This proceedings, containing 69 paper and poster presentations, focuses on innovation and hope with a glance to the future. The conference was planned to include theoretical discussions, current research findings, and promising practices based on sound evidence. Current issues in special education include the use of technology, integrating theory…

This book contains nine chapters, by various authors, containing research and policy perspectives on issues of mutual obligation between teachers and students, especially in Australia. The following are included: (1) "Researching Literacy, Language, and Numeracy and Mutual Obligation: An Introduction to Some Issues" (Sheilagh Kelly and…

This report, the Australian National Training Authority's (ANTA's) key reporting and accounting document, focuses on internal operations structured around the annual ANTA Plan and work priorities. A "Chairman's Comment" (Stuart Hornery) and "From the CEO's Desk" (Moira Scollay) precede an overview that provides a history of…

The importance of international trade and investment to the achievement of economic diversification objectives has increased need for professionals skilled in trade policy development and negotiation, a field known as commercial diplomacy. A severe shortage of these professionals limits developing countries' abilities to take full advantage of…

This paper examines collaborative research by a Brazilian public university and public elementary school, highlighting a thematic program of applied research and teaching that addressed improvement in teaching and learning quality through inservice teacher education. The project was designed to build a knowledge base of teacher learning and…

This digest examines some of the literature on entrepreneurial arrangements within academic institutions--arrangements that often mirror the conflicted town/gown attitude between small cities and the institutions of higher education located within their limits. The main reason cited for the involvement of higher education institutions in…

The project of focus in this evaluation progress report is currently completing the second year of full operation and is a 5-year project that links technology and the visual and performing arts with other subject areas to transform the education of K-12 students in Nebraska and nationwide. The report notes that special emphasis is placed on…

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…

These instructional materials are designed to improve the performance of paraeducators working in transitional services and supported employment for teenagers and young adults with disabilities. The competency-based program helps participants to learn skills they can apply immediately, to accept new practices, and to increase their understanding…

This booklet was developed in response to input from six regional forums held in Missouri in the spring of 1996. The purpose was to solicit public perceptions about inclusive school practices in public schools for students with and without disabilities, as well as to obtain stakeholder input on how to increase and improve inclusive education in…

This bulletin provides guidance and direction to Missouri local education agencies (LEAs) on the role of general educators in educating students with disabilities and in linking the general education curriculum to participation in state- and district-wide assessment. It reviews the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements…

Valley City State University (North Dakota) was the second university in the nation to adopt a notebook computer environment, supplying every faculty, staff member, administrator, and student with a laptop computer and 24-hour access to the World Wide Web. This paper outlines the innovations made in the music department to accommodate the infusion…

The main objective of this program was to produce animated educational material to stimulate students' interest and learning process related to the sciences and to measure their impact. The program material was designed to support middle school educators with an effective, accessible, and novel didactic tool produced specifically to enhance and…

The University for Industry (UFI) and local information, advice, and guidance (IAG) partnerships are two key aspects of the British Government's lifelong learning strategy. UFI's key role is to expand the demand for and supply of learning and to exploit the learning potential of information and communication technologies. The main UFI activities…

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…