Representatives of six vendors of online library systems address key issues related to system performance: designing, configuring and sizing systems; establishing performance criteria; using benchmark and acceptance tests; the risks of miscalculations; vendor, consultant, and library roles; and related topics. (Author/EM)

Five library consultants address issues that affect online system performance: options in system design that relate to diverse library requirements; criteria that most affect performance; benchmark tests and sizing criteria; minimalizing the risks of miscalculation; and the roles and responsibilities of vendors, libraries, and consultants.…

Presents results from a study of the use of broadcast teletex where decoders in 50 locations were equipped with meters recording use patterns. The role of indexes in the way users move through the database, use of chained pages, and variations in use patterns during the day are analyzed. (MBR)

Discusses evolution and construction of a computer program for use by speech pathologists which permits inexperienced computer operators to generate extensive diagnostic reports and in-depth therapy programs for students with speech defects. The discussion traces program design from inception to final formulation reviewing the prototype, problems,…

Addresses the role of the university in industry-education collaboration and presents a case study of collaboration between industry and a university-based interdisciplinary team. In this case study, the final training program and training staff were strengthened as a result of the collaborative field-testing process. (CT)

Personal narratives provide typically unabashed enthusiasm for sabbatical leave programs, but few studies have explored the results of sabbaticals and the impact that these sabbaticals can and do have on the department and the university. This paper reports on the creation of an assessment instrument to measure the impact of a faculty member's…

This report describes and evaluates the methods and procedures used for the field test of the Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:2000/01). The B&B:2000/01 field test included important changes from previous B&B surveys (conducted in 1994 and 1997) in its sample design and collection of data. The introductory chapter…

This article introduces a field-test model that was developed within a major curriculum-development effort in Turkey. Part of the National Educational Development Project, the model provides a systematic set of steps in piloting a newly developed curriculum in schools. Development involved three major phases--planning, implementation, and…

In the 1996?1997 school year, the ABCs of Public Education was implemented as a comprehensive plan to reorganize public schools in North Carolina. The ABCs focus on accountability, on the basics and high educational standards, and on maximum local control. To encourage a strong academic emphasis, the state testing program emphasizes the basic…

Outlines problems faced by software publishers in providing instructionally valid computer assisted instruction. A research design undertaken by Edu-Ware Services, Inc., directed at measuring instructional validity and utility of software offered to institutions and consumers, is described noting tests, evaluation, data submission and reduction,…

Describes field tests of a motivation instrument using multidimensional measures, and considers whether any change would occur in the correlation of a multidimensional instrument to various achievement measures over unidimensional ones. Shows the correlations of motivation to academic achievement, test-retest reliability, and the predictive…

Describes a project designed to create instructional materials in entrepreneurship for secondary vocational students. Steps discussed include selection of small businesses to be treated in modules, determination of module content, guidelines for presentation of module content, and results of field test and expert review. (CT)

Examines the barriers within the environmental technology industry to adopting the use of field analytic instrumentation. Barriers are discussed in three main categories: legislative, regulatory, and institutional. A table lists the barriers and their impact on the adoption of new technologies. (MDH)

Discusses usability engineering for multimedia learning environments and considers how it can benefit the design and development of educational software. Describes the design and development of interactive multimedia software for second-language learning that included input from users and field testing for usability. (Author/LRW)

M.Y. Math Project is a developmental mathematics program that is aimed at: (1) fostering fundamental and problem-solving skills in developmental mathematics students by helping them to learn when and how to create and use algorithms; and (2) providing on-the-job training for developmental mathematics instructors through an instructional framework…