In memory of Clement J. McDonald, Junior, 1940-2026

Beloved husband, loving father, incomparable colleague and generous mentor

A sudden push from the industry,

A sudden grant in the fall,

By three R's left unguarded

They have entered our study hall. They climb into the curriculum,

O’er plans, objectives, and goals,

If I try to escape, they surround me,

With carrels, consultants, and polls.

They almost devour me with data,

Hard copy is ever replete,

But it beats chalk dust and dittos [1] ,

And the students think that it’s neat

-- from “The Computer Hour,” Robert C. Snider [ https://archive.org/details/nea-lttr-dpt-ed.-don-senese-nat-tech-conf.-best-8-mar-1982 ].

Masters or Subjects?

The belief that computers would revolutionize education took root long before the microcomputer era; it had spread rapidly across American universities in the 1960s.…