Sometimes users need to be asked if they need help. This is difficult with online users, because in-person cues cannot be used to engage when the users need assistance. Proactive chat widgets help to solve this problem as the chat box slides out onto the screen and prompts the user for help. The need for the proactive chat widget was also seen as…

As part of ACT's Holistic Framework, ACT researchers developed a Behavioral Skills Framework that can be used to assess behavior in education and work settings. By utilizing specific statements of effective behaviors, known as performance level descriptors (PLDs) (e.g., communicating well in group tasks), the Behavioral Skills Framework is…

This report presents the findings from an efficacy trial and process evaluation of the Parent Engagement Programme (PEP). The PEP was a school-level intervention designed to improve pupil outcomes by engaging parents in their children's learning. The programme was developed collaboratively by research teams from the University of Bristol and…

In 2013 the University of Canberra (UC) initiated a program of peer-assisted academic skills help, the Academic Skills Rovers program, with the goal of providing drop-in peer learning support to students at campus locations where they congregate to study. The Academic Skills Rovers were initially recruited from the teacher education discipline,…

The grammar course objectives at Brigham Young University's English Language Center (ELC) are a list of grammar structures for each level that students are expected to be able to master. These objectives currently are only measured by pencil-paper grammar tests, providing information regarding receptive grammar ability only. Therefore, there is a…

This technical report is from a study that assessed effective content-English-as-a-Second-Language (content-ESL) programs across the United States, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The study was undertaken to develop a descriptive analysis of the nature and scope of these programs and the relationship between program policies and practices…

This study describes the use and value of the major information products and services provided by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). These products and services include technical report distribution on an on-demand basis and through the Automatic Document Distribution (ADD) program; secondary information dissemination through online…

A study was conducted to assess the value of the Energy Data Base (EDB), which is produced by the Technical Information Center (TIC) of the Department of Energy (DOE) in order to provide a means of identifying primary energy information sources, particularly journal articles and technical reports. The volume of energy information distributed to…

The economic success of the state of Texas is dependent upon future market participants having access to higher education. The ability of Texas citizens to access higher education is dependent upon access to financial aid resources to pay for higher education. Much is known about the impact of particular financial aid outcomes on access and…

As part of a restructuring initiative to meet the curriculum needs of the "Information Age," a plan for teaching telecommunications to middle school students was developed. The resulting program, called Bulletin Board Simulator (BBS), provided a hands-on approach to teaching students the skills necessary for accessing an electronic…

A report of a project that established systems of respite care and training of parents who have developmentally disabled members in their home is presented. Attention is directed to project objectives, activities, and outcomes and to the following specific components: collection and analysis of data on factors promoting utilization and…

This document summarizes the selection, configuration, implementation, and evaluation of BiblioFile, a CD-ROM based bibliographic retrieval system used to catalog and process library materials for 103 school centers in the Palm Beach County Schools (Florida). Technical processing included the production of spine labels, check-out cards and…