Continuous professional development is essential for upgrading and updating teachers because the rate of social and educational change makes pre-service training an inadequate basis for long term professional competence. The design of these continuous professional development programmes must be informed by an effective needs analysis that…

The Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) recognizes the need for continuing medical education (CME) reform and intends to be actively engaged in that process. While recognizing that CME reform must involve many organizations, the CMSS and particularly the 23 societies that make up the CMSS are in a position to affect many of the needed…

Discusses a survey of the changing picture of health and the corresponding changes needed in undergraduate and graduate programs to keep up with it. A nontraditional continuing education course was designed to assist nurses in understanding the nature and causes of today's health care problems. (JOW)

The British Columbia Telephone Company's systematic approach to curriculum development, which relies heavily on the needs assessment step, is described along with its practical applications. This process allows training departments to focus their resources on the design and implementation of education to solve specific performance problems and…

Defines performance technology, compares performance technology with instructional technology, and suggests ways to incorporate performance technology into graduate programs in instructional design and technology. Curriculum changes are discussed, similarities in analysis and needs assessment activities are highlighted, and the need for continuing…

A study to identify curriculum concepts that one faculty group thought basic and relevant to pharmacy practice, and to measure the perceived level of understanding and relevance/importance of these concepts in a sample of Kentucky pharmacists is discussed. (Author/MLW)

This summary report outlines the aims of a project that focused on provision of short courses for technical professionals in the chemical and allied process industry and the process plant industry. Continuing education needs of both companies and individuals, as well as corporate policies and attitudes toward continuing education and constraints…

Presents descriptions, advantages, and disadvantages of six needs assessment tools which can be used for continuing education: The simple checklist, the reiterated checklist, the Delphi II assessment, "asking," the matrix assessment, and the pyramid assessment. Emphasis is on the Delphi II technique. (TA)

Opportunities for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to offer new academic offerings for human services managers were assessed. A questionnaire was completed by 174 top-level human services executives located in six upstate New York cities. Additional data were obtained from 12 group interviews that were held with 66 management and line…

The target audiences for whom continuing education programs are planned and presented are becoming increasingly adult. Health, physical education, and recreation programs need to plan for changing educational populations with an eye to combining sound educational planning with an understanding of institutional policies. (JN)

Objectives of the ongoing Continuing Professional Development for Local Education Authority (LEA) project in the United Kingdom are to enhance the skills of LEA staff by defining the future education curriculum, exploring definitions of quality, developing a program of continuing professional development (CPD) for curriculum managers at the LEA…

A study of the need for inservice education and training among the staff of the Namibian extension service revealed that the service has approximately 100 field staff who have very different and often patchy preservice training but who have acquired considerable experience. Workshops with extension staff members were then held to identify their…

A study assessed the need of various levels of management in the shipping industry of the United Kingdom for computer literacy training. During the study, researchers interviewed managers in eight shipping companies identified as using computers, spoke with managers and consultants from five companies actively engaged in designing and installing…

Pharmaceutical associations must seek out providers of continuing education and assume a more active role in developing and sponsoring programs of self-assessment and programs that address the needs thus identified, selecting subject matter content, providing resources, and cooperating in the development of shareable resources. (JMD)

Describes new educational approaches and classroom management procedures that are changing the professional education program at a business consulting firm. Highlights include a needs assessment study; skills development; specialists; adapting to change; computer-based self-study training programs; curriculum reassessment; and curriculum…