Needs assessment is an integral part of designing instruction for adults. However, more work needs to be done to strengthen the definition and theory. Needs assessment will be served by carefully designed studies that analyze the extent and type of impact needs assessments have had on subsequent program development activities. (CT)

This paper evaluates the current information base on sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities, specifically in the areas of sexual knowledge, sexual experience, sexual feelings and attitudes, and sexual need. Consideration of this information is critical in developing appropriate sex education programs that can enhance the quality of…

This case study presents the experience of an instructional designer working on an instructional development project for the first time. The project team was creating online course materials for a college level business calculus course. Project management skills, considerations in the project budget, and communication issues are suggested as…

A 5-year longitudinal study of factors affecting the implementation and operation of computer based education (CBE) projects in military settings using the PLATO system identified five major factors: project planning, staff selection and retention, lesson development, implementation and site management, and results and final evaluations. Findings…

A strategy, based on organizational change literature, for establishing a college program for learning-disabled students includes such crucial steps as assessing the change effort (nature of the change, environmental factors, initiators of change), establishing a campaign plan (program and decision centers), and developing deployment tactics…

The Mentor School System (Ohio) recreated the role of department coordinator in all its secondary schools to develop a cadre of instructional leaders to break down the barriers between administrators and the classroom. (MD)

Argues that instructional development provides an efficient model for planning programs for adult learners. Outlines three stages of instructional development: analysis of needs, goals, course content, learner characteristics, and the learning environment; development of instructional strategies and delivery systems; and program evaluation. (CAM)

Each institution has an existing planning style, and new approaches to academic planning must take into account institutionalized planning practices. Four planning styles are examined: needs assessment, program data, retrenchment and reallocation, and economic incentives. (Author/MLW)

Explains and differentiates among several types of needs assessment, recommends one type, the external needs assessment, and presents the steps for implementing this and other types of needs assessments. (Author/CHC)

The Occupational Education program at Southwest Texas State University was established in 1973 to serve military personnel at four bases in San Antonio, Texas. The program's success has rested on seven principles of sound program development. These principles point toward faculty preparation and establishing obtainable goals related to distance…

The "School Administrator's Guide to Implementing Language Programming" serves as a starting point to plan for and implement language programming. It provides a general overview; suggests practical strategies for working with students, parents, teachers and the surrounding community; and includes details on areas to address in selecting…

Research spanning the last thirty years confirms that people learn better by active enquiry, collaboration and experimental problem solving than by passive reception and acceptance of information. Empirical evidence, as well as the pressing demands of pervasive social and technological change, requires learning and teaching approaches that combine…

Instructional Communications Systems (ICS), an academic support unit for the University of Wisconsin System, has been a leader in teleconferencing for more than 30 years. ICS personnel have been heavily involved with videoconferencing during the past 2-1/2 years, working with clientele at all of the various training levels--orientation, planning…

This chapter presents the history, philosophy, and curriculum of the IDD (Instructional Design and Development) program at Florida State University. The origins of the program are described, the primary factors that influenced the program as it now exists are detailed, and the major competency areas of the program are examined. The current…

The general inability of instructional developers to demonstrate the effects of instructional development services toward improving college programs is discussed, and a process for program evaluation and revision is proposed. A flow chart of the general process for continuous program evaluation and revision provides examples of operational…