Since the 1960s, many colleges and universities have shortened their school years. Driven by debate about the quality of undergraduate education and about whether students are getting their money's worth in college, some institutions are reexamining their academic calendars. Practical considerations, including student attendance patterns, make…

The use of mobile telephones by 25 itinerant teachers in Texas was evaluated. Factors considered included time management, costs, changes in use of various types of telephones, and feelings of security. With one outgoing call per day, teachers saved enough time to accumulate the equivalent of one week's service each year to their students.…

The importance of communication between college advancement professionals and fund raisers is emphasized, and some techniques are offered for resolving specific communication issues, including time constraints during travel, timely filing of reports, resistance to computers, completeness of information recorded, resistance to information sharing,…

School reform demands rethinking of schooling goals, culture, and leadership. Research evidence shows that "task" goals (stressing learning for its own sake) are preferable to "ability" goals (stressing learning as means to an end). School policies and practices must be redefined according to the learning task, degree of student autonomy,…

A discussion of Dutch higher vocational education (HVE) looks at the place of HVE in the overall postsecondary system, its system of governance, its role in the reorganization of higher education, and efforts at innovation. Part-time programs are seen as a likely way to serve needs and cut costs. (MSE)

Six articles discuss how leisure services professionals might respond to the on-going environmental crisis. The articles focus on recycling, ecotourism, environmental education, outdoor experience, and an urban outdoor learning center. (SM)

This comparison of 39 college freshmen with learning disabilities (LD) and 33 nondisabled freshmen found that LD students were becoming more dependent on their families, spent less time in study, exhibited greater pessimism about success in coursework, and were dissatisfied with the social climate on campus. Actual grade attainment of both groups…

Guidelines are presented for individualizing daily schedules or routines to reflect better the preferred lifestyles of persons with severe handicaps. Four dimensions that can be systematically manipulated to address challenging behavior are presented, including timing of routines, form of the activities, pattern of succession of activities, and…

Describes a study that was conducted to determine what influence instructional systems design (ISD) has on teachers' planning processes and how teachers implement instruction. Results were compared for teachers with and without an ISD background in areas including instructional planning time, long-range planning, daily planning, and use of…

Demonstrates inadequacy of "part-time farming," preferring "pluriactivity." Sets context for 10 papers on pluriactivity and agro-rural change in Western Europe. Outlines applied social science studies on the topic. Voices need for critical, policy-oriented studies in face of changing agricultural and social issues. (TES)

Explores theoretical concerns of political economy approaches in agriculture and links these to farm pluriactivity. Focuses on relevance of debates concerning labor commoditization and uneven development, suggesting recognition of pluriactivity for broader understanding of political economy. Recommends broader approach for understanding economic…

This article presents several rationales for improved recordkeeping and contracting between speech-language therapists and parents or students. Contracting, therapy, and recording are conceptualized as inseparable, interrelated components of a holistic approach to student improvement. Employers, funding bodies, and accrediting bodies need to…

The first part of a larger planned investigation, this study examines the use of "por" and "para" by nine Peace Corps volunteers in oral interviews at the end of training and roughly one year later, to trace their acquisition over time, in two learning contexts. (24 references) (LB)

Presents results of a longitudinal study conducted at the Iowa State University Library that investigated the changes in task times, staffing patterns, and personnel costs for cataloging information expanded. Results show the proportion of time spent at tasks, trends in changes over time, and per title cataloging time and costs. (seven references)…

Two experiments were conducted with graduate students to test hypotheses regarding the effectiveness of diagrams in which concepts were shown spatially. Response latencies were compared for problems applying kinship rules to information presented in family trees and in lists of statements, and the use of rules to compute responses was examined.…