The development of communication technologies, resulting in the arrival of the Internet and the World-Wide-Web has been rapid, influencing almost all aspects of modern society including education. Concepts of epistemology, how we know what we know, have been forced to rapidly adjust to these new and emerging technologies. Online communities of…

Student-centred learning and teaching (SCLT) has become a widespread approach in higher education and is praised by students, educational researchers and policy makers alike. SCLT is believed to help students become self-directed learners by placing them at the centre of the learning process. Despite the central role currently ascribed to SCLT in…

This article reviews motivation research published in "Distance Education" since 1980, highlighting the major foci of investigation and reflecting on past findings. A major trend was that past research has focused predominantly on learners' motivational attributes using sociocognitive models of motivation. We therefore have developed a…

Offers an analysis of 11 dissertations focusing on self-directed learning (SDL) in community colleges, highlighting the importance of promoting SDL, the relationship between the level of SDL and other variables, verification and measurement of time spent on SDL projects, and effects of SDL. (DMM)

A discussion of the loss and maintenance of second language skills beyond the formal education process provides information about skill loss and a variety of strategies and suggestions for language skill maintenance. The book begins with an overview of the subject of language loss and maintenance (Jean Berko Gleason and Barbara Alexander Pan),…

Reviews current literature related to self-directed learning, highlighting six competencies important for its successful implementation. Reviews critiques of self-directed learning and describes hurdles to implementation at community colleges related to quality control, teachers' roles, and institutional image. Provides suggestions for overcoming…

Urges development of gifted programs appropriate to rural schools. Discusses groupings, curricula, technology, and differentiated education. Emphasizes the importance of peer and community involvement. Provides 21 references. (SKW)

This report is the product of an effort by the Office of Technology Policy to assess current and future needs for information technology (IT) workers through a comprehensive information-gathering project that included the following three activities: (1) nationwide regional meetings that included discussions with industry executives,…