A project in creative writing and literacy was developed and implemented for people experiencing mental health difficulties. The project was a jointly organized activity between Dearne Valley College and Doncaster MIND in England. (MIND is a network of mental health associations in England and Wales.) The college counselor acted as the supervisor…

This paper first reviews the development of gifted education in Taiwan over the last two decades and discusses the problems facing gifted education, including conservative definition-identification, the negative impact of entrance examinations, and curricula that are not challenging. The development of a pilot program for highly capable primary…

This paper reports on a study that investigated the effectiveness of an early intervention program based on the needs of Turkish mothers of six children (ages 0-3) with hearing impairments. The program included an informational component and an educational component. During the preparation of the program, the mothers' expressed needs were taken…

India has made considerable progress toward universal primary education but has the dubious distinction of having the highest illiteracy rates in the world. Stringent endeavors are being made at the national, state, and district levels to eradicate illiteracy through mass approaches and programs. Extension is recognized as the third dimension of…

In 1995, there were 107 universities of the third age (U3As) in Australia (up from 104 in 1994) and Australian membership in U3A groups totaled 26,346 (compared to 20,788 in 1994). U3A membership in New Zealand was also up. In view of the increasing popularity of U3As in Australasia and the success of U3A networks in a number of countries…

A project was conducted to initiate a regional system of documenting and recognizing the learning that takes place in literacy programs. Phase 1 focused on gathering articulation models and materials. In phase 2 the following were developed: a skills list for communications, numeracy, personal growth, and computers; skills inventories; and a…

The high rates of suicide, attempted suicide, and suicidal ideation among youth in many Native communities indicate that the problem is not just with individuals but involves community-wide issues. Thus, a community-based approach to prevention is essential. This report sets out a rationale and guidelines for a community-based prevention program…

This paper analyzes the broad context and covers practical applications for delivering distance education in countries of the developing world. It begins by examining market trends in global higher education and continues by reviewing existing distance education activity in developing countries. This is followed by a discussion of the…

A Faculty of Education dramatically restructured its preservice teacher education program by putting experience first through introducing an extended fall-term practicum of 14 weeks. Focus group interviews were conducted with elementary and secondary teachers and administrators over a 3-year period, prior to and twice during the controversial…

The South African educational system has experienced many significant changes in the past 5 years which are intended to facilitate paradigm shifts in terms of ownership of schools, equity, wider access, more mobility, and modernization. New legislation and policy frameworks propose numerous strategic recommendations. It was against this backdrop…

This proceedings contains papers from the 1998 annual conference of the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives (PIALA). After welcoming remarks from Henry Robert and Isabel Rungrad, the following papers are included: "Sharing Our Successes, Discussing Our Future: A Survey of Pacific Collections Activities--Report from the…

The needs and motivation of short-term ESL students and immigrants are contrasted, and the wide variety of programs and services needed for immigrant English instruction is emphasized. Aspects of ESL instruction that need changing or restructuring include adult and community education, teacher training and examination, and innovative educational…

Describes planning and development activities of a team supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the Organization of American States, and the Surinam national government, for a model community school for Surinam bush Negro villages. Summarizes team recommendations for modifying teacher education to…

Some features of a British Columbia provincial evaluation of elementary core French programs are described and selected examples are used to illustrate the ways the results have been used in individual school districts for program improvements. (Author/MSE)

A study of Dutch universities from 1974-93 examined factors in the emergence of new academic programs and specializations, particularly the effects of government funding mechanisms (external factor) and level of paradigmatic development (internal factor), drawing on social exchange and resource dependency theory. Results indicate these two factors…