Defines adult education as every adult's intentional efforts at self-education, alone and with others, in all human situations, including when the self-educator is facilitating the learning of other self-educators. Self-educating as an attitude, and a practice is offered as a sound basis for the profession of adult education. (SK)

Recent studies show that principals generally lack knowledge and expertise in assessment. This article proposes a framework of assessment competencies for principals (based on a decade-long program of task analysis research on student assessment) and explores their relationship to evaluation responsibilities embedded in the principal's…

This paper responds to criticisms of the American Association on Mental Retardation's new definition of mental retardation. Emphasis is on the intent to change from a deficiency model to a support model, with more importance given to the role of the environment. Also addressed are IQ score guidelines, cultural bias, assessment, and public policy.…

Attempts to clarify issues of ethnicity in educational discourse. Identifies sources of disagreement about the meaning of "ethnic." Suggests a conception of "ethnic" to reduce definitional confusion in specific research contexts. Perceives ethnicity as significant if ethnic status affects people's treatment in educational settings, if educational…

Three studies investigated 98 children's and 252 adults' implicit knowledge about learning disabilities. Overall, the studies suggested that professionals outside the field of special education, as well as nondisabled children, have fairly well-developed ideas about what constitutes a learning disability. Exemplars of tacit knowledge matched most…

Presents a logical analysis of the characteristics of indexing and their effects on retrieval. The foundational questions of performance evaluation and the basic quantitative performance measures for binary noninteractive retrieval systems are established. The effects of indexing devices, indexing exhaustivity, specificity, correctness, and…

Examines some problems of meanings and values that can occur regarding such widely used management terms as "power,""teamwork," and "quality" from both a "moral law" and "role-theory" viewpoint. Advocates a critical-ethical alternative to narrowly economic notions of educational management.…

Asserts that most technical writing textbooks are artificial as they do not force students to deal with writing problems in the same way as in the workplace. Maintains that technical writing instructors can provide their students with realistic writing alternatives. Discusses realistic alternatives for writing instruction and definitions. (PRA)

This paper summarizes results of a survey of 256,000 individuals in Spain which sought to identify those individuals with impairments, disabilities, and handicaps. The paper also examines the usefulness of the World Health Organization's classification. Results are discussed in terms of prevalence of disability, age, sex, common impairments,…

The concept of culture as developed by the deaf community is explored as an anthropological concept, noting the approximately 250 definitions of the term "culture." The article argues that the concepts of integrity and autonomy are the real issues of importance. (Author/DB)

Discusses research applications, specializations, and differences and similarities of land and sea life study. (MCO)

Responds to the three main articles in this issue with questions concerning the development and use of policy-impact codes (rural-urban classification systems) for specific purposes in policymaking, research, and practice. Questions the necessity for policy-impact codes to ensure equity, adequacy, responsiveness, and appropriateness of rural…

Gives an overview of the development of multimedia, from the combination of film and computer graphics used during the 1960s to present day jet aircraft simulators. Definitions of multimedia, virtual reality, the use of compact disks to deliver digitally recorded information, and the economic need for the technology are discussed. (KRN)

Explores two additional meanings of "moral democracy" to enhance John Dewey's concept and identifies possible procedures to identify basic democratic values. Reviews writings on some recognized scholars of democracy and explores how educators may use a democratic ethic to improve the quality of education in a changing democratic society.…

This study identified potential definitions of psychological abuse by having 381 citizens and 452 social workers rate vignettes of adult behaviors. Nine types of adult behaviors were identified by both groups, including confining a child in a small space, severe public humiliation, severe verbal abuse, threatening a child, and not allowing social…