Describes a curriculum development effort at Marymount University (Virginia) that combined a traditional human resource development (HRD) master's degree program with instructional systems design (ISD) and performance technology concepts. Courses in the program are described, with special emphasis given to one on performance improvement…

Discussion of the impact of the use of information technology on democratic potential highlights the concept of the autopoietic state as a basis for determining appropriate communication policy principles in a network environment. Topics addressed include the relationship between information and power; systems theory; chaos theory; and the…

This paper is a study of systems change in services to infants and toddlers with disabilities resulting from Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Act. It examines the process of moving from federal legislation to implementation in one state (New York) and offers practical strategies to change agents in order to maximize successful systemic…

Having rewritten W. Edwards Deming's 14 points from an educational perspective, the superintendent of a state-run boarding school serving native Alaskans describes the transformation that the school and his own administrator role have undergone thanks to systems thinking and a paradigm shift demanding change at the top. (MLH)

Explores some of the issues inherent in a systems approach to professional development in early childhood education. Discusses the common core of knowledge that is shared by early childhood education professionals. (BB)

The University of California (Davis) has revamped its workers' compensation program by improving accountability and safety, implementing safety training, informing workers of the costs of the workers' compensation program, designating a physician and physical therapist, giving light duty to injured employees, using sports medicine techniques, and…

The natural graphic talents of very young children do not deteriorate with age. Rather, aesthetic symbols are progressively devalued in the curriculum. Greater acknowledgement of the importance of graphic symbolization will improve symbolic literacy and contribute to cognitive development. (SK)

Total Quality Management, based on theories of W. Edward Deming and others, is a style of management using continuous process improvement characterized by mission and customer focus, a systematic approach to operations, vigorous development of human resources, long-term thinking, and a commitment to ensuring quality. The values espoused by this…

Discusses delivery systems in distance education and suggests that too much time is spent on choosing a delivery system rather than analyzing distance education as a whole. Presents a distance-education hierarchy that includes hardware systems, software systems, telecommunications systems, instructional systems, educational systems, societal…

This article describes Effective Behavioral Support, a systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools to adopt and sustain use of effective processes for all students. Implementation across four major areas of the school system is discussed, including: (1) schoolwide; (2) nonclassroom; (3) classroom, and (4) individual student. A sample…

Argues that a position should be taken on which future research initiatives on learning and instruction will be most worthy if grounded in general systems theory and multiple research methods are employed. Presents an application of general systems theory to research on learning and instruction, including a system of research methods and…

Overload and fragmentation combine to reduce educators' motivation for working on reform. Since educational change is essentially nonlinear, existing school cultures and structures are antithetically opposed to systemic reform activities, including networking. The lesson of systemic reform is to adopt strategies that mobilize large numbers of…

Describes efforts by a team of faculty, staff, students, and administrators at a small southwestern university to "Web-base" a graduate degree program. Identifies eight functional system components that must be addressed and aligned to promote distance learning. Discusses key issues and decisions made during development of the system in the…

Presents exploratory individual, group, and organizational learning instructional systems development (ISD) models based on four conditions: integration of the questions of what and why in instruction and learning; reflection of impacts of environmental factors; non-linear and flexible instructional processes; and future-centeredness in…

The ineffectiveness of community-based interventions can often be traced to problems that occur during implementation. In this study, we outline the implementation of a human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) prevention program in an educational setting in South Africa. An action research approach was used in the…