States that, although policies and procedure documents play an important role in developing and maintaining a consistent quality of interaction in organizations, research literature is weak in this area. Initiates further discussion by defining and describing policy/procedure documents. Identifies a third kind, work instructions. Uses a genre…

There are disparities in definitions and assessment of competence in the United Kingdom and United States. Each perception is incomplete and fails to address the dynamic environment and contexts of management performance. An alternative approach integrates elements of both, emphasizing issues central to achieving enhanced performance. (Contains 36…

Draws on the Common Core of Data (CCD; National Center for Education Statistics) to present information on the number and percentage of students dropping out or completing school (among states that reported dropouts) for school years 1989-1999 and 1999-2000. Discusses differences between CCD and Current Population Survey dropout statistics. (SLD)

Discusses the complexity of naming nonfiction as a class of written works. Struggles with many different possible definitions of nonfiction and considers the problems with many of the definitions. Suggests the use of the term "creative nonfiction" as an umbrella to cover the widest range of nonfiction literary production. Argues that…

This commentary on EC 232 373 and EC 232 374 suggests that a theory that depends on categorizing events as either stuttering or nonstuttering must fail. It evaluates the merit of the voluntary/involuntary distinction in loss of speech production control, defends research on the nature of stuttering, and proposes additional research and theory.…

The article argues that, when judged on the basis of the strength of its research base, J. Renzulli's three-ring conception of giftedness is of questionable validity. Research on all three bases of the definition (above average general ability, task commitment, creativity) is reviewed. (Author/DB)

Describes a game used with Chapter 1 students to develop dictionary and reading skills and to help students grasp what it means to define a word. (MG)

Two experiments, each with 132 undergraduates, evaluated the effects of definition adjunct questions on concept learning. In both experiments, only unmatched application adjunct questions preceded by a definition question produced higher performance on criterion questions than did definition questions only. The effective use of definition…

As institutions increasingly turn to alumni to provide services to their alma maters in such areas as volunteering, donating, networking, and lobbying, alumni research becomes a high priority in academic administration. The term alumni is defined, parameters for alumni research are proposed and uses of such research are described. (MLW)

Examined meaning and maintenance of friend relationships among 41 male and 74 female older adults. Men and women tended to agree on characteristics of friend; gender differences emerged when they differentiated between "friend" and "close friend." Older women were more likely than older men to consider friends made earlier in life as still part of…

Discusses criteria of young children's dramatic play and various definitions of pretend play characteristics. Delineates differences and similarities between dramatic play and drama. Concludes that the term "dramatic play" can cover all kinds of pretend play, including symbolic, representational, imaginative, fantasy, thematic,…

This paper discusses the biological and social views of grammar with reference to recent research on grammar and language acquisition, arguing that grammars are individual constructs existing in the minds of individual speakers. Contains 24 references. (MDM)

This article takes issue with the diagnosis of a group of students as learning disabled as presented in a previous article that focused at learning disabilities in the context of second-language learning. (JL)

A war rages over outcome-based education. There is one primary reason for the OBE backlash: the mastery outcomes are often vaguely worded and associated largely with the affective domain. Supporters'"Aquarian" and "Nostalgist" fallacies do not help. A twofold policy embodying high, uniform, but sensible standards and…

Examines the advantages and limitations of visual aids in second language instruction. Visual aids can be used atmosphere, motivation, focus of attention, context, explanatory support, general comprehension, mnemonic support, cultural insights, and conversational stimuli. Their limitations include focusing attention away from the language,…