Discusses planning strategies for the use of educational technologies and distance learning programs. Topics include the National Information Infrastructure; planning for educational change, including planning models and examples, long-term versus strategic planning, systems planning, incrementalism, and outcome-based education; and developing a…

People's mental models are viewed as being significant in achieving organizational outcomes, on the assumption that mental models influence people's acts. A fundamental issue in the area of organizational learning, then, is the relation between mental models, learning and performance. We contend that a fruitful line of work is to study persons as…

This article offers an introduction to the central concepts and principles of the Systemic-Structural Theory of Activity (SSTA), an activity-theoretical approach specifically tailored to the analysis and design of human work. In activity theory, cognition is understood both as a process and as a structured system of actions. Building on the…

In order to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" the European Union realizes its people as the most important asset. Moreover, every human becomes a value for the whole society. It makes significant to…

The key to long-term institutional effectiveness is a comprehensive planning process that identifies a few vital goals that can be measured by an institution. Effective strategic planning involves five key elements: process-based planning, a systemic approach, integration with the budget process, an effective deployment process, and appropriate…

At Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) in Massachusetts, the Learning Center is the heart of the college's instructional program. The Center houses programs for credit at all academic levels, including some classroom work for 40% of the faculty. The Center is a delivery system for individualized, personalized curriculum at both remedial and…

The assessment of educational outcomes has been a major area of interest among policy makers in recent years. Those with responsibility for assessment often are drawn from the ranks of the faculty and have little knowledge of or interest in institutional research. This paper provides a means to distinguish the unique, yet interrelated ways in…

This paper examines transition from school to post-school activities for students with chronic illness and disabilities, with reference to: four legislative acts that impact transition services, seven legislated implementation mechanisms, seven outcomes areas, and a social system for evaluating services to transitioning youth. Transition…

This master's thesis describes the development of an expert system and interactive videodisc computer-based instructional job aid used for assisting in the integration of electron beam lithography devices. Comparable to all comprehensive training, expert system and job aid development require a criterion-referenced systems approach treatment to…

A theoretical basis for defining and measuring the quality of institutions of higher education, namely for accreditation purposes, is developed. The theory, the Attributive Theory of Quality, is illustrated using a calculation model that is based on general systems theory. The theory postulates that quality only exists in relation to the…

The Systems Approach Model (SAM) is a dynamic approach to planning adult and continuing education that is intended to provide the flexibility, creativity, and meaningfulness necessary to meet the needs and interests of an ever-expanding and ever-aging student population. The SAM model consists of the following dynamically interrelated and…

One of 10 publications resulting from a comprehensive long-range vocational education planning project, this report presents three areas of study: The applicability of the planning process to vocational education, a description of the planning model in detail, and an examination of organizational structures for educational planning and their…

This paper attempts to develop a conceptual framework for describing the school as an organization. In the first chapter, after a review of organizational theory and research on the school, it is concluded that the school organization as a whole can be described in terms of bureaucracy and professionalism. In the second chapter, two basic…

This plan, designed for implementation in the Jackson and Josephine County library systems in Oregon, describes a cooperative method of staff development. The first section includes a brief discussion of the historical background to the training program, the service populations and staffing for the two counties, the continuing education resources…

A generic, descriptive system dynamics model is presented for a California community college district single campus. It provides an analytical tool for community college administrators who must consider the dynamic effects of policy changes on the system as a whole, rather than on isolated components of the system, when corrective financial…