Discusses five propositions that support a rationale for increased understanding and use of qualitative methods by performance technologists: there has been a paradigm shift across the social sciences, and qualitative methods make common sense, increase flexibility, lead to increased confidence in results, and are good for professional…

Examines certain common professional characteristics that unite instructional developers across a variety of settings, and addresses the question as to whether a strong case can be made for providing developers with a common approach to their training. (Author/MER)

Explains the changes in graduate business education as they relate to human resource development (HRD) and suggests that the HRD specialist can achieve professional growth through accounting, finance, economics, marketing, statistics, management theory training, and practical internships. (MER)

A member of the National Society for Performance and Instruction task force questions the professional certification process for practitioners in the performance and instruction field. Methods being utilized by the certification movement, what is wrong with them, and why certification would hinder the profession are discussed. (MBR)

Discusses a shift in career paths from instructional technology to performance technology and describes steps to take to become more aware of the performance technology process. Differences in the design phase of the processes are described, and models that identify areas which can be affected by human performance problems are presented. (LRW)

Argues that although the training field is evolving rapidly, pre-professional education and continuing professional development are not adequately meeting the needs of the profession. Twelve areas of concern are discussed, and five basic elements to be incorporated in curriculum changes are offered. (Author/MER)

Discussion covers instructional design for the military during World War II and how this limited experience provided a basic assumption for the paradigm that describes how professionals in the performance and instruction technology field should approach problems. Conceptual soundness of the assumptions on which the profession is based is…

Describes the status and trends, achievements, and problems in the development of educational technology (ET) in Brazil. Areas examined include tax incentives for training programs, graduate programs in ET, teleducation and correspondence teaching, and government support of ET programs. Five references are listed. (MER)

Describes a tool for trainer self-development called "mental rehearsal." The process uses mental images (visualization) to practice trainer behavior prior to the actual training session. Trainers use mental rehearsal for: (1) physical relaxation, (2) positive thinking, (3) mental and physical readiness, (4) verbal and nonverbal instructional…

Traces the historical development of instructional technology and human resources development (HRD) as professions out of the instructional media field. Highlights their differences and similarities as disciplines and as professions. The importance of instructional media, professional development, and professional cooperation are discussed. (JL)

Discussion of adult learning and education highlights three main issues: foundations, licensure (i.e., certification), and design. Topics discussed include educational theory related to adult learning; the need for additional research in the field of adult education; benefits of certification; instructional design; and the future of adult…

Discussion of human performance technology tools for instructional design focuses on incentives and competence. Highlights include quality, organizational goals, feedback, employee attitudes, working conditions, deadlines, standards, training, a balance of forces, and partnerships. (AEF)

Describes a method of improving teacher performance by making the instructor more aware of the consequences of his/her teaching. The system uses a Pet microcomputer with student response pads and an interface box to gather and summarize student reactions during ongoing instruction for comparison with a tape of the presentation. (JJD)

Discusses techniques for improving training program design and administration through effective evaluation. Describes three sample case studies that compare trainers, facility/location, and course content; trainee reactions are plotted on a graph. Presents trainee feedback forms that identify aspects of a session, rate effectiveness, and record…