The design and content of new undergraduate and graduate teacher-education curricula in Italy, mandated by a 1990 law, is discussed. The four-year university curriculum is designed to train infant and elementary-school teachers, and a two-year graduate program is designed for secondary-school teachers. (MSE)

Succinctly summarizes considerations that should be taken into account when choosing a dissertation topic. These include resonance with organizational culture, contribution to the discipline, assistance in a job search, and tractability. Tractability (the ability to produce a finished product) combines the components of scope, clarity of problem,…

Outlines work accomplished at the 1998 National Communication Association Summer Conference, presenting a model for a professional master's-degree program in public relations that integrates outcomes, assessment, curriculum, and pedagogy. Outlines program outcomes, curriculum, essential curriculum-content areas, pedagogical approaches, and…

The interdisciplinary approach of many new master's programs departs from conventional departmental divisions and opens professional opportunities for career-minded students. Some feel the trendy, tuition-driven programs enhance enrollments and produce revenue for the institution; critics question whether they offer value for money spent. However,…

Comments on Reba Page's use of the author's work, known as the Brad trilogy, in a lesson on validity in interpretive research methods. Wolcott prefers involving students more immediately with field work than in Page's approach. Discusses his intentions in writing the Brad trilogy and the questions it has raised. (DSK)

Offers a method for investigation of the strength of association between undergraduates' postgraduate educational plans and their knowledge of probable admissions requirements, and personnel academic qualifications. Results show that students' GPA and estimates of required GPA for graduate-school admission accounted for no more that 1% of the…

To prepare for state-mandated mentoring of beginning teachers, educators from North Royalton City School District (Ohio) and higher education faculty developed a graduate course for novice mentors. The Pathwise Performance Assessment provided a framework for discussing teacher behaviors. Mentors learned cognitive coaching skills to implement the…

A "public" member of the American Library Association's Committee on Accreditation examines trends in library education across the country, and what this means for library and information science in the future. Discusses observations and issues in terms of mission, goals, and objectives; curriculum; faculty; students; administration and financial…

A case study investigated how the implementation of a "strategy redundancy" device, which consisted of the instructor's use of five teaching strategies and their mirroring in five features of a Webware package developed by the instructor, affected the participants' (graduate-level Internet course with eight teachers/three students) learning…

Discusses the impact of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards on teachers' professional development, exploring how the standards and processes can act as benchmarks in designing advanced master's degree programs. The paper calls for the authentic redesign of Master's education to promote the development of teacher knowledge and…

Reports the results of research conducted in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) graduate courses on the discourse socialization of students through the process of engaging in oral academic presentations. Data sheds light on the complex process of discourse socialization and are informative for faculty who assign oral academic…

This case study is an exploratory investigation of the learning opportunities provided by a Web-based Master of Science program in TESOL. Begins with a description of the course and its components and aims to evaluate the potential of the Web for delivering graduate level programs. Also compares this delivery with both classroom-based and…

This study evaluated the admissions process for a Master's in Business Administration Program using such quality improvement techniques as customer surveys, benchmarking, and gap analysis. Analysis revealed that student dissatisfaction with the admissions process may be a factor influencing declining enrollment. Cycle time and number of student…

Argues that new "learning" paradigms are needed to assess new kinds of educational practices. Uses Instruction Model-Learning Model Questionnaire and the Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness to compare traditional vs. interactive teaching methods in a graduate (n=94) public policy analysis course; finds neither effectively measures…

A middle-school principal initially skeptical of Margrove College's distance-learning program for teachers was pleasantly surprised by the teacher teamwork and cooperative-learning classroom activities this Master's degree engendered. The program effectively transferred skills to practice by blending theory, demonstration, practice, feedback, and…