A modified version of gap analysis, an assessment tool used in professional service industries, was tested for its applicability in higher education. The model helps researchers discern the existence of gaps in organizational communication that influence stakeholder expectations and perceptions of quality. An exploratory study was undertaken…

This module presents results of a demonstration project investigating portfolio assessment uses in adult basic education and English as a second language. It describes how to use the approach to design a portfolio assessment plan in any chosen subject area. Section I provides an overview and reviews the project framework. Section II focuses on…

Four papers by John Gnaedinger focus on the Careers for Youth (CFY) program. "CFY: The Model Program" describes the three phases of development incorporated in CFY: career awareness in grades 6 and 7; career exploration that begins at the end of grade 7; and career preparation that continues through the high school years. The sweat-equity program…

Summaries are presented of papers from a symposium entitled "The Evaluation of Complex Programs Using Participatory Evaluation" that focused on a comprehensive school service program in a south Texas alternative high school. "Theoretical Framework and Objectives" explores the problems of evaluating such programs. Problems…

This document describes a project conducted in Pennsylvania to develop a model for exemplary cross-training among various community agencies and service providers in order to serve educationally disadvantaged adult students. Training was provided to adult educators in five areas: social issues, families and legal issues, education issues, health…

The Learning City Program (LCP), based on research at the National Center on Education in the Inner Cities, was developed to promote the radical improvement of learning in city schools by linking schools with other learning environments, including homes, libraries, museums, the workplace, institutions of higher learning, and other public and…

This paper, which is intended for individuals responsible for information management at British further education (FE) colleges, describes the attempts by a number of FE institutions to manage their information effectively and provides guidelines for FE institutions to follow when developing their own information management strategy. After a brief…

The ability to think is a natural part of every human being and must be developed to its maximum potential. Consistent with educational reform efforts which emphasize the development of basic and complex thinking skills, this paper describes a model designed for curriculum planning which integrates ideas from critical thinking experts. The model's…

Assessment as conducted at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) in Canandaigua (New York) has taken various forms and has been conducted under various names. This publication offers an overview of assessment at the college from a philosophical and historical perspective. In both general and specific terms, the efforts of the college to meet the…

Conceptual foundations of a process for assessing higher-order thinking are reviewed, and a viable model for carrying out the process is presented. The first section of the paper formulates 21 criteria that should be met by any process adequate to the task. The second section outlines the basic concept of critical thinking on which the paper is…

The principles and practices of successful parent centers in urban schools are presented so that parents and staff can use them when developing a center. The successful center begins with adoption of a model or philosophy to guide parents and staff. An interactive learning model is suggested as the most workable one, and its principles are…

This paper briefly describes development of an Australian wilderness program for at-risk and problem students and outlines the "wilderness enhanced" model on which it is based. In the late 1980s, the New South Wales Department of School Education developed a wilderness intervention for adolescents with a history of school behavior…

This resource provides tools that are relevant to understanding the nature and scope of substance abuse. The tools are also meant to be helpful in identifying and guiding students who need help and in preventing substance abuse. The aids are grouped into five sections. Section I provides basic fact sheets on substance abuse among youth. Section II…

This paper describes the ongoing project EONT--Experiment in Open and Distance Learning using New Technologies. The main objective of the project is to examine whether ODL using new technologies is effective. EONT will achieve its goals through experimentation, using an ODL environment based on some of the available new technologies (i.e.,…

This paper examines how culture and communication are transmitted via storytelling and apprenticeships. Recent studies are reviewed that reveal that storytelling teaches important lessons to students and that other ancient customs, like apprenticeships, are also possible solutions for problems facing contemporary educators. Relevance to technology…