The knowledge society arises from the combination of four interdependent elements: the production of knowledge through research, its transmission through education, its dissemination through information and communication technologies, and its exploitation through innovation. For this reason, higher education institutions (HEIs) are the main…

Today, more than ever, teachers must work effectively and efficiently to meet seemingly contradictory demands placed on them by society. On the one hand, school personnel are tasked with attaining and publicly reporting high levels of student achievement in response to No Child Left Behind. On the other, school personnel must ensure that students…

Adult education is now considered a mainstream academic discipline in several African countries, and its importance in today's knowledge and "ideas" economies is growing steadily. It is provided by organisations such as public universities, training colleges, corporate universities and employers. The successful operation of educational…

In the private sector, it is clear that the chair is in charge of the board and the CEO in charge of the company. But in the author's view the chair's principal role is to act as an adviser or counsellor to the CEO and senior colleagues--hence the wisdom of having a chair who is involved in other organisations and the preference for people of a…

Universities are under increasing pressure to help promote socio-economic growth in their local communities. However until now, no systematic, critical attention has been paid to the factors and mechanisms that currently make this process so daunting. In Universities and Regional Development, scholars from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia…

In this article, Annick Janson and Robin Janson introduce research from the Microsoft New Zealand's Partners in Learning Programme by documenting the impact of digital learning objects (DLOs) on educational practice. Janson and Janson describe the impact of DLOs on the teaching practice of a primary school in New Zealand, tracing the effects of…

Reports on the possibility of restructuring physics and chemistry departments and merging others at British universities. Suggests modifications of the course content for greater acceptance by students. Concludes that the logic of the committee's recommendations rests in the subsequent ability of certain departments to grow. (RT)

An extensive review of the administration of the University of Sydney (Australia) resulted in recommendations that challenged traditional assumptions about the role of university administration. A controversial implementation phase followed, and changes precipitated by the review continue to unfold. This first comprehensive reform effort within…

Questionnaires and structured interviews were administered to 40 itinerant teachers within one British Local Education Authority's Special Needs Service. Motivational factors, staff preferences for training methods (past and future), and factors to consider in light of anticipated organizational change are explored. (MLF)

Changes in internal management of higher education institutions resulting from decentralization of Finland's higher education system are discussed. A project for improving managerial efficiency in one university is described, and its effect on patterns of leadership and communication in planning and resource allocation are assessed. (Author/MSE)

Results of changes to the planning process at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands are described. During the past years, government actions related to retrenchment prompted the Dutch universities to change their planning process in order to increase flexibility and to account for differences in quality. Two important procedures were…

Examines the emergence of the concept of university leadership, common in the United States but relatively new in many other countries. Describes three models of institutional leadership (academic chief executive officer, elected rector, and minister) and analyzes the potential of each. Discusses both national and institutional culture as powerful…

In a six-month period, the University of Alberta (Canada) campus computing services department formulated a strategic plan, and downsized and reorganized to meet financial constraints and respond to changing technology, especially distributed computing. The new department is organized to react more effectively to trends in technology and user…

This article discusses the use of incentives for higher education institutions to become more efficient, effective, and responsive to government policies and offers examples of positive and negative incentives, the nature of relevant incentives, and the relationship between incentives and professional preferences. Suggestions for using incentives…

The accession of new senior leaders and middle leaders are significant events and may bring a desired continuity of current improvement efforts, or herald a new direction for the school. Although attention has been paid to building leadership capacity in schools, perhaps via the distribution of leadership, little attention has been paid to…