Describes the role of technology at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) where every student is provided with a notebook computer. Discusses paradigm shifts; funding by student fees; access to technology from the entire campus; faculty-student collaboration; how technology has affected students; and how technology has transformed the…

Discusses various reports that address the current state of the educational system, including camps of criticism and support. Topics include standards; international comparisons; graduation rates; educational reform; educational innovations; and the need for involvement with members of the community. (LRW)

Investigated whether institutional autonomy related to faculty autonomy in Taiwan's higher education system, which has recently implemented policies to enhance institutional autonomy. Faculty surveys conditionally supported the claim that faculty members work within the constraints of regulated autonomy, where individual behaviors are delimited by…

Describes the Six Universities Development and Rehabilitation Project (SUDRP) conducted at six Indonesian universities by faculty from Colorado State University. Suggests that the collaborative methodology used for instruction was highly successful and could be incorporated into other faculty-development programs. Contains one figure and 11…

Argues that education reform cannot be limited to what goes on in the classroom. Contends that innovation does not inevitably lead to change until and unless the innovators take back control over factors exogenous to the classroom, factors such as pre-college selection, outside testing, accreditation requirements, and class size. (Author/WRM)

As research continues to show that bigger schools are not necessarily better, educators are finding innovative ways to shrink them. Small schools may even prove less expensive, when costs per graduate are considered. In Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and New York City, large elementary schools are breaking into smaller learning communities. (MLH)

Offers a description of innovations in the sociology program at Santa Clara University (California) focusing on the three stage approach to program improvement: (1) mission/vision; (2) time budgets (continuity between goals and effort); and (3) effectiveness. Discusses additional lessons that may be useful for other campuses. (CMK)

Problem-based learning architecture typically involves a shift in three loci of educational preoccupation, namely (1) content coverage to problem engagement; (2) role of lecturing to role of coaching; and (3) students as passive learners to that of active problem-solvers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues of students' experiences…

Among the old-school resources that the digital age is making obsolete, or at least less consequential, count the chalkboard. For decades, the chalkboard was the focal point of all instruction, the big screen on which teachers wrote out and directed lesson after lesson after lesson. Today, while chalkboards still exist, they are losing their…

Given the extraordinary success that higher education has enjoyed over a very long period, it is vulnerable to becoming the "victim of its own success." The challenge for higher education is multifaceted and includes: (1) Overcoming the tendency toward hallowed tradition and the status quo; (2) Formulating a vision for achieving the purpose of…

This article is based on a survey covering 1,435 Norwegian teachers in compulsory schools in 47 municipalities. It examines associations between teacher involvement in school development activity (SDA) and teachers' attitudes toward SDA as well as their perceived working environment concerning innovation activity among staff and the principal's…

One significant aspect of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's charitable mission is to ensure that its research results benefit society at large. This is accomplished through researcher education, securing appropriate intellectual property protection and licensing so that inventions are developed into useful products. The Swan-Ganz and Barath balloon…

The relevance of the teacher to the success of any education innovation is not open to contention. Equally incontentious is the relevance of education and training to the success of the teacher in the attainment of his/her professional goals. It is against this background that this paper examines the continuing education imperatives in the present…

As more and more teachers leave the classroom, states are looking to actively recruit the returning adult learner into the teaching profession. This study examines an innovative teacher certification program in South Carolina whose goal is to do just that. Issues such as planning and scheduling are presented that offer insight into the design and…

Arkansas Northeastern College, formerly Mississippi County Community College, has been in the business of providing training in the Northeast Arkansas region for over 15 years. Prior to 1996, adjunct trainers or faculty provided the training. In 1996, Mississippi County Community College's (MCCC) training director, Robin Myers (now president of…