Differentiation in education can be seen as a means of responding to student diversity in order to meet the vision of "a school for all." Differentiation has been widely addressed within a western context, and it appears to be a versatile phenomenon as it occurs under various guises and with a variety of terms and modes of…

Educational technologies have advanced one of the most important visions of educational reformers, to customize formal and informal learning to individuals. The application of a complex systems framework to the design of learning ecologies suggests that each of a series of ten desirable and malleable features stimulates or propels the other ten,…

Teaching students with severe disabilities is a complex endeavor, and the skills and qualities of expert teachers for students with severe disabilities are not well understood. A lack of understanding about the unique roles and expertise of teachers of students with severe disabilities can influence the quality of education students with severe…

In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the popularity of distance education among higher-education administrators. Students in growing numbers are also taking advantage of the flexibility and accessibility that distance education offers. This growth, however, has been a mixed blessing since it derives from using the Internet…

A. Ziegler and S. N. Phillipson draw upon the Actiotope Model of Giftedness (AMG) to give an overview of a systemic approach to gifted education. They argue the value of such a systemic approach for understanding the development of exceptionality. The reviewers certainly agree that the achievement of excellent performance is not only the result of…

There is a discrepancy currently in public schools when comparing the identification and instruction of underachieving students with gifted and talented (GT) students. A three-tiered identification and instructional model was developed out of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) with emphasis coming from the No Child…

In this essay, Cathy Sandeen states that the new postsecondary landscape requires looking at higher education as a system that provides multiple pathways in and through the various parts of the system, all with the goal of helping students complete a postsecondary degree, credential, or certificate. Sandeen observes two strengths in professional…

This article, the third in a series of four installments, begins by discussing the need for paradigm change in education and for a critical systems approach to paradigm change, and examines current progress toward paradigm change. Then it explores what a learner-centered, Information-Age educational system should be like, including the APA…

Discusses 14 challenges to the use of individualized instruction in corrections. Emphasizes a systems approach, motivational tools, programmed instructional materials, and approaches such as Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching. (SK)

Describes a systematic approach for designing, delivering, and evaluating individual remedial instructional services for handicapped students within the public school setting. Supplemental instruction is defined as remedial instructional programing that is provided for a pupil in addition to regular or special classroom instruction. (RAO)

Describes a model of instructional theory relevant to individualized distance education that is based on Keller's Personalized System of Instruction (PSI), behavior analysis, and the instructional systems development model (ISD). Systems theory is emphasized, and ISD and behavior analysis are discussed as cybernetic processes. (LRW)

This examination of programed instruction both as a product and a process lists Bullock's Thirteen Questions to check the extent to which an instructional program can be viewed as programed instruction and explains the rationale behind them. It also clarifies some common misconceptions about programed instruction. (EAO)

Establishes the connection between educational technology and distance education, instructional design, and delivery. Concludes that, although technology has had minimal influence in traditional classrooms, it is inextricably from distance education. (SK)

In order to approach instruction in a systematic manner, a number of factors must be considered. These include the instructional model to be used; individual student learning skills, styles, and preferences; and learning activities. (LRA)

The United States has been engaged in school reform for three decades. The federal government as well as all fifty states have passed numerous versions of reform legislation to mandate and regulate the process. Educators have adjusted their practices to the policy created by this legislation. They have also allocated hundreds of billions of…