In November 2002, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) was dissolved. Out of the reorganization arose two new offices within the department, the Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of Innovation and Improvement, signaling the Bush administration's commitment to both scientifically…

In this paper, the authors critically examined the problems of admission into Nigeria Universities; and expressed the view that about seventy percent of Nigerians are not aware of the essence of the present system of education, which is geared towards producing individuals with adequate knowledge and skills needed for self-reliance or employment…

Purpose: This study aims to consider the complexities of planning and implementation of a reform in the Swedish system of higher vocational education and training (VET). The study object of this article is the Swedish reform with advanced vocational education (AVE). The two main questions the study aims to address are: "What are the main…

This article discusses the Government's proposals for "extended" primary schools, an important element in the recently-published five-year plan for education. The author expresses concern that extended primary schools will not provide a variety of experiences, including "play" experiences for young children.

This paper reports on attempts to develop a new learning in the workplace degree based upon an online learning community approach. The paper describes the use of individualised learning plans, shared electronic portfolios and collaborative reflection on practice. Online strategies such as "hotseating" and the use of workplace advocates are…

Chautauqua (1874-present) was founded in western New York state, USA. It developed into a centre for education, religion, arts and recreation. Examined here is the philosophy of its programmes: liberal education for adults, regardless of background. The backdrop for Chautauqua was the US tradition of popular self-improvement; local clienteles were…

Research on globalization has determined travel executives' perceptions of the psychological implications brought about by an interconnected global environment and the implications on international education. With the concepts of Clyne and Rizvi (1998) and Pittaway, Ferguson, and Breen (1998) on the value of cross-cultural interaction as a…

In this article, the author discusses the need for collaboration in developmental education and proposes two major ideas for consideration: (1) that educators need to re-conceptualize how they go about delivering developmental education; and (2) that they need to collaborate more fully with others in practicing it. The author notes that of almost…

In response to national technology mandates, schools across the United States have committed themselves to laptop technology programs as a way to encourage student-centered learning and critical thinking in collaborative classrooms. Most secondary English teachers in this study did not reject technology per se; rather, they saw some benefits of…

Progress files, involving personal development planning (PDP), are becoming a feature of many higher education systems internationally. In the UK they will become mandatory for all undergraduate students from 2005. This presents a major implementation challenge, because while reflection has been a cornerstone of practice in some areas of higher…

It has been said that the best way to predict the future is to invent it. Here, the authors offer four views of the state of technology today and the challenges that lie ahead for education and the nation. According to Sudhir Halbhavi, if innovators truly care about making kids competitive in one's country and in the world, they will invest their…

Pressures for reform require greater innovativeness among public school administrators than in the past. Perceptions of innovativeness, which function as administrators' reality and influence participation in innovation, are reflected in their informal network relationships. Using network methods and descriptive statistics, this article explores a…

Innovation of education is highly topical. It is obviously boosted by a range of new technologies, which enable new modes of learning that, are independent of time and place through Web-based delivery and computer-mediated communication. However, innovators in education often encounter intrinsic conservatism or even deliberate obstructions. For…

Purpose: The main focus of this paper is to discuss appropriate forms of higher education for building up students' competence for working on complex real-world problems. Design/methodology/approach: Within this paper the Harvard approach is accurately compared with the ETH approach by discussing theoretical and practical implications as well.…

Innovative teaching methods and organisational change make new demands on our future learning environments. The Brink and the Laak Clusters are two related examples of a new type of building for a community in the Netherlands. The Firebird School ("Vuurvogel"), a primary school for students from ages 4 to 12, is currently housed in the…