Due to a stronger dependency on biomass for energy, there is a need for improved technologies in biomass-to-energy conversion in Tanzania. This paper presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of pyrolysis technology used for conversion of wood and wood waste to liquid biofuel. In particular, a survey of environmental impacts of the process is…

Factors identified by 16 participants during in-depth interviews as influencing selection of speech pathology as a career were described using the Systems Theory Framework (STF, Patton & McMahon, 2006). Participants were highly likely to identify factors from the individual and social systems, but not the environmental-societal system, of the STF…

Promoting services is a conundrum for any organization. This is especially true for an academic library promoting distance library services. Systems thinking, process mapping, team learning, and diffusion of information practices offer ways of thinking about promoting services that help those involved find novel ways to approach promoting distance…

In this article, the author employs systems theory and organizational theory to illustrate how music education is an occupation instead of a profession and that most music educators think and function at the tactical level. The lack of a true education organization and career ladder for teachers, and that those operating at the tactical level…

This document reports on a focus group meeting convened by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) Board of Directors to examine the concept of educational accountability for all students, including students with disabilities. The outcome of the meeting was a definition of "accountability" and a…

The integration of concepts and contributions from learning theorists, media specialists, and teaching practitioners, optimized within a framework of selected system strategies derived from military management programs, can help resolve concerns for educational improvement and accountability and influence the utilization of technology enabling…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on the discipline of human resource development (HRD). "The Discipline of HRD" (Richard A. Swanson) frames the discipline of HRD by identifying its context and component theories--general systems, chaos, and futures. "Systems Theory as a Foundation for HRD" (Wendy E.A. Ruona) defines this…

This paper address three questions: (1) What is the nature of design? (2) How do skilled designers function? and (3) Can a theory of design be constructed which will allow novice and expert instructional designers to perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively? It begins by presenting two general theories of design: Simon's conception of…

The paper focuses on catalysts needed for interagency cooperation in multi-service delivery systems for handicapped individuals. The importance of interfacing personal and environmental profiles is emphasized, and an approach matching aspects of the person and the environment is described. A behavioral skill profile of the person would be matched…

Discusses the utility of copyright as a public policy for knowledge management in a society that possesses a high level of information technology. Proposes steps in solving problems concerning encouraging, researching, writing and disseminating new ideas in society. (BR)

The mind as organization metaphor asserts an optimistic and multi-faceted foundation for the examination of intrapersonal communication. Definitions of intrapersonal communication have not been developed without debate and controversy. As with many other ambiguous terms and definitions in the field of communication, an operational definition of…

This digest briefly reviews theoretical models for counseling dysfunctional familes, then discusses the use of systems theory in counseling families. It lists the characteristics of a dysfunctional family, explains family systems intervention, discusses the goals of family treatment, and describes several family systems counseling techniques. (NB)

World systems theory and feminist scholarship each have a great deal to offer the other, but the connections between the two have not often been recognized. The potential contributions from world systems theory include: (1) its understanding of history, (2) its understanding of what that history comprises, and (3) how it employs Marxist historical…