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Members of the public will have an opportunity to see the micro-
computers in operation at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver
starting August 15. They will be demonstrated in a simulated classroom
in the B.C. Building, part of an education exhibit sponsored jointly by
-the Ministry of Education and a number of the province's post-secondary
institutions.

The microcomputer project was first announced at a familiarization con-
ference for 300 teachers and administrators in March. Since then a
three-day conference for supervisors in the participating districts has
been held. A week-long in-service training session for all involved
classroom teachers will take place at UBC between August 4 and 9.

Dr. Walter Hardwick, Deputy Minister of Education, set the tone for the
future use of microcomputers in the classroom when he spoke at the March
conference. "Microcomputers are a new technology which may have major
implications for the learning process in schools, colleges, and univer-
sities of this province," he said. "As in many new technologies, the
hardware is ahead of the software course development. The arrival of
the microcomputer can be compared with the early days of television or
the large time-shared computers of a decade ago.

"However, unlike the previous advent of technology where adoption was
random, the ministry proposes to approach the use of the microcomputer
in a systematic fashion. The pilot projects will be applied to various
grade levels and subject areas and will be managed by control groups

so that an evaluation can take place."