Reviews an investigation of whether different formative evaluation procedures are needed when learning materials designed for one population are used by different cultural groups. Groups from the United States and Brazil were used to compare learner reactions and attitudes and to determine the amount of modification needed to revise materials.…

Presents case study of an inservice training package designed to prepare teachers to implement proposed changes. Developed for an English as a second language (ELS) program for adult francophones, this package consists of workshops and materials which view implementing change as a learning process for teachers as well as students. (Author/LRW)

Discusses study that evaluated the effectiveness of a videoconferenced course delivered from a studio classroom for distance education. An introductory accounting course at Mount Saint Vincent University using Distance University Education via Television (DUET) is described, hypotheses tested on the three treatment groups are explained, and…

This discussion of educational decision making for the use of new information and communication technologies in elementary education focuses on the increase in home computers. Political and economic influences on German education are reviewed, as well as considerations relating to teacher qualifications and the teaching-learning interaction.…

This description of computer conferencing in its educational context as a tool for encouraging greater autonomy in the learner highlights programs in Britain's Open University and at Bath University. Topics discussed include teaching and learning trends in higher education and the role of conferencing in education in the future. (Author/LRW)

Describes design principles followed in developing an interactive microcomputer-based simulation to study financial and economic aspects of the Dutch social security system. The main goals are to improve participants' insights into the formal simulation model, and to improve policy development skills. Plans for future research are also discussed.…

Describes study designed to investigate dental students' attitudes toward computer-assisted teaching as applied in programs for oral radiology in Denmark. Programs using personal computers and slide projectors with varying degrees of learner and teacher control are described, and differences in attitudes between male and female students are…

A modified version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory was administered to students in an innovative medical school. It was found that, although the inventory was not predictive of academic success for this group, it might be helpful in student counseling, and student responses were consistent with the school's philosophy. (LRW)

Identifies problems and trends in international information and communication policies by examining the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO), World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC), and Transborder Data Flow (TBDF). Future trends are discussed, proposed policy objectives for the United States are considered, and 59…

Education, by any definition, is an intensely political matter. Key issues in educational planning that are closely related to premises and controversies fundamentally political in nature--e.g., resource allocation and utilization, international dependencies, bureaucracies--are discussed. (RM)

Within the last 50 years, the work-family-household arrangements upon which social policy systems in industrial nations were formulated have disappeared. This briefing paper examines how social policies of the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France have responded. The paper is presented in two major sections. The first section describes…

A research project examined the current roles of learning disability nurses within multi-professional and multi-agency teams in a range of care settings in the United Kingdom (UK). It also studied the effectiveness of current educational provision for this branch of nursing, in terms of current roles and activities, and the perceived needs of…

This theoretical paper explores the nature of narrative by examining its key characteristics as a communication tool and an independent mode of thought in the form of a literature review. The first section describes stories or narrative. The second section establishes links between narrative, change, and learning through the concept of…

This teacher's guide presents teaching suggestions and presentation materials about how daily human activities, such as energy use, add pollutants to the atmosphere. The lesson is divided into seven parts and can be taught in two or more class periods. Student handouts include: (1) "Total Energy Use by Fuel Type, 1991"; (2) "Facts…

This report examines the participation of Australia's vocational education and training sector in aid projects in Southeast Asia and the Pacific from 1980-1997. It begins with background information on training assistance to developing countries, and it outlines the economic and educational assumptions underlying Australia's aid program to six…