A decision maker must organize information into a pattern that enables judgments to be made. Vocational education programs can be viewed as systems of components which can be categorized and interrelated for effective decision making. (SK)

Briefly discusses the phases and components of the IPISD (Interservice Procedures for Instructional Systems Development), reviews three critical points (initial analysis, determining training objectives, criterion referenced test development), and provides recommendations to assist the performance technologist in playing the difficult roles of…

The British Columbia Telephone Company's systematic approach to curriculum development, which relies heavily on the needs assessment step, is described along with its practical applications. This process allows training departments to focus their resources on the design and implementation of education to solve specific performance problems and…

Discusses four fundamental concepts of instructional technology that offer challenges to, and hence constitute impetus for, improving teacher education: use of a systems approach, exploration and application of all means and all media to achieve its ends, commitment to research findings, and emphasis on improving learning. (Author/JD)

Explains Family Systems Theory and its application in extension programs. Discusses understanding the family as a system, teaching family life education to whole families, and making the impact of changed behavior clear to the individuals. (JOW)

Evaluation of leadership is a central task in organizational consultation, but too often ignores the relationship between task definition and administrative structure, and the availability of scarce resources. A systems approach focuses on the reciprocal impact of individual psychodynamics and organizational characteristics on leadership…

Presents a form of insight therapy based upon systems theory and suggests that this has much to offer in marital therapy. Categories of relationship problems with which a couples therapist must deal are described. (Author)

Presents and evaluates a comprehensive client management system for suicide and crisis intervention services, consisting of five service designations: self-injury, crisis, active support, general support, and single contact. Self-injury clients received more contacts and more time in direct service. (Author)

Classifies work dealing with Management by Objectives (MBO), summarizes major findings of the research and suggests observations regarding implementation and maintenance of MBO programs. Researchers feel positive about MBO. They warn of the moderating powers of intervening variables. Properly maintained, MBO will do what it is designed to do.…

Introduces this special issue by discussing the nature of educational technology and its development in the antipodes as presented in the eight papers which follow. Topics focus on the understanding of educational technology as a systematic process--a problem-oriented approach to the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational…

An outline of the adult education system in Czechoslovakia is presented as a model for organizing such a descriptive research study. The three major topics are (1) comprehensive (statewide) system of adult education, (2) adult education subsystems, and (3) research and theory of adult education. (LAS)

Discusses general problems of thesaurus construction theory and practice. Highlights include lexical control and its tools in various databases; natural language versus conceptual networks; systems approach; thesaurus versus classification, including associative relations; and thesaurus role in information storage and retrieval. (110 references)…

Focuses on patterns of communication by members and leaders during episodes of conflict and how these patterns related to group development. Analyzed communication of two small groups that met for 12 weeks. Results indicate that integration and differentiation from systems theory are key elements of the group development process. (RJM)

Reviews changes in the original Dick and Carey model of instructional design and considers its future usefulness. Topics include alternative instructional design textbooks, the influence of constructivist theory on the 1996 version of the model with its systems approach, and the influence of constructivist and objectivist models. (Author/LRW)

Examines four orientations of sociological research: functional analysis, systems theory, symbolic interaction, and critical theory/conflict analysis. Recommends avoiding adherence to one single orientation and suggests constant reevaluation of the frame of reference. (SK)