In early 2011, the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) invited three universities--University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Purdue University; and Wayne State University--to participate in the third annual University Human Performance Technology (HPT) Case Study Competition. Each university put together a team of three or four…

This article describes instructional theory that supports post-industrial education and training systems--ones that are customized and learner-centered, in which student progress is based on learning rather than time. The author discusses the importance of problem-based instruction (PBI), identifies some problems with PBI, overviews an…

A video mock-up is a "design story", described by Patrick Parrish in a recent "TechTrends" article as "imagining the journey of a learner's experience in engaging with a finished design". A design story allows designers to show their design vision to others and to observe features and benefits of the program as a learner would experience it. The…

The field of instructional technology has continued to evolve since its inception in the early 1900s. Academic technology units in higher education have witnessed tremendous change in the last one and a half decades. The changes have led to reorganizations, realignments, adoption of innovative administrative structures, increased demands for…

Technical education programs can be made more meaningful with a systems approach to planning, such as the method employed by a postsecondary educator in Texas. (Author/JH)

After a brief review of integrative small group learning models that have appeared in the educational psychology literature, this article then looks into the group dynamics literature and describes one of that field's most well-documented findings: that interactions among group members change somewhat predictably over time. How theorists from…

Recommends delivery modes that use mediated instructional systems as a means of attaining desired levels of student achievement. Cites College of San Mateo's use of instructional technologies to achieve cost savings, multiply program availability, and alleviate unemployment, underemployment, and a trained employee shortage. (DMM)

Analyzes the relationship of Saddleback Community College's structure to functions and outcomes in the context of current changes in structure at the state level. (KEH)

Analyzes the structure of a communications department at a rural comprehensive community college by focusing on the grouping of components as well as their place in the status framework. Discusses the behavior of the system as a consequence of the structure as well as its evolution. (KEH)

Describes an instruction system intended to assist students in improving their academic performance. Methods increase awareness of characteristics possessed by academically successful and unsuccessful students, as well as provide effective study skills information. Background, development, and use of the system are described. (RC)

As the world moves from the industrial age into the information age people become less dependent on basic facts and skills and more dependent on the ability to manipulate information. The higher level thinking skills that are needed in this new age must be taught in the schools. When selecting programs for teaching thinking, educators should…

In May 1994, the first website for the School of Education at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) was launched. At that time, the home page had two links: (1) The Instructional Systems Technology Department; and (2) The IUB home page. A decade later, the site now consists of more than 6,000 web pages, and has received more than 41.5 million page…

Describes a micro-processor controlled instruction delivery system being developed for use with deaf students which incorporates film cassette, frame or sequence addressable, color motion or still visuals under computer program control for local or remote delivery. An authoring capability for development and validation and a program are also…

Describes impressions of Chinese education from an August 1978 visit and the changes in the educational system since 1949, when the communist party came to power, to increase political study, practical learning, and manual labor. Individual development is only a means to the goal of national growth. (MF)

The major provider of adult education in Switzerland is the largest supermarket organization, Migros, through its Ecoles-Clubs Migros, subsidized from store sales with course topics selected according to consumer demand. The article describes the organization and operation of the program. (MF)