusion of hardware and software. Unless measures are taken to cure the present situation where a limited number of motivated teachers voluntarily participate in training programs at their costs rapid improvement in training cannot be achieved. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop a system in which the administration provides supports and incentives for such training. Using satellite TV or distributing VCRs may be the most cost-effective way providing in-service teacher training. Less