Surveys students' perceptions of how their Intensive English Program courses prepared them for university writing courses. While the students expressed similar perceptions of the emphases of their courses, their responses regarding how the Center for English as a Second Language prepared them for their composition courses were inconsistent. (seven…

This paper examines a British consultation project, the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, which is developing a charter for inclusion. The project obtained extensive input from stakeholders and concluded that a pilot project is the next natural stage of developing a charter for inclusion that is not merely rhetoric, but is driven…

Describes the results of a pilot study to examine the attitudes of university students toward the use of computer-mediated communication in their French conversation and composition course. Results indicate that both introvert and extrovert personality types generally perceive the use of a local area network as a beneficial experience. (15…

Describes a pilot study of a computerized program for learning Chinese characters. The program, HyperCharacters, uses graphic symbols, sounds and animated presentation to produce an integrated learning environment. Study findings indicate that the program has proved its value via experimental study and interviews with students. (Two references)…

Argues that the "reflective practitioner" concept is only a partial framework for informing teacher development. Presents an in-service teacher education program in Albania that includes consideration of the social nature of learning and how the social and cultural context influence practice. Proposes six key issues for teacher…

Discusses a pilot project in New York City that affords high school students the opportunity to participate in their community's literary life and to have live encounters with contemporary writers. Provides samples of writing by students involved in the program. (KEH)

Describes a pilot in which bibliographic instruction sessions were conducted entirely in French for students majoring in French, as a means of enhancing their skills and demonstrating an application of the language to other fields. The results of tests of instructional effectiveness are discussed and recommendations for designing such programs are…

Describes a computer-based communications network linking the University of New Mexico and six isolated Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Discusses network structure, staff training, and network delivery of instructional programs and in-service teacher education and staff development programs. (SV)

Overviews the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission's pilot program for community-based English as a second language delivery. Effective needs assessment was critical to the program's success. Implications for needs assessments, decision-making structures, delivery agencies, time-frames, funding, and program models are discussed. (CB)

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) humanities model in the Cambridge (Massachusetts) public schools has significantly affected curricular reform and teacher development. The endeavor is in its third year at the Pilot School, a program within the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. The article describes progressive reform experiences…

Gives an overview of Educational Support Systems based on commercial off-the-shelf software (ESSCOTS), and discusses the benefits of developing such educational software. Presents results of a study that revealed the learning processes of middle and high school students who used a geographical information system. (JMV)

Reports on a successful pilot program developed in the Virginia Community College System to provide distance education among the colleges through the sharing of instructors. Outlines responsibilities of receiving and delivery colleges and discusses the resolution of problems concerning materials, enrollments, and remuneration. (EA)

Describes the initial phase of a project to open up an educational channel on all the cable networks of France's Nord/Pas-de-Calais region. Partnerships between educational agencies, cable companies, and communities to serve preschool and primary schools are described. The requirements and costs of extending the project to all area networks are…

Discusses prototype information infrastructure projects in northern California's Silicon Valley. The strategies of the public and private telecommunications carriers vying for backbone services and industries developing end-user infrastructure technologies via office networks, set-top box networks, Internet multimedia, and "smart homes"…

A 3-year pilot study of alternative assessments for over 500 beginning teachers revealed numerous possibilities, including high-inference classroom observations, semistructured interviews, structured simulation tasks, performance-based assessment center exercises, portfolios, videotaped teaching episodes, and revamped multiple-choice examinations.…