This paper compares the approaches to studying of Malaysian distance learners and on-campus learners to find out to what extent the distance learning programme of a public university in Malaysia is effective in meeting the learning needs of its distance learners. The influences of the differences in modes (distance learners vs. on-campus learners)…

This study examined interest in and attitudes toward learning English among first-year nursing students at the Japanese Red Cross Junior College of Akita who participated in the Summer English Homestay Program at Monash University, Australia. The study was intended to learn about students' past and present activities related to English and to…

As federal and state officials consider the reauthorization of the block grants at the center of the 1996 federal welfare reform law, it is critical that they use findings from research regarding the impact of welfare reform to guide their decisions. This special report examines the impact of welfare reform on children and youth, drawing on…

A study was conducted to understand the informal learning processes of the members of a worker natural foods store cooperative, The Big Carrot, in Toronto. Eight members with central roles in the natural foods retailer were interviewed. In addition, key documents and other writings on the cooperative were examined. The data indicate that members…

This book discusses the prevention of problems and the promotion of success for school children today. Chapters include: (1) "Preventing Aggression and Violence" (George G. Bear, Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Michael J. Furlong, and Sabrina Rhee); (2) "Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Children" (Joseph E. Zins, Maurice J. Elias, Mark T.…

These two Bulletins contain selected articles that highlight research and treatment issues in child abuse and child sexual abuse. The first issue includes the following featured articles: (1) "The Relationships between Animal Abuse and Other Forms of Family Violence" (Phil Arkow), which addresses animal cruelty as a harbinger of…

Despite advances in primary school enrollment and completion in recent years, school completion in rural areas of Guatemala is low. The problem is especially severe among indigenous female students, where only about one in eight completes primary school. In 1997, the Guatemalan government launched an ambitious program designed to assist poor…

Public and private school collaboration is one approach to educational reform that may be working in many schools across the country. The Forum for Public and Private Collaboration is committed to publicizing successful collaborative efforts while providing an outlet for educators involved in collaboration to share ideas and receive help. The…

This report provides outcomes for 1996-97 for Monroe Community College's Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program, an effort designed to help students learn to write in all disciplines through writing centers staffed by trained student writing fellows. Following introductory remarks, the report provides discussions of the following topics:…

This report assesses the cost effectiveness of several crime prevention strategies that involve early intervention in the lives of people at risk of pursuing a criminal career. Four different approaches are examined: (1) home visits by child care professionals beginning before birth and extending through the first 2 years of life, followed by 4…

The goal of the Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI) is to improve elementary and secondary students' ability to use their language--to read fluently and with expression, to understand what they read and hear, and to use this understanding so they can communicate effectively. ECRI is a pre- and in-service program for teachers to learn…

This Digest discusses computer assisted advisory practices currently in use in community colleges, outlining the types of data collected and how they are used, including the use of tracking to plan interventions for at-risk students. Enhanced computer technology has improved the effectiveness of academic advising by enabling more thorough and…

In spring 1997, a project used MicroCase, a computer-based statistical analysis and data retrieval system, to offer an American Government class to distance students at Iowa's Kirkwood Community College (KCC). Students participated in the course at one of the college's 10 learning centers via a statewide fiber-optic network. MicroCase provided the…

Using as prompts scenarios of interaction at a preschool and senior center, this study examined student responses concerning the degree of caring exhibited. Data were collected from middle school students before and after participating in a service learning program involving service in a preschool, and from nonservice students. The service…

This study examined the influence of the student teaching program within the College of Education at the University of Bahrain on the prior beliefs and attitudes of 120 student teachers. A 24-item questionnaire was constructed, based on dilemmas of teaching and learning (knowledge and curriculum, the teacher's role, and the teacher-student…