This article examines barriers to technology adoption based on the literature and data from two studies. A five-step hierarchical model (familiarization, utilization, integration, reorientation, evolution) of adoption of technology in the classroom is presented, and internal and external barriers to technology adoption are examined. The two…

Four models of online teaching are currently being used within the Faculty of Informatics and Communications at Central Queensland University in Australia. The naive model, which is the most widely used, may be characterized as "putting lecture notes on the World Wide Web" with no opportunities for interaction or feedback. The standard…

The determinants of self-directed learning (SDL) among professionals of high attainment were examined through open-ended, semidirected interviews with a purposeful sample of eight professional men and women who have acquired identifiable, high-level professional knowledge/skills typically taught in postsecondary learning institutions without ever…

This essay examines the ways in which sociology, as a discipline, has been influenced by feminist scholarship in the field, and three major contributions of feminist scholarship are presented: the introduction of women into sociological theory and research during the era of "sex role" analysis; the shift to analyzing gender as a basic axis of…

Attrition is a consistent feature of higher education--only about half the students who start college will ever receive a degree. The attrition rates of African-American students is even higher than that of their white counterparts. Attrition in general, and especially that of high risk students, is of great concern to university administrators…

The question of bias in the way Higher School Certificate (HSC) scores relate to university results is examined. Analyses showed that HSC scores were biased against state school students. State school students were found to perform better at university than do independent school students having the same HSC scores. (Author/MLW)

Supportive school settings linking Native culture, history, and language with academic, social, and community programs, and educational experiences that integrate Native life into meaningful academic, social, and personal living skills programs should give Native students greater understanding of their own identity and more success in school and…

Data from Project Talent are utilized to assess the representativeness of the samples used in the Wisconsin and the Exploration in Equality of Opportunity (EEO) surveys. Adequacy of the measures of academic aptitude and aspiration used in the surveys are examined, and problems with the Wisconsin model are briefly discussed. (RM)

An analysis of the Wisconsin model of achievement asks how powerful this model is in accounting for social influences, aspirations, and attainment when measurement error is taken into account. Revised estimates show support for the Wisconsin model. A revised model is even more powerful for explaining educational and occupational achievement.…

Developed and implemented through four regional educational laboratories, Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) provides secondary students with an alternative education program combining academic learning, community resource career experiences, and life skill development. Program evaluation of data from sixteen pilot sites indicates that EBCE…

FLAME (Foreign Language Alternative Mastery Example) is a model for foreign language in the elementary school (FLES), conducted after school and focused on development of a broad vocabulary base, especially cognates and terms relevant to the student's everyday environment. In the program, FLES student teachers collaborate with a university-based…

Electrical engineer Robert Whitman and microbiologist Gilbert John have pursued academic careers in order to advance their own research and serve as role models for Native American students. After receiving Ph.D.s, Whitman and John were appointed assistant professors at research-oriented universities. Sidebar addresses the role Native American…

Describes a constructivist teaching exercise consisting of a group of teachers involved in regular instructional conversations. Raises issues related to conceptualizing frameworks for teaching and developing new teacher assessments, arguing that new assessments should reflect a comprehensive view of teaching based on a broad continuum of teaching…

Investigates the relationships between the characteristics of a parenting model and children's school outcomes. Utilizes interviews to identify and define parenting styles. Discovers that parenting styles affect academic achievement and school attitudes but do little to influence the relationship between intellectual ability and school outcomes.…

A study compared student learning in two sections of an introductory college biology course for nonmajors. Groups were taught in the traditional teacher-centered, lecture/laboratory format (n=86 students) and in a student-centered constructivist format (n=98). The latter group performed significantly better on the same tests, maintained a better…