1993 Computer Use Institute breaks records! - classroom and lab participation at all-time high at 1993 sessions sponsored by the National Recreation and Park Association and the Oglebay Computer Use Institute at Oglebay Park, Wheeling, West Virginia

Parks & Recreation, June, 1993 by Edward H. Szillat

Students at the 1993 NRPA/Oglebay Computer Use Institute challenged instructors and set new lab and classroom participation records at the second annual program sponsored jointly by the National Recreation and Park Association and the Oglebay Department of Continuing Education. Fort? students, regents and instructors challenged one another in scheduled classes and open labs which sometimes went as late as 4 00 a.m.--this was in direct violation of the policy which requested that all institute participants be out of the lab by 9:30 p.m.! Doyle Allen, chair of the institute's Board of Regents, commented, "In 44 years of attending parks and recreation schools and conferences, I have never experienced the level of enthusiasm and yearning for knowledge that these students have."

This year's computer institute program included scheduled classes covering computer ethics, a variety of computer applications designed especially for parks and recreation, CAD/GIS, and future technology among many others. An extensive computer lab, provided by the Board of Regents, contained more than two dozen workstations in various operating system environments as well as half a dozen printers of all conceivable types. Several students brought their own computers and printers to augment those provided by the regents. Hundreds of computer applications were available in DOS, Novell, UNIX and Apple Macintosh environments.

This five-day institute will be expanded in 1994 to accommodate an anticipated increase in students. A new multi-track teaching schedule, adopted by the Board of Regents, will provide beginner and advanced levels, as well as a special topics track, which may be selected by students based upon their perceived need and capability level. Another enhancement to the institute is the adoption of a unique commercial exhibitor participation policy. This policy will invite commercial exhibitors to participate as computer exhibitors, session instructors and non-voting members of the Board of Regents.

A Call for Topics for the 1994 institute was distributed in the April issue of Dateline: NRPA. Responses are being used to assemble the curriculum. As stated, this curriculum will include beginner and advanced tracks as well as special topics and open labs throughout the entire five-day program. Students will be polled in advance for their interest and advised of class offerings so they may select their curriculum before they arrive. Students may receive up to 2.0 CEU credits for attendance at elective classes or structured labs. Students will also have the option of attending demonstrations conducted by computer hardware and software providers or visit them in informal exhibit areas.

Alan Carmichael, a student from Tonawanda, New York, said, "It's likely that every student has gone away from this school with the same feelings that I have. I'm sure that I've learned several things that will result in savings to my organization of several times the fee for this experience."

The 1994 Computer Use Institute for Parks and Recreation will be held February 27-March 4, 1994 at Oglebay Park, Wheeling, West Virginia. For additional information, contact either Sue George, Oglebay assistant director of continuing education at (800) 624-6988, Ext. 4019; NRPA,/SCHOLE Network Username: GEORGESE, or the NRPA Resource Development Division at (703) 820-4940; NRPA/SCHOLE Network Username: NRPA.