Responses were assembled from 21 of 38 representatives of the Texas Gerontological Consortium for Continuing Education and a survey of students and graduates of the Texas Basic Certificate in Gerontology. Participants overwhelmingly approved the gerontology principles used in certification programs; institutions reported active implementation of…

Forces creating change in continuing medical education (CME) are health care reform, quality management, information expansion, and technological advances. Opportunities are emerging in six areas: emphasis on learning, clinically relevant data, combination of quality management and CME, collaborative learning systems, focus on patient outcomes,…

Identifies pathways to electronic resources on distance education, including the databases of the International Centre for Distance Learning, ERIC, and OCLC First Search; course offerings; gopher sites; and news, organizations, and discussion groups. (SK)

Staff communication patterns were observed during 13 open-heart surgeries to identify the transfusion decision makers. It was determined that targeting decision makers for continuing medical education would improve the quality of transfusion practice and increase the efficiency of continuing education. (SK)

Cognitive apprenticeship involves modeling of a task by an expert, learner performance and reflection with coaching, internalizing, and generalizing. It is effective because knowledge is created and made meaningful by the context in which it is acquired. (SK)

Continuing medical education providers at the University of Toronto use focus group data in program planning. Their focus group interviews reveal the importance of (1) more information about audience learning needs; (2) relevant handouts and syllabi; and (3) active learning. (SK)

In two studies, physicians who viewed pharmaceutical ads enhanced with a Clinical Challenge (CC) (problem, solution, prescribing information) had greater knowledge gains than those viewing ads alone. Doctors needed no coaching on how to learn from CCs; increased knowledge was limited to information highlighted in them. (SK)

Describes some of the existing barriers to the provision of health promotion services to minority older adults and offers a plan for the education of medical professionals who seek to address the issues involved. Details reasons for offering and targeting health promotion activities to special populations. (Author/JOW)

A majority of 625 Nebraska vocational educators surveyed preferred observation, work with peers, and inservice workshops for continuing education. These preferences suggest the practical problem model of continuing education should include active participation, interaction and dialoge, action and reflection, and contextual specificity. (SK)

A study determined the learning needs of office oncology nurses (n=290)as a critical first step in planning education programs. Participants ranked cancer-care topics similarly, regardless of age, background, or experience. The highest-ranked needs were clustered in the areas of cancer nursing practice, major cancers, and cancer treatment.…

Scores on the Characteristics of Lifelong Learners in the Professions scale for 256 teachers and administrators identified self-motivation as the greatest predictor of participation in learning activities, followed by external motivation. Participants with lower levels of educational attainment spent more time on learning activities. (SK)

Discussion of asynchronous multimedia conferencing (AMC) focuses on its potential to support professional continuing development among geographically dispersed groups of practitioners. Describes a European-funded project, SHARP (SHAreable Representations of Practice) that uses video clips as representations of practice. Contains 41 references.…

Discusses the importance of ongoing adult education, summarizing four books that provide a comprehensive guide to the themes and concerns of contemporary adult educators, considering various issues raised in the books (borders and boundaries of adult education, impact of economic restructuring, and emphasis on learning) and examining how the…

Presents a comprehensive definition of professional development for college and university faculty, and a conceptual framework for thinking about the factors that support or impede faculty development. One professor's career development is outlined as a case study, noting where various factors in the framework have played a part. (Author/MSE)

The vision of continuing professional education should be reframed to place development of expertise and improvement of professional practice at the core. Providers would offer market-driven services that include education, evaluation, and consultation. (SK)