This article examines the various aims and methods of open universities and compares them with the system pioneered by Britain's Open University. He discusses the differences between open university systems, the place of the media, and the potential for conflict created by differing control systems. (CT)

New, simple methods for applying benefit-cost analysis in situations where the variables are nonmonetary are discussed. The approach involves handling nonmonetary variables by converting the problems into questions regarding whether a nonmonetary return is worth more or less than a given dollar cost. The article codifies what good decision makers…

Longitudinal designs and follow-up studies are characteristic of evaluation of vocational education programs. The most commonly used statistical techniques encountered in such designs are described and examples presented using a design setting typical for vocational education. Assumptions and limitations are discussed and references to relevant…

The authors, two of the first nursing faculty to assume a preceptor role in primary care, reflect on their experiences in this role and identify the characteristics and patterns they believe have been essential to the evolution of the preceptor role. They also list advantages of the preceptor methods. (CT)

A model is described in which student nurses' preceptors are the joint-appointee nurse practitioners, with physicians providing consultation and serving as team participants. Key points that are examined are program development at the University of Illinois, how the program actually operated, and some of the problems encountered. (CT)

Attempts to develop a standardized set of program objectives which could be used in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating postsecondary marketing and distributive education programs and which would ultimately result in a degree of program standardization. (CT)

Delphi and Q-sort techniques were used by 34 educators to rank technology education curriculum guidelines for developing countries. The highest-ranked issues included the following: technology education should teach creative thinking and problem solving, it should be part of general education for all, and it should integrate other subjects. (SK)

There are certain elements that are common among effective mentoring programs. This article describes MENTOR, an organization that serves as a resource and advocate for youth mentoring. MENTOR developed its first mentoring Elements of Effective Practice in 1990 by working with a national panel of mentoring experts. "They are research- and…

Doctoral programs in the humanities and related social sciences are characterized by high attrition and long times to degree. In 1991 the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation launched the Graduate Education Initiative (GEI) to improve the quality of graduate programs and in turn reduce attrition and shorten time-to-degree. Over a 10-year period, the…

The Institute for Scholarship on Engineering Education (ISEE) team of the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education, designed and implemented a 120 minute interactive session called "Communities In Practice--What Are We Learning?" for the 2006 Frontiers in Education Conference in Indianapolis. Six story posters were provided by 8…

Responding to the call for reform in American graduate teacher education programs, the authors of this paper examine the design of a teacher action research-based approach in which teacher inquiry lies at the heart of individual courses and the program as a whole. The authors report on the transformation of program graduates from teachers to…

The authors have presented a general framework for project proposal assessment which will be of practical use to proposal writers and reviewers. Each of the four main components (plan of action, resources, implementation power, and potential contribution) is assessed separately and given a weighted score. (Author/EA)

This first volume of a two-volume manual provides a structure for the analysis of the design of cooperative education and the implementation of the design in terms of the 49 key elements of cooperative education. It is intended for use by persons responsible for cooperative education at state and local levels. Volume I contains the introduction…

Six appendixes comprise the final report of PEECH Outreach, a Program for Early Education of Children with Handicaps. Included are a financial report, a final evaluation report (with listings of PEECH outreach and replication sites and a description of PEECH objectives); a summary of personnel receiving services; a listing of goals, objectives,…

As the need for manpower research and demonstration efforts increases, and technical demands on these programs rise, the necessity of a comprehensive monitoring and technical assistance project becomes apparent. This project attempted to develop monitoring and assistance mechanisms, and management information systems for 12 programs under Office…