Although competency-based education (CBE) has existed since the early 1970s adult-focused degree programs, interest in CBE has spiked in recent years due to the increased attention on higher education affordability and accountability. This article reviews the extant literature on CBE to address the following questions: (a) What are the definitions…

This paper seeks to provide a cogent outline of the current policies that six separate countries have on Individual Education Plans (IEPs), identifying the key features in each system. The chosen countries are Australia (Queen Island), Canada (British Columbia), New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Saudi Arabia. The…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the accumulated body of research on Lean in higher education, draw conclusions to help guide successful Lean implementations and propose future research directions to establish a rich base of knowledge that informs both practice and research. Design/methodology/approach This literature review…

This paper examines the use of telecommunications in rural schools in the United States as a solution to the problems teachers face when they have small classes, five or six class preparations daily, extracurricular duties, and inadequate training for specific classes. Telecommunications in schools in Minnesota and Kansas and a Star Schools Model…

This document presents effectiveness charts that demonstrate the impact of various programs of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) on strategic objectives of the district and executive summaries of all reports produced by the AISD's Office of Research and Evaluation in 1990-91. The programs described in the effectiveness charts…

Designed to keep educational practitioners informed of current trends and practices, this policy brief explores the changing identity of the nation's community colleges and presents four special inserts describing specific trends for the community college systems of California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, respectively. The brief reviews the…

Literature and model programs are reviewed in an examination of the planning environment for post-secondary technical education in the 1980's. The report first discusses the origins and consequences of four trends affecting vocational education: the growing demand for part-time, adult continuing education; increased demands for accountability; the…

The Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) of the U.S. Congress was asked to analyze various technological options for distance education, examine current developments, and identify how Federal, State, and local policies could encourage more efficient and effective use of technology in education. This report complements OTAs assessment of use of…

American schools, after two decades of expansion, are now in the midst of an enrollment decline and inflation. The impact of the shift from growth to retrenchment and streamlining has been severe. An effective approach to this situation requires an understanding of the new conditions and of available alternatives for action. An overview of the…

A study examined the statewide mental health agency training programs for paraprofessional mental health workers that exist throughout the United States. During the study, researchers contacted all 50 state mental health manpower development offices and requested copies of statewide training programs, instructional materials, training needs…

As more legislation is passed pertaining to vocational rehabilitation (VR), the VR process becomes increasingly complex. Not only have the populations considered eligible for VR become more diversified, but so have client goals, the range of services offered, and the role of the rehabilitation counselor. This diversification has increased the need…

Both of these "Surveys of policy and practice" were conducted on behalf of COL by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) as part of COL's partnership agreement with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning. The first report identifies…