This booklet attempts to explain distance education in a short and readily understandable way. It tells what distance education is as well as what it is not. Users of distance education are described. Other topics include the basic system and subsystems of distance education; ways of communicating; what makes distance education materials good;…

BORN FREE is a collaborative effort of university-based counseling psychologists and field-site educators to reduce career-related sex stereotyping in 14 educational institutions and to broaden the range of career options of women and men. The project focuses on the development of training modules (materials, workshops, and videotapes) for…

This paper contains a concise summary of the theory and practice of competency-based education, especially as it applies to adult education. The paper first defines competency-based education (CBE) and details the assumptions on which CBE is based. It then lists the critical components for effective CBE and cites the advantages of using a…

A project was conducted (1) to develop 27 instructional modules as part of a curriculum series that presents energy conservation concepts and skills and (2) to disseminate the modules for use in secondary and postsecondary vocational training programs and courses. The series of modules, entitled "Energy Awareness and Conservation: YOU Make…

A pilot center was established in Yaroslavl, Russia, to train business clerks using German curricula and training that could be applied to Russian conditions. Choice of Germany as a model was due to increasingly developing cooperation with that country in the field of vocational education. The Russians analyzed German curricula and worked out the…

A project was conducted to train Pennsylvania vocational educators to manage, develop, and evaluate interactive video and computer-assisted instruction (CAI). Activities included a day-long workshop that consisted of a general introduction session and small group sessions to provide hands-on experience with interactive video software, an overview…

The purpose of the Promising Practices Diffusion Project, 1979-80, was to further develop, implement, and improve a statewide system for disseminating Promising Practices in vocational and career education. (Promising Practices are those exemplary projects which have met established criteria of quality.) During the first stage, a project base was…

The University of the West Indies Distance Teaching Experiment (UWIDITE) is an example of a conventional institution with a distance teaching department. The UWI is one of two regional universities serving a region covering 17 countries. Some countries are fairly prosperous; others are suffering severe economic difficulties. All the territories…

The first year of a three-year project focused on planning for establishment of a demonstration site for open entry open exit, individualized competency-based vocational education (CBVE) in Florida. Fourteen specific project tasks were identified. These included documenting the CBVE implementation process; continuing development of student…

One significant technique for initiating needed cooperation in tech prep is through use of the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) job analysis process. Many program directors are asking educators to identify expert workers to serve on the panel. The next phase of serious linkage and partnering occurs when the panel comes together to interact and…

A project was designed to develop a model for learning center organization in the Kentucky vocational schools and to develop a learning center handbook. During the project's first year, meetings of learning center coordinators resulted in development of preliminary models for learning center operation. One was developed for use in vocational…

Distance education, especially in the form of correspondence study, is not a new phenomenon, but the success of the British Open University has given it a new image. Distance education programs have been developed to respond to a variety of societal and educational situations for which traditional classroom-based approaches are less feasible. They…

Discusses seven basic principles related to instructional design for adult trainees in a business environment. Topics discussed include objectives of instructional design; performance problems; feedback; assessment; analysis; production, using the most suitable medium; evaluation; implementation; incentives; motivation; and job aids. An adult…

After a summary of accomplishments of phases I and II of the Methods and Materials for Entrepreneurship Education Project (identification of entrepreneurship skills and development of curriculum materials designed to develop these skills in community college level courses), this phase III report describes field testing, revision, and publication…

A project was undertaken to implement competency-based vocational education (CBVE) programs at the three technical centers in Palm Beach County, Florida. Project staff presented staff development activities designed to orient vocational educators to the multi-center CBVE planning system. Valuable support services were also provided to vocational…