Presents results of an exploratory study attempting to establish a methodology for the unobtrusive analysis of a digital reference enterprise. Logs of over 3,000 questions asked of the Internet Public Library in early 1999 were analyzed on the basis of questions asked, self-selected demographic information, how those questions were handled, and…

Introduces the "person approach" to the study of adolescence, and discusses the consequences of the approach for theoretical thinking and research methodology. Reviews major types of pattern-based methods used for carrying out a person approach and discusses methodological challenges for adolescent research, including interindividual…

In 655 schools in 27 states, the Literacy Collaborative aims to improve elementary students' literacy achievement. A trained literacy coordinator trains other teachers and provides in-class coaching. Systematic collection of data on every child and data utilization by all program participants support continuous school improvement and create a…

Looks back over a number of exploratory studies that have researched young children's construction of meaning for graphs produced from data entered into spreadsheets. Discusses children's use of normalizing, an activity in which children 'correct' data towards some perceived norm. (Author/MM)

Proposes the following approach to teaching statistics: an introductory course on collecting, organizing, and presenting data, then a course on analysis and inference. Presents a study o f 339 students indicating that this course sequence results in better learning and less anxiety. (Contains 18 references.) (SK)

Describes an investigation that leads to one of the significant contributions that sabermetrics--new approaches to gaining information about baseball from its numerical records--has made to our understanding of baseball. (ASK)

Presents nine strategies for gathering information on training effectiveness via: telephone, e-mail, mail-in survey, postcards, online bulletin board, a visit to the human resources department, the strategic plan, focus group, and end-of-course evaluations. (AEF)

Discussion of adoption models for learning technologies focuses on how the use of models tends to channel and constrain thinking. Topics include the importance of practice over theory; needs assessment; committees or consultants; developing a framework; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; implementation; and evaluation and revision.…

Reports on a decline in fraternity membership, which is ascribed to changing demographics, bad publicity about alcohol abuse and hazing incidents, and changing student values. Graphs illustrate fraternity membership trends at six universities, including 10-year comparisons in membership, academic performance, and pledges; and average number of men…

Analyzes data from a survey of full-time non-tenure-track faculty at 88 colleges, as well as federal surveys of college faculty. Finds an increase in new staffing patterns that use full-time faculty on term contracts at both two- and four-year institutions. Identifies forces stimulating these changes, but notes worrisome evidence of a two-class…

Investigates the advantages of graphical mapping of national research publication and citation profiles from scientific fields in order to provide additional information with respect to research performance. By means of a multi-dimensional scaling techniques national social science profiles from 17 countries and two periods, 1989-1993 and…

Describes the timely and useful information about education in the United States found in "The Condition of Education" and points out some key pieces of information that are missing. The most glaring omission is information about instructional practices, and a second omission is in the area of teacher knowledge. (SLD)

Discusses the need to prepare teacher education students for integrating technology applications in K-12 schools and describes a student technology committee that was formed in two undergraduate teacher education courses to facilitate a more effective integration. Results from data analysis indicate that this was an effective strategy. (Author/LRW)

Explores the history of the federal Adoption Incentive Program, the first federal child welfare outcome-based incentive program to rely solely on administrative data; discusses the program in the context of other federal child welfare incentive programs. Considers the use of data to project program utilization and costs, set baselines for the…

Examined placement stability among a cohort of children in out-of-home care. Found that children in kinship care, regardless of age, had fewer placement moves than those in nonkinship care. Children who had more than one placement move during their first year were more likely to experience placement instability in long-term out-of-home care. (JPB)