States that participants in a qualitative case study of nonacademic R&D authors thought their reports were more informative than persuasive. Describes how three definitions of "persuasion" emerged. Concludes that most of the participants felt they owed a greater debt to their subject matter rather than the audience; some participants…

Discussion of the relationship between academia and the National Science Foundation (NSF) notes the proven success of this relationship. Discusses the importance of basic research to the academic mission, the NSF merit-based funding approach, and NSF efforts to develop the science and technology skills of students in K-12. Urges support for…

Presents economic responsiveness and critical social pedagogy as the main forces in work-based learning. Describes research of Australia's Research Centre for Learning and Social Transformation, which is guided by principles of accessibility, shared knowledge production, and multidisciplinary learning. (Contains 41 references.) (SK)

Should efforts to learn about programs and outcomes be called "research" or "assessment"? The name makes all the difference. Trying to adhere to the standards of research may hinder effective assessment. In this discussion, assessment is compared and contrasted with research to explain how these forms of inquiry differ though methodology is…

Discusses the emergence of information technology in teacher education (ITTE) as a discipline; describes paradigms for research and development work, including empiricism, critical theory, and interpretivism; examines literature reviews, policy issues, diffusion of innovation, and component studies; and considers future possibilities. (Contains 89…

Explores similarities between research approaches characterizing different paradigms in information science and different information-processing styles of individual researchers. Proposes a model of the way in which new knowledge is generated, based on these similarities. The model focuses on "research pathologies," and ways in which the…

Presents both theoretical and technical bases on which to build a "science of text visualization." The Spatial Paradigm for Information Retrieval and Exploration (SPIRE) text-visualization system, which images information from free-text documents as natural terrains, serves as an example of the "ecological approach" in its visual metaphor, its…

Reviews research on computer programming and discusses implications for future research across various computer applications. Suggests future research needs, including expanding knowledge of what students/teachers learn in various environments, and investigating how unique features of various programming environments interact with goals and…

Researchers from the University of Washington, Microsoft Research, Boeing, and Risoe National Laboratory in Denmark have embarked on a project to explore the manifestations of Collaborative Information Retrieval (CIR) in work settings and to propose technological innovations and organizational changes that can support, facilitate, and improve CIR.…

This article first assesses the existing "state of awareness of the research to practice gap" among 111 preservice educators. It then discusses the potential benefits associated with the improvement of this knowledge and describes a variety of programmatic options, structural and instructional, that may enhance preservice educators' knowledge,…

A collaborative program of Indiana University and the National Park Service, the National Center on Accessibility provides research, training, and technical assistance to link the needs and preferences of people with disabilities to practitioners designing facilities and planning programs in parks and recreation. Research and recommendations…

Over the last 5 years we have developed, produced, tested, and evaluated an authoring software package to produce web-based, interactive, audio-enhanced language-learning material. That authoring package has been used to produce language-learning material in French, Spanish, German, Arabic, and Tamil. We are currently working on increasing…

Competency management has attracted much attention, especially between business consultants and human resources professionals. Nevertheless, the lack of a unified framework of generic work competencies has been a significant obstacle for the further development of the field, both in research and in practice. This article discusses the development,…

Research centers and institutes are one example of how institutional governance has become increasingly disjointed; as the "suburbs" of the university expand, core governance structures lose influence. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This is a commentary paper in the volume on "Teachings situations as object of research: empirical studies within theoretical perspectives". An essential object of mathematics education research is the analysis of interactive teaching and learning processes in which mathematical knowledge is mediated and communicated. Such a research perspective…