Decades of research have shown that student collaboration in groups doesn't just happen; rather it needs to be a deliberate process facilitated by the instructor. Promoting collaboration in virtual learning environments presents a variety of challenges. This book answers the demand for a thorough resource on techniques to facilitate effective …

This paper describes a methodology for helping institutional research assess its roles and its effectiveness in supporting decision-making at all institutional levels. The paper discusses how to meet this goal by planning, doing, checking, and acting. Planning requires the understanding of the roles of the data custodian, the broker, and the…

Management Information Systems (MIS), originally developed in the areas of accounting, management science, and computer processing, are now being applied to decision-making in educational settings. Definitions of MIS are numerous and often vague, but management systems (as distinguished from other information systems) should promote real-time…

Management systems have been adapted for educational administration in response to the need for quality of educational opportunity, collective bargaining, school district consolidation, decreasing enrollments, accountability laws, limited financial resources, and participatory decision-making. Management systems adapted, not adopted, from business…

This presentation discusses the products the South Carolina Department of Education derives from that State's management information system and traces the processes used to deliver those products to local school districts. Emphasis is on a description of the technical assistance the State department of education provides the local school district…

This document examines the design and structure of PMIS (Planning and Management Information System), an information system that supports the decisionmaking process of executive management in local school districts. The system is designed around a comprehensive, longitudinal, and interrelated data base. It utilizes a powerful real-time,…

Alternative methods of storing and handling the registrar's records are described, and their relative advantages and disadvantages are noted. The methods include paper files, micrographics (computer output microfilm and source document microfilm), and electronic image systems. (MSE)

Discusses applications of Lotus Notes groupware developed by MCI Communications Corporation librarians. The development of administrative databases used for reference request tracking, interlibrary loan, book ordering and other purposes, and corporate wide databases used to disseminate internal and external information are described. The strengths…

As a part of the teacher licensure program at the graduate level at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), the M.Ed. Licensure candidate is required to complete an action research project during a 3-semester-hour course that coincides with the 9-semester-hour student teaching experience. This course, Education 590 Culminating…

Developing countries face a number of challenges in their efforts to compete successfully in the new global economy. Perhaps the most critical resource needed to achieve these goals is trained human capital. While many developing countries are trying to address this need through traditional means, this may not be the most effective or efficient…

Predictability of absolute data transaction for real time information and reduction of incalculable data delivery time are the major factors to lead the global education as well as economic system towards a paperless environment. Some universities such as the University of Phoenix, Western Governors University, UK Open University, University of…

This article deals with a group of distance learning student teachers, who, after the course was completed, called themselves "The Magic Group". The concept "magic" refers to the reflective and productive learning process the group members experienced, a process far beyond their individual borders. The collaborative process was…

Capstone courses in MIS, CIS and CS programs are commonly incorporated into curriculum these days as they can be used effectively to assess several program objectives. In this paper, the authors discuss the usefulness of a combined Capstone Experience class consisting of CS/CIS and MIS students. The authors point out how this class provided…

The aim of this study is to better understand the role of researchers and school leaders in supporting school improvement through data feedback in the context of more responsive forms of accountability in the Netherlands. A process evaluation was conducted concerning the first three years of a collaborative project of a multi-management group of…

Evaluative instruments designed to assess a university's or college's institutionalization of service-learning practices have been devised and widely utilized. These instruments often come with assumptions about aligning data with decision making. To date, attempts to document community engagement practices within a department or an entire…