I t isn't often that an editor of an established iournal is able t o launch anew journal, hut that auspicious moment for this Journal has arrived today with the announcement in this issue of the publication details of JCE:Software (see page 388). The ready accessibility of interactive computing about two decades ago-in those days, on time-shared mainframes-nrovided an earlv insieht for some into the oracti" cal usefulness of computing in the educational process. In those days, a number of investigators demonstrated the advantages to both teachers and students of interactive comoutine. in soite of the handicap . (bv - modern standards) of poor iiardware environments. In general, from the students' uoint of view, the availability of interactive cornouting yieldkd achievement a t a higher ievel than without such c&putinn: students had access to a chemistw content environment that was richer with interactive computing than without. On the other hand, teachers had more time available to devote to their students. All in all. the educational orocess was enhanced. Then, the advent of inexpensive microprocessorbased work stations with color displays provided a new milieu filled with potential for creative efforts focused on all kinds of programs designed to enhance the educational process. Chemists quickly seized the moment, and instructional programs began appearing. Initially, the dissemination process for such programs was "word of mouth", but it became quickly apparent that a more orderly process was required. Project SERAPHIM was created to address that problem. About that same time this Journal became involved with the dissemination of computer-related ideas as they apply to chemical education with the publication of the Computer Series feature; this issue carries number 91 of that feature, which started almost a decade ago. The nrocess of creatine educational software to helo teachers teach chemistry Kas reached the point where thk products of that process need to he intellectually peer-tested in the same sense that other ideas are before they appear in orint in this Journal. Some attempts were made in this direction in more recent columns of the Computer Series, but it quickly became apparent thattbe usual review process produced publishable items (words on a printed page) that discussed-often in very creative ways-the software and/or its effects on the educational process. The object of such discussions-the software-often did not get into the hands of our suhscrihers except through special efforts or by accident. JCE:Software is designed to alleviate that problem.
We intend to make JCE:Software a vehicle for the publication of creative work that is expressed as computer programs. We intend it to he intellectually tested by a community of peers; works that appear in JCE:Software will have achieved the same level of acceptability by that community as those that aooear in orint in this Journal. Works that appear in J ~ ~ : , % f t w a rkill e be expressed in "mixed media". Anyone who has asked for and received a floppy disk with no additional documentation understands the need for the latter; since programs that will appear in JCE:Software will also have some pedagogical value, we expect to provide much more than just technical documentation. Thus, JCE: Software will publish the code for reviewed programs (in the form of a disk) as well as printed documentation "as appropriate" in the hroadest sehse of that idea for those programs that appear on the disk; euerything published will he scrutinized by the process of peer review. As is the case with most journals, JCE:Software will be available by subscription; the first issue of the first volume can be obtained as a single issue on a trial basis, the details aopearine elsewhere in this issue (page 389). Unlike most j&rnals however, the disk medium &t he for a specific kind of hardware. We have decided to approach tbat prohlem by creating separate "series" under the umbrella i f the general title JCE:Solrware. Thus, our initial offering is SeFies A; which incorporates software tbat will run o n Apple Computers. We anticipate producing a B series of JCE: Software focused on MS-DOS machines. This general strategy permits us to anticipate the puhlication of software for other.. as vet undescrihed. hardwareloneratine svstem con. . figurations. JCE:Software is a hold steo We believe its . in oublication. . time has dome and private resources have been gathered to initiate this venture. Clearly, JCE:Software needs the support of the chemical educatibn comm&ity to become as seifsustaining as has this Journal over the years. Such support is garnered a t many levels within our community, fromauthors who have something to offer, to reviewers who give of their time and intellect to assure quality of the resultant product, to subscribers who find enough interest and use in the contents-not necessarilv all the contents-to suonort the product financially. computing is here to stay &'the nrocess of chemical education. and JCE:Software will make i t more viable. I urge all to support JCE:Software in every way you can.
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Volume 65 Number 5 May 1988
377
