The 11th Annual Building on Family Strengths Conference was held from May 6th through May 8th, 2004, in Portland, Oregon. Highlights included: (1) The revival of a pre-conference training session; this year featured "Understanding Research and Evaluation in Relation to Social Change," presented by Elaine Slaton and Shannon CrossBear of…

This is a report on the quality review of distance learning in a sample of five countries. The report was commissioned by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation's (CHEA's) International Commission in order to understand better the nature of existing regulatory arrangements in the context of growth in electronically supported learning and…

This paper reviews evidence from industry-specific and case studies that shed light on the extent to which computers and automation eliminate jobs, raise job skill requirements, and, consequently, contribute to increased wage inequality between less- and more skilled workers. This paper complements a previous review of large-scale econometric…

Beginning with the Commissioner of Education introduction, Chapter I of Volume 1 covers British and Irish education, including a detailed view of English and Welsh elementary education. French education is addressed in Chapter II, with historic context, contemporary issues, and data. Chapter III details the Prussian 1906 school law requiring…

Describes activities and recommendations of the Association of American Colleges of Pharmacy concerning future needs in pharmaceutical education. Focus is on status of and trends in health care change, advancing the process of curriculum development, teaching and learning processes, the role of experiential learning, practitioner education, and…

Examination of ways college second language teaching must adapt to new student needs looks at changing characteristics of students, their new educational goals and expectations of higher education, effects of these shifts on the classroom, new time considerations, the need to find creative ways to meet diverse student goals, and use of technology…

Reports research on trends in computer-aided facilities management using the Internet and geographic information system (GIS) technology for space utilization research. Proposes that facility assessment software holds promise for supporting facility management decision making, and outlines four areas for its use: inventory; evaluation; reporting;…

Describes the principles, aims, and structure of the new Western Governors University, a regional effort to provide timely, accessible education by offering competency-based degrees, using advanced educational technology to provide learning opportunities, fostering interstate and public-private cooperation in development of new instructional…

Describes an experimental computer program that attempts to simulate a choreographers' knowledge and expertise. The user expresses a set of rules that describe some of the dynamic aspects of a dance. These rules are applied nondeterministically by a "rule driver" program. The rule driver embodies a heuristic algorithm. (MJP)

Describes a college-level political science assignment where students access the full text of a White House or federal agency briefing; evaluate its content; and comment on the interpretation of the information in the national press. Includes a step-by-step guide to gathering and analyzing the information. (MJP)

The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) has identified public policy issues of interest to its membership in 1997, including those in budget and appropriations, college costs and pricing, distance learning and technology, environmental health and safety, federal audit and accounting standards, Higher Education…

Ten questions for college and university trustees to ask when considering policy concerning campus information technology are presented. They address short- and long-term planning for academic and administrative computing, continuity of funding, integration of existing information resources, faculty computer literacy, campus wiring, access to…

This article describes the development of a four-year course sequence in assistive technology (AT). Course participants learned how to assess student needs for AT, what AT devices were available, and how to make decisions within the individualized education program (IEP) team process. Major topical sections were data-gathering frameworks, legal…

Reviews two software packages: "Teacher's Toolbox," a classroom management package that includes student database construction, seat assignment, and grade recording; "PrintPaks," a package of four multimedia craft kits for students. Also reviews "Prevent Violence with Groark," a set of five videos addressing anger…

This report on teachers and technology in North Carolina schools continues an earlier report based on a survey of North Carolina schools that focused on media specialists. Highlights include how teachers incorporate CD-ROM and videodisk technologies, school library media specialists as technology instructors, and teacher expectations of media…