The broad national research and development (R&D) enterprise is directly linked to graduate education in science and engineering. Graduate students are not only the future scientists of society, through research assistantships, they also provide valuable labor for the development of research and technology. Therefore, federal R&D policies…

Research in the early part of the 20th century focused on finding scientific proofs for justification of practice and drew on educational psychology for its methods. Critics charged the quantitative, experimental paradigm with being seriously flawed. By the end of the 20th century, a new paradigm emerged as a variety of methodologies drawn from…

Previous research and development with cognitive tools has been limited by an inadequate conceptualization of the complexity underlying their nature and affordances for supporting learning and performance. This paper provides a new perspective on cognitive tools through the lens of the theories of distributed cognition and expertise. The learner,…

For the thirty-second year, the Research and Theory Division of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is sponsoring the publication of these Proceedings. This volume includes papers presented at the national convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology held in Louisville, KY. This…

Standards-based education reform has a more than 20-year history. A standards-based vision was enacted in federal law under the Clinton administration with the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and carried forward under the Bush administration with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. In a recent…

The Regional Educational Laboratory Program is the U.S. Department of Education's largest research and development investment. Administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), the network of 10 Regional Labs works to ensure that those involved in educational improvement at the local, state, and regional levels have access…

This booklet contains information about the Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HITL), which was established by the Washington Technology Center at the University of Washington to transform virtual world concepts and research into practical, economically viable technology products. The booklet is divided into seven sections: (1) a brief…

The sympoisum was held to describe the roots and future plans of the Engineering Research Center's (ERC's) concept and program. The first section of this symposium compilation describes the national goals that the ERCs represent. The second section presents the point of view of the National Science Foundation on the ERCs--the concept behind them,…

Five sections compose this report on the federal role for the 1990s and beyond in educational research, development, and dissemination. The sections consist of: an introduction; recommendations; summaries of hearing testimonies; summaries of documents; and appendices. The direction taken in this report is the result of 2 days of subcommittee…

Presents a synthesis for the findings and recommendations of the White House Science Council on the status of the nation's universities. The report urges that federal support to universities be increased and that funds for facility improvement be established. New initiatives in providing scholarships for bright undergraduates is also advocated.…

Logit analyses of a survey of 2,077 scientists and engineers validated individual-level variables as an explanation for the tendency to aspire to managerial careers in research and development centers. Growing organizations appear to promote internal mobility and management development, whereas declining firms concerned with eroding technical…

If education is to make significant progress in the twenty-first century, it must embrace evidence-based reforms. Perhaps the most important requirement for evidence-based reform is the development of a substantial set of replicable programs and practices with strong evidence of effectiveness. Educators and policy makers must have a variety of…

Purpose: The paper's aim is to present a critical review of the current European process of co-operation in VET with a special view to the European Qualification Framework and its competence orientation. Design/methodology/approach: The approach reviews the official documentation and the consultation process and a contrastive analysis of the state…

Objective: It is essential for health care professionals to be prepared for a bioterrorist attack or other public health emergency. We sought to determine how well biodefense and emerging infectious disease research information was being disseminated to rural health care providers, first responders, and public health officials. Methods:…

Given a blank slate, what should the 21st century college classroom look like, and how should it be operated? Answering those questions is the idea behind setting up "incubator classrooms," spaces dedicated to trying out new technologies and new ways of teaching and learning. By incubating new ideas, faculty members and IT staff discover which…