The Education Vector

Transcribed from the printed issue; not yet reviewed. Read it in the PDF of the issue, page 17

The Education Vector¶

October 1991

Editor Alan Mayer

This Education Vector has been reprinted from VECTOR Vol.8 No.2. VECTOR is the Quarterly Journal of the British APL Association. For more information about the British APL Association, please contact: Anthony Camacho, [address and telephone number omitted].

Contents¶

Dr Alan Mayer
European Business Management School
University College of Swansea
Singleton Park
Swansea SA2 8PP Wales, UK

Ysgol Rheolaeth Busnes Ewropeaidd
Parc Singleton,
Abertawe SA2 8PP

Tel. 0792 205678 Ext.4274 Fax: 0792 295626 JANET: MAYER@UK.AC.SWAN.MS

Editorial¶

by Alan Mayer

Welcome to Education Vector. The more observant reader (who bothers to look at the front page) may have noticed a change of four letters in the name and address of the editor. The bad news is that the change occurs in the surname: after three hard but successful years of entertaining and educating us, Alan Sykes has made his first big mistake and handed the job over to me. The good news is that I work in the office next door to Alan, and he has assured me that he will continue to take a lively interest in the affairs of Education Vector.

I know that I write on behalf of many of you when I thank Alan for what the journal has become under his leadership - I know, because I have inherited a whole file full of letters expressing your appreciation. Perhaps the aspect I appreciate most is that we have all been encouraged to take part by contributing our thoughts, our objections, our prejudices, our APL functions - so that others may benefit from our experience (and our mistakes!).

So how can we build on the foundation that has been laid? May I emphasise the word we - everything written in these pages is open to every reader to criticize (constructively if possible!). Personally, I identify two major objectives: to encourage beginners in APL, and to promote the use of APL in Education. I believe that considerable progress is being made on both of these fronts, and I know of several individuals who are using Education Vector for these purposes. Perhaps there is also a third objective: to create new "beginners". In other words, I want articles, letters, suggestions please - not for myself, but for the thousands of people out there who need APL, but don't know it yet.

Among those thousands, I suggest that a major target should be secondary school teachers. I have been told that many of them are too busy with the National Curriculum to spend time on "side-lines" like APL. Part of their problem seems to lie in the area of coordinating and manipulating marks from tests. Perhaps we should tell them about a computer language that makes that sort of task much easier?

I know that there is much more to the National Curriculum than coordinating marks - but don't let that stop you from telling me! How? Well, like your latest notebook computer, I respond to several modes of data entry: post, telephone, fax, email (I even talk to people sometimes!). The relevant addresses and numbers are on the title page. This edition contains contributions from several readers, for which we are all grateful. Why not add your name to the contributors' list for the next edition?