In a 5-year evaluation of the $6.6 million Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project, technology-using students surpassed nonparticipating peers in developing critical 21st-century job skills. Multimedia Project students outperformed comparison students on content mastery, sensitivity to their audience, and coherent design capabilities. Standardized test…

Articles in this special section by middle-school educators describe the multi-age team (MAT) experiment at a Georgia middle school from 1993 onward. In 1992, a project inspired by "Turning Points" recommendations addressing teacher and administrator empowerment was launched at another Georgia school. (MLH)

Relates the results of pilot studies of Internet use in academic libraries to the education of users in a digital library environment. Interviews users and information professionals and reveals a need to develop user education programs that emphasize types of digital collections, interfaces, hardware and software requirements, and…

Details the research methodology for an evidence-based evaluation of a pilot long-term crime reduction program for at-risk 4- to 12-year-olds in England and Wales. Considers the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of intensive interagency cooperation to identify at-risk children so they and their families can be provided with consistent services…

Investigates the performance of dyslexic students in two modes of written assessment: coursework and examinations. In examinations, students were allowed additional time and were offered the option of using a word processor instead of handwriting. Findings suggest that dyslexic students are still disadvantaged in examinations, despite the special…

National Board certified teachers should work with select colleges of education in developing better teachers. Such teachers have many of the same goals as colleges of education--developing competencies and measuring these via student performance. Ashland (Ohio) University's pilot project is a model college-school partnership. (MLH)

Presents evaluations of three video-based distance education programs--Star Schools, the governor of Wyoming's pilot distance learning project, and the Ohio SchoolNet Telecommunity. Discusses some common findings and implications for the future of video-based distance learning, including what can be done to make distance education courses more…

Over the past two decades, science has become established as a core school subject in schools in England and Wales, taken by all students aged 5 to 16. But increasingly questions have been raised about the suitability for many students of the curriculum they are required to follow (Murray and Reiss, 2005). From September 2006, schools in England…

Implementing any new service or technology can require a process of trial and error. Often, it is useful to introduce the service as a pilot project, so that the staffing issues and technical details can be worked out prior to fullscale implementation. This is especially important at times when staffing and/or budgetary circumstances are…

In 2002, the Honk Kong government launched a pilot scheme "e-school bag" promoting the use of wireless technology in ten primary and ten secondary schools for classroom teaching and learning. In 2003, a secondary school successfully received a grant from the Quality Education Fund (QEF) to implement a wireless network for outdoor field…

Like many other universities around the globe, the University of Calgary is preparing to offer its graduate programs through distance delivery. The MEd TESL program, a course-based master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language, offered through the Faculty of Education, is piloting the first of its courses by distance. Designing ESL…

Experience in Australia has demonstrated that problems arise when sustainability requirements appear to conflict with individual development rights or local lifestyles. Community partnering between government and the public is therefore of fundamental importance in working towards sustainable development. Unfortunately genuine partnering is only…

In order for online course delivery to be efficient, digital material such as scanned text, diagrams and graphics, and audio/video clips must be copied and distributed. The policies and processes for copyright clearance of digital materials are, however, poorly defined and cumbersome. As a result, university instructors often have incomplete…

The beginning of the 21st century in England has seen a rapid growth in interest in foreign languages for primary age learners. This article presents an alternative approach to primary school languages based on a Nuffield-funded pilot in Coventry LEA. A brief overview of recent developments in primary MFL is provided, followed by an account of the…

There appears to be a paucity of research on mentoring senior leaders (Hobson & Sharp, 2005) and yet a growing interest in the development of leadership through experience (Abra "et al.," 2003; McCauley "et al.," 1998). This paper therefore presents and evaluates a case study of a pilot mentoring scheme and programme for…