Measurement planning should be done simultaneously with training design. Clarifying business goals and identifying "stairstep" connections between goals and training suggest what needs to be measured and how. (JOW)

Presents arguments for conducting program evaluation as a reflection of concern for students. Seeks to "demystify" evaluation, noting that evaluation need not be done only by experts. Discusses types of evaluation and presents principles in planning and guiding evaluations. (JPS)

Australia's "user choice" program, which provides public funds to training providers chosen by apprentices and trainees, was evaluated. The distinction between viable and at-risk training markets was not found to be an effective guide to decision making; local or regional decision making was preferable. (SK)

Patient education is an essential component of nurses' professional role. Research on effective patient teaching suggests the efficacy of a combined approach to behavior change: stages of change, motivational interviewing, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. (Contains 51 references.) (JOW)

Focus groups with 25 business and 18 marketing teachers and 6 business/industry representatives elicited the following opinions: the primary purpose of business/marketing education is work force preparation; dedicated faculty and administrative support are ideal features; a strong voice for vocational education is needed; and important skill areas…

Evaluation of a shared-work program found that job coach assistance to three workers with severe multiple disabilities could be reduced by assigning each worker only those job tasks able to be performed with minimal assistance while ensuring that entire tasks were still completed by combining steps performed by all three workers. (Contains…

Used a national probability sample of 1,027 mathematics and science teachers to provide a large-scale empirical comparison of effects of different characteristics of professional development on teachers' learning. Results identify three core features of professional development that have significant positive effects on teachers' self-reported…

Describes some of the thinking behind learning communities, how they have been defined, and considers why they can be effective. Suggests a direction that educators might go to rehabilitate the idea of learning communities because it represents something fundamentally good about human beings in their relations with one another. (SG)

Describes the East Timor Press Project, in which students in the School of Media Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology used the Internet to support the development of an independent press in East Timor. Assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the Project and reviews the benefits of the Project to the students, site users and East…

Describes Missouri Southern State College's assessment of its study abroad program as an example of how one institution has attempted to trace the effects that the program has had on student. (EV)

Study examines whether the implementation of an instructional management system served to improve student math achievement and the classroom instructional environment. In addition, the study examined the extent to which adding a curriculum-based monitoring system to an ongoing math curriculum would result in positive changes in the classroom…

A survey of 100 manufacturing firms in 10 Standard Industrial Classification areas found that intrapreneurial programs did not significantly affect sales, profits, or returns to investors. Electronics and computer companies and the most dominant intrapreneurial programs. (SK)

It makes no sense to identify essential leadership capabilities unless one knows the business context in which these leaders will be expected to excel. A model for designing the competencies includes summarizing business objectives, identifying anticipated challenges, specifying assumptions, determining implications, and troubleshooting the…

Describes a staff development project based on a literature discussion format that allowed teachers a forum for discussing their perceptions of common readings relative to current practices. Presents anecdotal and statistical results revealing that the study group realized increased effectiveness for the staff. (NH)

Investigated the creation, development, contributions, and limits of Project Hope, a government-endorsed education project in rural communities in China. Identifies shortcomings of the program and the misleading nature of its curriculum. (SLD)