In three task settings differing in difficulty and turnover rate in a truck assembly plant, structured on-the-job training (OJT) provided twice the financial benefits as unstructured OJT and required one-fifth the mastery time. Turnover rate had a greater effect on benefit size than did task difficulty. (SK)

Flexible-form cost functions estimated from survey data (205 responses from 265 day care centers) found that decreasing child/staff ratio by 1 child increases costs 3.4 percent. Staff turnover, educational level, and experience also had significant effects on cost. (SK)

Discusses captioning of instructional video programs for people with hearing disabilities. Topics addressed include closed captioning versus open captioning; captioning of prerecorded programs; external captioning sources; local captioning methods; captioning systems; lower cost alternatives for open captioning; and multimedia personal computers…

Discusses CD-ROM as a cost-effective method of adding a multimedia hardware platform to office personal computers. Topics covered include hardware requirements; CD-ROM capacity; mixed-mode CD-ROMs containing audio, graphics, and text; audio-only CD-ROMs; and development costs. Examples of mixed-mode and audio-only titles are described, and…

Examines definitions and goals of the field of performance technology. Topics discussed include a model for visualizing performance technology; needs assessment; front-end analysis; the design and development of relevant and cost-effective training/educational interventions; testing; implementation; evaluation; and job aids. (LRW)

Traditional assumptions about the balance of teaching and research in the college faculty workload, as well as administrative structures and academic support services, are no longer affordable. They must be redesigned to be more cost effective if higher education is to meet the rising demand. (MSE)

Discusses repurposing content for computer-assisted instruction. Topics addressed include cost reduction; cost effectiveness; instructional quality and consistency; design issues; database design, including organizing information for repurposing and the use of courseware; and examples derived from multimedia and hypermedia applications. (LRW)

A basic input-output model of educational production is proposed for interpreting economic analyses of pharmaceutical education. Application of the model illustrates how results of an economic evaluation can be misleading or irrelevant and how inappropriate use of economic evaluations can be avoided. (Author/MSE)

Criticism of the cost of continuing professional education programs in social work ignores two important factors: (1) such programs provide an important public service that add demand above and beyond their own enrollments; and (2) while short-term profit is limited, the long-term investment is in educational quality. (Author/MSE)

The analysis of educational outcomes and evaluation of their efficiency depend on three elements of organizational behavior analysis: costly information, decentralized advantages in defraying information costs, and incentives. This paper suggests several research directions for educational economists to apply these tools to analyze educational…

The Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) network for Connecticut local school districts encompasses nine major databases and provides dozens of online data reports to network users. At a low cost and high degree of success, EDT has improved the data collection and reconciliation process at the state and local levels and generated a capacity for…

Addresses the need for reference librarians to reassess their service priorities and service delivery methods to operate efficiently and compete effectively with commercial information services. Highlights include inappropriate use of librarians' time; inefficient service delivery methods; cost effectiveness; and a consultation model of service…

Discusses some of the causes of critical attitudes toward drill and practice forms of computer-assisted language learning (CALL); considers the consequences of this attitude toward CALL; and suggests criteria for the continued development and use of efficient drill and practice forms in CALL, including user needs and low cost. (Contains 13…

An evaluation of the Student Transition Education and Employment Program found that it reduces recidivism rates for previously incarcerated youth and is cost effective. Program objectives were to deliver a more effective after-care service, enable youth to obtain a high school diploma, and allow participants to give something back to the…

Retraining of employed technical professionals as an alternative to termination is being used by a small but growing number of firms. Case studies of involuntary and voluntary retraining generated guidelines for cost-effective programs: management support, candidate screening, career counseling, and realistic job previews. (SK)