This newsletter details the efforts of the University of Alaska to develop a systems approach that will provide facilities for higher education in a State with an area more than three and one half times that of New Jersey, Florida, and Oregon combined. The problem involved in providing appropriate facilities in a State such as Alaska are…

The authors discuss the trend emerging from organizational research which shows in part that administrators are more effective as they are perceived to be considerate of their subordinates. Based on field observations and on the contention that (in an era of increasing collective behavior on the part of teachers) hostility might take the form of…

Modern educational programs stress individualized learning. Such programs place less emphasis on prescribed texts and more emphasis on learning from a variety of resources suited to the interests and learning abilities of the individual. Thus, these programs require an abundance of readily available learning materials. The school media center,…

The article describes how a British residential school for hearing-impaired children tackled difficult behavior and became more conscious of its ethos by employing a problem-centered methodology. Problems such as intra-school communication and students' inappropriate social behavior were the focus of a teacher workshop and resultant task groups.…

Examines evolution of awareness regarding the importance of organizational characteristics on the success of computer assisted instruction (CAI) projects. A list of 12 organizational factors are described that institutions of higher education need to consider in planning CAI projects. (Author/MBR)

The effects on principals in South Australia of Human Achievement Skills training, aimed at developing interpersonal, human relations, and personnel management skills, were measured by conducting interviews with trainees and staff members 3 months after training and by obtaining responses to organizational climate questionnaires before and after…

Compares effects of three school types: single-sex Catholic, mixed-sex Catholic, and mixed-sex public. Results indicate that Catholic single-sex school are nearly twice as effective as Catholic mixed-sex schools, suggesting that there are important differences between these types of schools and that comparisons between public and Catholic schools…

Seven articles on library reference services highlight reference obsolescence in academic libraries, major studies of unobtrusive reference tests, methods for evaluating reference desk performance, reference interview evaluation, problems of reference desk control, online searching by end users, and reference collection development in…

This paper reviews responses of educational systems facing demographic and economic constraint, with particular reference to issues of migrant populations, decreased public spending, unemployment, expansion of vocational education, and common areas of future development. Education is concluded to be generally perceived as an instrument for social…

A postsecondary degree or credential is increasingly important in the U.S. economy, both for new entrants into the labor force and those already employed. Working adults who want to succeed in this economic climate are pursuing a college education in increasing numbers. Adult students have unique needs that differ from traditional-age, residential…

One of the most significant factors, determining effectiveness of any organization is an optimal management of the system, which is perceived as a social organization. Otherwise strategy errors in management potentially undermine the whole system of the organization. Assuming that management based on authoritarian relations may illusionary create…

This qualitative case study investigated a large, suburban, public middle school focusing on educators' perceptions of leadership within their professional learning community. Participants included the principal, administrative team, and key faculty members. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and were analyzed by hand coding and…

This theoretical paper explores the nature of narrative by examining its key characteristics as a communication tool and an independent mode of thought in the form of a literature review. The first section describes stories or narrative. The second section establishes links between narrative, change, and learning through the concept of…

This teacher's guide presents teaching suggestions and presentation materials about how daily human activities, such as energy use, add pollutants to the atmosphere. The lesson is divided into seven parts and can be taught in two or more class periods. Student handouts include: (1) "Total Energy Use by Fuel Type, 1991"; (2) "Facts…

This document contains 11 papers on technological entrepreneurship, with particular focus on the following topics: the context of technological entrepreneurship; value creation and opportunity recognition in turbulent environments; venture capital in technological entrepreneurship; and managing in turbulent environments. The following papers are…