This paper outlines the development of a comparative research framework in subject didactics and applies this in the process of analysing the transformations from academic disciplines across different school subjects. The theoretical framework builds on the concepts of 'powerful knowledge' and 'transformation' and 'epistemic quality' within which…

This article describes the development of a curriculum specialization, Cultural Heritage Information Management (CHIM), at a library and information science (LIS) graduate program. It was designed to address market needs, created by the convergence of practice in libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) of emerging practices in managing unique…

This paper takes a look backward while simultaneously looking to the future for MIS departments that are making the transition to Analytics departments. MIS has a long past of providing a base of skills supporting organizations. We examine this history as well as how the blending of MIS with business translator and modeling skills has led to the…

This article deals with differentiation, diversification and dedifferentiation of purposes and specialisations of institutional types in the post-apartheid setting, using as examples universities of technology created 10 years ago. It examines differentiation, diversification and dedifferentiation in the global context, particularly the…

Drawing on the theoretical and analytical tools from the sociology of education, in particular the work of Basil Bernstein and Karl Maton, the paper explores the tensions within curriculum reform discourses and how these tensions play out in different global contexts. The analysis focuses on two curriculum reform policies--Hong Kong and South…

Specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) schools create niche areas in an attempt to attract the best students, establish the school status, and justify their privilege to valuable resources. One Singapore STEM school does this in applied science learning to differentiate its curriculum from the national prescribed…

Evaluation of effects of the W.K.Kellogg Foundation's five-year (1991-1996) primary care curricular change initiative involving 27 medical schools found 199 courses were revised or developed, involving 141 interdisciplinary faculty. There were significant increases in the number of students choosing to specialize in primary care. Results support…

A survey of the statistical topics offered to pharmacy students and of the frequency of use of statistical methods in eight pharmacy journals suggests that with increasingly sophisticated statistical methods and increased dependency on literature over experience, pharmacy schools should upgrade students' statistical literacy. (MSE)

A five-phase model for integrating women's issues into the traditional college curriculum is outlined, with examples from five disciplines. The model is then applied to the medical curriculum, as a means of creating a curriculum for a specialty in women's health or including women's health in general medicine/medical specialties. (MSE)

Analysis of curriculum, enrollment, and faculty data from four private liberal arts colleges and two private research universities investigates the most cost-effective curriculum design, using simulation models. It is concluded that simpler college curricula, with fewer courses, less specialization, and more consolidation will yield smaller, less…

Instead of the random scattershot of the core curriculum, a program of overlapping curricular circles could provide students with a more effective educational experience. Each circle would center on the student's major, and would draw together the underlying strands of a liberal education. (MSE)

The current imbalance between teaching basic skills and higher order skills can be addressed by redesigning teaching into two specialized areas. Using the principal-agent model and applying ideas from organization theory, the advantages of restructuring teaching to increase emphasis on problem-solving and higher order skills are discussed. (SLD)

Guidelines for the development of courses in finance for master of business administration (MBA) programs are established in order to strengthen and diversify their offerings. A survey of business faculty members shows there is often a lack of concentration on finance and marketing in MBA programs. The following procedures should be implemented in…

The introduction of the specialties and their developing residency programs in veterinary medicine have caused problems for veterinary medical colleges. Among the problems are the tendency to pattern programs after their human medical counterparts, funding problems, program length and curriculum, and faculty and equipment requirements. (JMD)

The generalist-specialist continuum is not as useful an organizing concept for social work education as its supporters believe. Bachelor's and master's programs should be conceived as independent entities, with the bachelor's curriculum focusing on training case managers in public service agencies and the Master's program preparing graduates for…