In today's digital society, computational thinking (CT) is a critical component of all children's education. In "Computational Thinking Curricula in K-12," editors Harold Abelson and Siu-Cheung Kong present a range of professional perspectives on the most effective ways to integrate CT into school curricula. Their edited volume, which…

Language teacher education is widely identified as one of the most important areas that needs addressing in order to improve early language instruction, yet research into teacher education for early language teachers remains relatively sparse. This volume responds to this gap by compiling studies with diverse methodological tenets from a wide…

There is great interest internationally in the potential of professional learning communities for enhancing educational reform efforts and sustaining improvement. This international collection, with contributions from researchers and those leading initiatives in five countries, aims to broaden and deepen conceptions and understanding of…

This paper describes the implementation of an intervention strategy to bring about collective change in an educational organization. Key elements of the strategy, such as problem identification and design of a staff development program, are identified. Application of the strategy to increasing the computer awareness of faculty at an Australian…

This book presents information from a 5-year research project on teacher leadership which offers evidence that the answer to school vitality lies largely in the redefinition of traditional leadership in education and in the elevation of the perception, status, and role of classroom teachers. The research involved interviews with teachers and…

Recent changes in the organization and structure of higher education in Australia offer challenges to institutions of higher education, including clear articulation of the institutional mission. The three institutional features of institutional governance, academic governance, and human resource development and management offer major management…

The staff development program at the University of New South Wales (Australia) differs from traditional university programs in that it integrates professional development activities for both general and academic staff. The Professional Development Centre operates as an academic unit and performs both teaching and research functions. (MSE)

The professional development and evaluation of university academic staff members is discussed in an attempt to clarify the processes by which evaluation and professional development activities may become acceptable and helpful. Also presented are the student evaluation of teaching and the interrelationship between evaluation instruments and the…

This guide was prepared for staff members responsible for preparing materials for a program of external teaching at Brisbane College of Advanced Education. It includes information on the planning, development, and production of teaching units, including instructional design guidelines for: clarifying goals and objectives; maximizing student…

Examines trends in use of teaching portfolios for college-faculty evaluation and development in Australia and the United States, offering a framework for portfolio use to address the diverse purposes, products, and processes of evaluation and the need for both formative and summative evaluation methods. The framework enables portfolio use to be…

This volume on quality learning in higher education discusses issues of good practice particularly action learning and Total Quality Management (TQM)-type strategies and illustrates them with seven case studies in Australia and the United Kingdom. Chapter 1 discusses issues and problems in defining quality in higher education. Chapter 2 looks at…

A pilot study of the Australian higher education system was conducted to determine the following: (1) whether department heads follow a client-centered, diagnostic/prescriptive model as developed by the Australian Committee of Directors and Principals in Advanced Education (ACDP), and if not, which process is used; (2) which developmental…

This "Handbook" provides a comprehensive and international representation of state-of-the art research, theory, and practice related to principal areas in which significant developments are occurring in the study of literacy and technology. It offers a glimpse of the commonalities faced by literacy educators around the world, together…