Given that there is no universal way to measure implementation fidelity, instructional designers developing instructional innovations may find themselves faced with the challenge of determining the extent to which teachers' implementation of an instructional model is faithful. This article contends that a faithful implementation is one in…

Provides guidelines for systemic change in education. Presents an overview of the change process. Discusses preparing for change; building a core team to lead the design effort; transforming vision into system design; shifting focus from planning to implementation; and implementation, summative evaluation, and closure. (AEF)

Structured decomposition is explained as a process of reduction to parts of an educational program. Resulting substructures aid in an overview of the entire entity. (RAO)

How discrete measures can be used for needs assessment. (HB)

Discusses design and evaluation issues relating to computer managed instruction (CMI). Major functions described include establishing identification database, processing performance data, report formulation, and utility functions. Evaluation issues discussed include customized versus generic CMI, user-friendliness, documentation, data entry…

Reviews four different approaches to evaluation--decision-oriented, applied research, value-oriented, and systems-oriented--and suggests how each may be applied to the evaluation of instructional programs. Nine references are listed. (Author/CHC)

An evaluation form used at Ashland College (Ohio) for critical evaluation of educational software is presented. The form covers basic product information, program content, educational appropriateness, organizational and technical components, teacher's manual, and product revision. (MBR)

Describes how a system approach, often used in instructional systems design, was applied to the solution of a societal problem, i.e., how to enable small communities with limited resources to carry out successful substance abuse prevention programs involving training and education. Needs assessment is discussed and curriculum design is described.…

This article presents findings from research in a school district using handhelds to support writing across the curriculum. The authors report that handheld devices can be useful to foster classroom note-taking activities, assist students who have handwriting difficulties, and provide inspiration to teachers who want to create collaborative and…