Louisburg College - Oak Yearbook (Louisburg, NC)

Page 6 text:

Catching up mith the prEsent Fall ' 83. A full house was waiting for Instructor Steve Howard ' s computer class, offered by our Weekend College. Of tfie 28 students, 50 percent were regular Weekend College students work- ing towards Associate Degrees, and 50 percent were either pursuing continuing education credit or were business peo- ple learning job-related skills. What they most had in common, as older students, was the knowledge that computer skills are rapidly becoming paramount in the occupational world. From classroom to job, computer- wise, was a short step for some class members. Betty Jean Harper uses her computer skills in the Financial Aid Of fice at Louisburg College. Local Busi nessman Robert Edwards was in the class to gain expertise he could utilize in his work. In a real sense, these folks are catch- ing up with the present. Computers have infiltrated the majority of occupa- tions, and will increasingly change not only office practices and procedures, but inevitably the whole nature of work. Of course, it doesn ' t stop there. The proliferation of computer games and educational software attests to the in creasingly strong market for home com- puters. The computer lab at Louisburg stays busy. Already, three evening classes of word-processing have lured most of our faculty to the computers. Increasingly, faculty handouts, tests, and research manuscripts are stored on floppy disks or tapes. The advent of computers has turned most all of us into students again, pon- dering not only our bits and bites, but what sort of world we ' re creating with the awesome capacity of silicon chips and the curve of thought possible in the pristine logic of binominals.

Page 8 text:

Hnticipating the future I Instructor Matt Brown guides our stu- dents in the language of BASIC. For those enrolled in our terminal computer program, it is a step toward mastering essential literacy and eventually pro- graming skills. They are attentive and accepting. For them, computers will take their place along side telephones and television with an ease that is difficult for their older counterparts. Within this decade, most occupations will directly involve computers. Will we save gas and preserve more fossil fuels when home computers allow us to order groceries and handle bank- ing transactions without taking to cars? Will we form new friendships, possibly even find a mate, through computer in- terfacing via modems, commonly known as computer C Bing? Of course. It ' s already happening. And as it does, the entire process of educating and learning will change and alter, in the very dramatic ways it did after Gutenburg ' s printing press revolu tionized communications centuries ago. What will we see in the future at Louisburg College? How will our leisure time and student activities reflect the encroachment of technology? Will stu- dents attend classes equipped with computers and text software instead of textbooks? Will quizzes and papers be handed to professors on floppy disks? Very likely. One thing for sure. This may not be MIT. but already computers are becom- ing an intregal part of Louisburg College life.