Presents a 10-step process that allows swimming-pool owners to objectively scrutinize their existing facility's needs, construction, and operation and maintenance budgets before renovating a structurally deficient or costly pool. Four examples of problems involving pool-renovation decision making are highlighted. (GR)

An integrative approach to learning outcome assessment in business education uses business input. This capstone problem-solving course is an enriched experience that enables evaluation of skills and abilities in a realistic workplace environment. (SK)

Discusses the value for administrators of guidance offered by (1) the tenets of poststructuralism; (2) the book "An Uncertain Glory: Letters of Cautious but Sound Advice to Stanley, a Dean-in-Waiting"; and (3) Machiavelli's "Il Principe." (NH)

Discusses evidence-based decision making; describes techniques to support evidence-based retrieval in the field of medicine which emphasize the retrieval and application of high quality knowledge to solve real-world problems; and considers the transferability of evidence-based information seeking to other fields. (Contains 69 references.) (LRW)

Human Communication in Organizations (HCO) is an introductory college course at Ithaca College, typically taken in the freshman year, in which students from a wide variety of majors examine the basic concepts, issues, and uses of organizational communication including communication theory, superior-subordinate and peer relationships, leadership,…

Fully developed definitions of evidence-based practice incorporate evidence from family perspectives, as well as evidence from research on the effectiveness of particular interventions. Systems for appraising research evidence typically place qualitative analyses at lower levels. The argument in this article is that qualitative data offer a…

Recognizing the diversity of models and strategies for private sector participation in education that have emerged in Latin America, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) requested the Academy for Educational Development (AED) to conduct research with leaders in the public and private sectors in several countries. While…

Certainly educators have different perspectives about what skills, attitudes, and knowledge students need for success in the information-based society of the third millennium and imminent future. However, in order to meet the demands of the global society, educators must think like futurists and must collaborate and share their expertise from…

This study investigated the collaborative decision-making and communicative discourse of groups of learners engaged in a simulated medical emergency in two conditions. In one condition subgroups used a traditional whiteboard (TW group) to document medical arguments on how to solve a medical emergency. In the other condition subgroups used…

This paper briefly introduces alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes and their fundamental principles. The paper provides a review of the literature on ADR and discusses its applicability in educational settings. The concept of conflict is explained, along with analysis of the limitations of traditional conflict resolution processes. The…

A study examined the different degrees of satisfaction with the nominal group technique (NGT) felt by policymakers and change agents with differing professional backgrounds and responsibilities who participated in nominal groups. A total of 206 participants at four conferences at Texas A&M University (international food and water policy, Texas…

Decisionmaking involves the conception of the situation, a perception of the attitudes of others toward the problem, an understanding of the various alternatives available and their predictable consequences, and an ability to predict the acceptance of any given decision. The author contends that to regard implementation of the decision as part of…

College students were interviewed about the information they seek and use before enrolling in a course, during instruction, and after instruction. (Author)

The term "problem-solving" covers three steps of the comprehensive planning process: problem analysis, generation of alternative solutions, and selection of policies or programs from those solutions. After goals have been developed and needs assessed, the problem-solving process begins with identification and definition of the specific nature of…