A study was conducted to review the concept of validity in the context of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. The study included a review of literature, case studies, presentation of key findings, and recommendation of a tool to guide assessors. An eight-faceted approach to validity, based on Nitko, was developed, with each…

Interpersonal presence refers to the cues individuals use to form impressions of one another and form/maintain relationships. The physical cues used to convey interpersonal presence in face-to-face learning environments are absent in text-based computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) courses. Learners' perceptions of interpersonal presence in CMC…

The 12 chapters of this book provide a synthesis of what is currently known about otitis media and its sequelae on aspects of child development. Chapters are grouped into four sections: definition, prevalence, and diagnosis; auditory, language, and learning sequelae; medical and surgical management; and international perspectives and future…

The Planning Resource Guide by the RP Group of California Community Colleges was created to provide practical planning assistance. It contains four sections, including: (1) a basic conceptual framework for planning; (2) common planning definitions for colleges; (3) planning steps and samples of planning structures; and (4) suggestions for linking…

Noting that many communities in the United States have set the ambitious goal of enhancing school readiness, this report is intended to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives. Part 1 of the report summarizes recommendations from the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) for defining and assessing school readiness. The core…

The relationship between imagination, the individual, and the global media was examined. The examination focused on two underpinning theorizations of individuality, namely, the notion of the "discursive construction of subjectivity" that draws on the work of various poststructuralist thinkers and Judith Baker's notion of the…

This document presents detailed statistical information about activity in Australia's public vocational education and training (VET) system in 2002. It contains information on VET students and courses for each of Australia's states and territories. The statistics included in the report were derived from the data collected from VET providers across…

The applications of biographical concepts in educational settings were examined through a case study of one researcher's use of the biographical narrative interview to examine the connection between subjective and structural conditions and coping strategies in individual lives and to inform adult education practitioners. The biographical approach…

This document is designed to help adult and community learning (ACL) services across the United Kingdom complete the annual self-assessment reports (SARs). The guide begins with background information on the purposes of self-assessment, the new context of ACL and the elements and format of the new SARs. The remaining four sections examine the…

The effectiveness of diversity training in eliminating racial stereotypes in the workplace and modifying employees' negative attitudes toward diversity was examined in a study conducted at a private nonprofit college in the San Francisco Bay area. The study sample consisted of 80 nontraditional students from 4 sections of a course titled Managing…

This interim report presents the framework for classifying competency-based initiatives developed by the NPEC (National Postsecondary Education Cooperative) Working Group. Section 1 presents a structure for classifying competency initiatives based upon student progression into, within, and from postsecondary education. Key applications of…

Critiques James Barth, Robert Barr, and Sam Shermis' three social studies traditions theory and National Commission on Social Studies task force report. Argues first falsely splits essential social studies components; second creates a curricular hodgepodge. Highlights need to consider values as both affective and cognitive and to create…

Outlines a teaching unit, appropriate for grades seven through college, that helps students understand the nature of the United Nations definition of genocide. Questions the adequacy of that definition. Provides four classroom teaching scenarios for a cluster of five to eight class periods, culminating with students writing an essay about…

Reviews experiences from the science curricula developed by the National Science Foundation in the 1950s and 1960s for their relevance to national standard-setting efforts today. Experiences include choosing standards of success that fit available expertise, emphasizing professional development, and defining the target audience clearly. (SLD)

How can higher education inspire and reinforce greater faculty involvement in the life of the "whole student" given current constraints on and expectations for faculty work? Research from two recent national surveys of chief academic officers on faculty work sheds light on this question by highlighting current faculty employment conditions and…