Describes an International Development Research Centre project that tested suitable approaches for assessing the benefits derived from information activities in developing countries. Reviews many research questions related to concepts of information and development, impact of information, and the methodological and practical constraints in its…

Describes how experts create and use "bundles"--organized, highly selective collections of information--to help solve problems and maintain situation awareness. Based on fieldwork in an intensive care unit, five examples of bundles are described that illustrate the variety of bundles in use. A summary of bundle properties is given. (AEF)

A needs assessment was conducted to determine the degree to which Pittsburgh Public Schools were meeting the educational needs of their students. Different groups were surveyed to determine their perceptions of conditions in the district. Data collection and analysis established the status of children's educational needs. The district's most…

The Florida R & D Utilization Project has two major goals: to provide schools with access to the best available R & D products and practices to resolve local needs, and to assist schools in developing a capacity for diagnosing and resolving instructional and other problems. This paper describes the 7-step conceptual model that governs the…

After providing introductory material on the characteristics of effective information dissemination, this report describes the strategy used by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) to disseminate its publication "Information Abstracts" to members of the consortium. The role of the campus contact person…

Ways to monitor staff development programs include: (1) counting the number of participants; (2) obtaining participant reactions to programs; and (3) tracking participants by needs, objectives, and inservice topics. A needs assessment model of staff development focuses on information utilization, program impact, and evaluation approaches. (JN)

The content of the Public-Use Data Tapes of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is summarized and descriptions of recent research using the database are provided. Since 1969, NAEP has surveyed 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old students and occasionally young adults in assessments of achievement in art, career and occupational…

Examines influences on the use of electronic information resources, including the Internet. Highlights include information quality and accessibility; the Technology Assessment Model; the Fitness for Purpose model; the Theory of Planned Behavior; and a study in Australia that compared the ability of these models to explain electronic information…

Describes a study in New Zealand that examined the information behavior of people in daily life contexts. Results showed how users' expectations of the usefulness of information sources varied by gender and source characteristics, including accessibility, trustworthiness, and reliability. Suggests ways to encourage use of formal information…

This report describes and analyzes statistical indicators of educational knowledge production and dissemination capability, presenting data at both the state and regional levels of aggregation. Three factors underlie 12 statistical indicators: a document production and access factor, a human-based linkage and exemplary practices factor, and a…

This brief, semi-technical handbook describes the various data systems of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) with summaries of background, purpose and scope, sample design, data collection procedures, questionnaire content, data release, and data uses for individual NCHS surveys. NCHS operates a diverse survey and inventory program…

This is the Executive Summary of a 1979-81 study of factors and conditions that affect the exchange and use of knowledge for school improvement in three collaborative systems in which a college/university was paired with one or more public schools in Boston, Massachussetts. The pairings were among 26 such collaborative arrangements mandated bv…

Describes a study of preservice teacher education students that investigated the process used by learners to seek, locate, and integrate information resources from the World Wide Web for use in a project-based environment. Discusses hypermedia systems; open-ended learning environments; the role of metacognitive, domain, and system knowledge; and…

A study of college planning and resource allocation in Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology served as a basis for more detailed study of the decision-making process. A questionnaire was developed through consultation with four college presidents representing a variety of institution types. The questionnaire, administered to college…

This final report presents the findings of a study of institutionalization of educational change at four Teacher Corps sites in schools of education. The study investigated and traced the projects' attempts at educational change, and explored the reasons why some changes became part of the regular teacher training program of the schools while…