For more than 50 years, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has been instrumental in developing an analytical model for understanding the relationships between educational policy (the intended curriculum), classroom and instructional practices (the implemented curriculum), and educational learning…

Eleven common characteristics of instructional program systems have been identified: outcomes, instruction, quality verificiation, monitoring, personnel, data, interfaces, procurement, information, continuity, and costs. The requirements, specifications, and procedures of these must all be made explicit for each system. Although the eleven system…

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…

Some tentative evidence bears out the claims of competency based education (CBE) theory, suggesting that well implemented CBE programs can bring significant benefits; however, CBE still remains a largely untested innovation, according to the author of this analysis paper. He outlines CBE in theory--its definition, implications, benefits, and…

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)

Computer technology has been used since 1972 in the Madison, Wisconsin, public schools to control the flow of information required to support individualized instruction. Madison's computer-managed instruction system, MICA (Managed Instruction with Computer Assistance), operates interactively within individualized instruction programs to provide…

Describes the Occupational Versatility program in industrial arts, involving a self-instructional school shop in which the learning system is student-managed, nongraded, upgraded, and team taught. This federally funded learning method has also been successfully applied to home economics and art education. Information sources for the teacher are…

Based on the Computerized Vocational Information System (CVIS), Project DISCOVER was conceptualized in three parts: Guidance subsystem for direct use by individuals at three age levels (grades 4-6, grades 7-12, and adult) seeking career guidance; the counselor-support subsystem; and the administrator support subsystem. Guidance development and…

This paper describes competency-based systems and system components in vocational and occupational education and other areas of elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education. Seven systems of competency-based instruction are discussed: Program for Learning in Accordance with Needs, Individually Prescribed Instruction, Individually Guided…

Activities of the Project DISCOVER team during the ten-month period from September 1, 1975 through June 30, 1976 are summarized in this report. (DISCOVER is a computer-based career guidance system under development since September 1972.) The major section reviews progress in meeting each of the following four objectives during the funding period,…