A conceptual framework for considering the costs and benefits of postsecondary education assessment is presented, along with a typology linking the costs of evaluation to their informational benefits. A number of cost-analysis paradigms and techniques for assessing alternative evaluation projects at the institutional level are also examined. The…

This examination of remedial instruction in institutions of higher education provides an analysis of the functions and purposes of remediation; a discussion of the types of remediation, who participates, and how well it serves them; an examination of the financial costs of remediation; an appraisal of the economic and social consequences of not…

The Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) program's current operations, legislative history, and growth are reviewed, along with research needs. GSLs are made by lenders to college students, and the federal government guarantees them and provides incentive payments to lenders and subsidy payments on behalf of students until loan repayment begins. Today,…

Cost effectiveness of on-the-job training (OJT) can be determined by measures of effectiveness and by cost assessing the relationship between output and input. Defining effectiveness to be a measure of what an activity produces leaves two main groups of problems unresolved: hierarchies of effectiveness and multiple outcomes. The most significant…

This article summarizes findings regarding the use of technology in helping students with learning disabilities succeed in postsecondary education settings. It identifies specific technology recommendations found in the literature and issues related to using these recommendations in postsecondary transition. Recommendations for transition planning…

There is limited understanding of the scope and impact of distance learning on postsecondary career and technical education (CTE). Descriptive analysis of questionnaire responses and telephone interviews from 512 community colleges (response rate of 53.3%) sought to determine the following in relation to postsecondary CTE: (1) how prominent is…

This report presents results of a study in the United Kingdom to explore different understandings of outreach, its role in widening participation among people underrepresented in organized education, implications of doing outreach, and practical and ethical considerations involved. Chapter 1 addresses origins and meanings of outreach, including…

Research examining issues of training provision for public and private training providers in Australia over the past 6 years was reviewed. Selected conclusions of the review were as follows: (1) national training reform has promoted competitive delivery of vocational and technical education (VET) by seeking to remove impediments faced by…

Various options for supporting the costs of learning by youths between the ages of 16 and 19 years in the United Kingdom were assessed. Currently available student support services were reviewed, and evidence documenting the link between supports and student success was presented. Data were collected from the following sources: current research on…

Studies of 29 welfare reform initiatives conducted by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation were synthesized in an exploration of how welfare and work policies affect employment and income. Each of the studies reviewed focused on one or more of the following key program features: mandatory employment services, earnings supplements, and…

The factors influencing demand for vocational education and training (VET) courses in Australia by individuals, enterprises, industries, communities, and regions were examined through a review of Australian and selected international research. The following were among the key findings: (1) current definitions of "industry" may not be…

This book, which is intended for individuals involved in developing, delivering, and supporting human resource development (HRD) programs, discusses worldwide HRD trends that were identified in a study of the HRD practices in 35 countries. Chapter 1 discusses the importance of the HRD trends identified and explains how they were identified.…

The evolution of Germany's dual apprenticeship system and the challenges now facing it were reviewed. The following topics were considered: (1) the progression from craft guilds to vocational training; (2) the history of Germany's dual apprenticeship system from its organization in the 1970s; (4) apprenticeship in the dual system; (3) Germany's…

Adult learning in Norway was examined in a thematic review that focused on the following areas: the contexts of adult learning; the participants in, providers of, and returns from adult learning; issues and problems facing adult learning; and good practices. The following are among the main findings of the review: (1) adult learning has a long…