This paper explores the practical implications of the distributional perspective on dropping out of school--a perspective that says that the concentration of student exodus from certain schools may reflect the impact of contextual or organizational factors as opposed to those that operate simply at the individual level. Based on data from the…

Through international comparisons, countries may come to recognize weaknesses in their own systems while identifying strengths that might otherwise be overlooked. The 36 indicators included are the product of an ongoing process of conceptual development and data collection and represent the consensus of professional thinking on how to measure the…

The Pennsylvania State University, through its World Campus, is exploring several design models which provide multifaceted communication environments for distance education. Currently, students enrolled in World Campus programs interact with courses delivered through WebCT, a course management tool, or through FirstClass. This paper focuses on…

This study evaluated the computer skills and learning expectations of students in an introductory course at a regional university in the southeastern United States. A survey was administered to 595 students enrolled in sections of the Introduction to Computer Information Systems (CIS) course. The survey instrument charted such things as major and…

Early field experiences for preservice teachers can serve as a catalyst for the development of new insights and instructional techniques, particularly if they are in diverse settings. This study provided one preservice teacher with two 30-hour field experience components at two diverse sites. The project involved a comparative analysis of two…

Reasons why some students complete further education (FE) and others drop-out were examined in a study involving a sample of 9,000 students and staff from 31 inner city, urban, and rural FE colleges throughout the United Kingdom. Data were collected from the following sources: interviews with FE college managers, staff, and students; review of…

The College of Education, University of Missouri-Columbia is developing and testing a suite of tools that utilize the Internet and work as a system to support learning from field experiences. These tools are built to support preservice teachers, field-based mentors, and college faculty as they collaborate, engage in practice, document their…

This paper presents the results of an experiment using videoconferencing in a distance graduate course in the Computer Science Department at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The purpose of the experiment was to test two videoconference technologies that are widely used on the Internet, Cu-SeeMe and Real technology, and to assess…

This practicum was designed to support collaboration among graduate students and faculty in a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Post-Master's Case Management distance education program taught via videoconferencing. Students attend class at 11 videoconferencing centers scattered throughout a large western state. The geographically…

A program was implemented for increasing writing and problem solving skills to increase educational achievement. The targeted populations consisted of sixth and seventh grade students from two growing middle class suburban communities located in the Midwest. The problems of inadequate writing and problem solving skills were documented through data…

An ongoing four-year ethnographic study of two cohorts of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners enrolled in mainstream Canadian primary school classrooms is described. The two cohorts are: (1) a group of six children observed from the beginning of kindergarten through the end of grade 2, and (2) five children observed from early kindergarten…

This paper describes the expertise that teachers need to acquire in order to facilitate pupils' self-expression with multimedia. The central idea behind the argument is that multimedia is a creative tool for children and that multimedia learning in the near future is expected to be "Learning by Producing." In such a context of creative…

This study examined demographic and service delivery data derived from Individualized Education Programs of 153 elementary students with learning disabilities in a medium-sized city in northern Illinois. It specifically addressed family background, prevalence of secondary disabilities and health problems, behavioral and motivational…

Ten research papers are presented that were commissioned by the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs for the 1990 research symposium on issues related to Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) students. Responses from 20 practitioners who served as discussants at the symposium are included in the proceedings. Topics range from…

Intended for adult basic education program coordinators and the parent institutions of these programs, this package is designed for use with groups or individuals to introduce and develop the idea of evaluation in adult basic education programs. It is suggested for use in a workshop format; the whole package should take approximately 2 full days…