As subsystems within the stepfamily structure compete for limited resources, conflicts arise among subsystems and within subsystems among persons with membership in different subunits. Stepfamilies can become more unified through recognition of prior loyalties, negotiations to resolve conflicts, and techniques to redefine the boundaries between…

Provides several suggestions concerning how public television might organize to approach the future. Suggestions include accepting the telecommunications center concept, revising the structure to provide a stronger national service, sustaining local programing, and providing new services. Government role, a new federal funding plan, and the system…

Describes a management system for seventh and eighth grades that includes a language arts classroom and reading laboratory rotation schedule and that emphasizes cognitive and affective goals. (MKM)

Presents general systems models (ballistic system, guided system, and adaptive system) and an evaluation matrix to help in examining training evaluation alternatives and in deciding what evaluation is appropriate. Includes some guidelines for conducting evaluation studies using four designs (control group, reversal, multiple baseline, and…

The Neurological Key method emphasizes a systematic deductive procedure for reaching clinical decisions about learning disabled children. The rationale for the diagnostic and remedial decisions reached at every node of the Key is explained and is supported by data from clinical and experimental studies in psychology and neurology. (Author/SJL)

Describes the use of an instructional model for composition involving five procedures: a rationale, instructional objectives, pre-assessment, learning activities, and evaluation. (MKM)

Examines new studies of family-level dynamics that explain individual variability in early socioemotional development. Shows that family processes help explain unique variance in conceptually related measures of child development. Reviews studies showing prospective links between family processes during infancy and behavior at age 4, and…

Discusses the need for children to become fluent in logical argument and systems dynamics. Examines the "create an embedded environment and support classroom teachers with visiting experts" strategy in music and technology education. Describes the distinction between meaningless activities with computers and computer literacy. (AEF)

This article argues that challenges in motivating gifted underachievers should be addressed from an integrated systems approach. The design and implementation of specific interventions for these students are described, with a special focus on reward menus and behavior contracts. Suggested target behaviors and individual and class rewards are…

Proposes a seven-dimension systemic model for counselors to help teachers conceptualize learning and behavior problems in the classroom. The model stresses the importance of the teacher defining the presenting problem and the outcome goals in terms of clearly observable behavior. This systems approach addresses behaviors that are resistant to more…

Presents a model that social workers can use to intervene when in-school interventions and referrals to community resources have been unsuccessful. The model calls for family therapy sessions only once a month, and it suggests giving families novel ideas and choices about stability. Advocates working collaboratively and nonhierarchically with…

Proposes a dynamical systems approach to parsing in which syntactic hypotheses are associated with attractors in a metric space. The experiments discussed documented various contingent frequency effects that cut across traditional linguistic grains, each of which was predicted by the dynamical systems model. (47 references) (Author/CK)

Examines the impact of societal changes on higher education, notes that technology is a resource allocation issue, and evaluates the potential for educational technology to make necessary improvements. Summarizes the needs analysis of a university preparing to adopt new technology, and develops an integrated needs model. (PEN)

Recommends an approach to computer-assisted language learning and development activities that addresses the total instructional system, including non-technological components. Eight procedural steps, based on an input-process-output model, are described for developing, refining, and evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of CALL teaching…

Results are presented of an extended case study of a Dutch teacher confronted by severe discipline problems, who, with the help of a teacher educator, changed the disorder of her classroom to a good working atmosphere. This article analyzes the pupil-teacher interaction during this change, from a systems communication perspective. (IAH)