The process of program initiation and the use and communication of new information and practices of public alternative schools or programs in the New England area were examined. Four research questions were pursued in the study. An ex post facto research methodology, employing mailed questionnaires and personal interviews, was used. The study…

Evaluators often assume that outcome studies assessing agency effectiveness should provide the most relevant data for decision makers who must form judgments about treatment in order to make policy, program, and clinical decisions. Yet evaluators have found that decision makers often fail to use results of evaluation studies. (Author/CTM)

A data base designed for scientists, engineers, and others in need of factual information developed under the Long Range Research Project at Indiana University is described. (3 references) (SJ)

A discussion of experiments with four-year-old children posed with the paired-associate task of learning where nine different animals lived, using apparatus designed for self-instruction through picture matching. (Author)

Only by accepting responsibility for ferreting out all the accurate relevant information on an issue can board members trust their decisions. Describes the categories of fundamental, unsolicited, and on-demand information and how best to deal with them. (MLF)

Institutional research in higher education is seen as comprised of three levels of intelligence/information: (1) technical and analytical; (2) understanding of student, faculty, financial, and facilities issues; and (3) contextual intelligence concerning the culture of higher education and the particular institution. Knowledge and skills required…

A sample of 204 Canadians were presented information in 3 formats--matrix table, summary, and combination--with which to choose an appropriate credit card. Summary ratings of credit cards combined with a table of fees, interest rates, and grace periods reduced information processing efforts and led to better consumer decisions. (SK)

Discusses three issues raised by the Internet: (1) journalists/advisors need to emphasize that more information is not necessarily better; (2) information on the World Wide Web is not useful if it cannot be assimilated or coherently communicated; and (3) students' social skills are not developed by using the Internet. (RS)

Students need to know how to find and use information, yet only 31 percent of information searches succeed. Google and Wikipedia are not the only providers of answers, although they are often students' first stops for information. Everyone knows how to open a browser, but can teachers assume they know how to search effectively for information? In…

The intent of this book is to give the reader an insight into the possible reference sources available in the area known as science and technology. One purpose of this book is to allow the student of this literature to enter the maze of material without feeling unduly overwhelmed. The first chapter covers the history of science, specifically:…

This paper compares the usefulness of documentary (written materials) versus face to face delivery of information in helping to bring about urban school improvement. The paper is based on the experiences of the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project (DTA) of the Center for New Schools (Chicago, Illinois), a program that aims to increase…

Any state-level postsecondary education agency could perform its job more effectively through discriminate use of the available technology of informational and analytic planning approaches. The paper attempts to increase an awareness of how data, analytic techniques, and their product information should be used to assist state-level academic…

To determine consumer preference regarding four forms of mass communication, an 18-item questionnaire was devised that asked individuals where they sought information on national and world affairs, local events, entertainment, and shopping (advertising). Results from the 108 respondents in the random sample indicated the following: newspapers…

Prompted by an awareness of the general public's lack of access to scientific literature in the medical field, this paper documents the practical and ethical desirability of eliminating obstacles to those seeking health information. Discussions based on a survey of the literature focus on (1) the concepts and definitions of information, knowledge,…

This report examines the problems in the flow of scientific and technological information in the Ceramic Industry. The research methodology used involved a panel of experts which defined the functions performed by ceramists and their corresponding information needs, listed sources of information available to ceramists, and defined problems and…