This study examines the process by which system thinking perceptions develop within the context of a water cycle curriculum. Four junior high school students undergoing an especially designed inquiry-based intervention were closely observed before, during, immediately after, and 6 years after completing a year long systems-based learning program.…

Writing as a member of the Second National Evaluation Team for ESEA Title III, the late James Finn discusses the reasons for evaluation in education and the problem of evaluation becoming institutionalized. (LS)

Discusses the mystical aura attached to the notion of a systems approach to instruction, briefly reviews some of the instructional systems which have been advanced, and suggests a method for successful implementation of the process. (LS)

Systems approach" and instructional system" are defined, differentiated, and related. (LS)

A Systems approach helps overcome a shortage of typists at the Consolidated Insurance Company. Three figures. (LY)

Discusses the need for performance improvement professionals to achieve useful results, and to prove the value added in terms of empirical data. Considers the differences between systems, systemic, and systematic approaches, and examines which approach applies to various concepts in the field that would help add value. (Contains 14 references.)…

Adults over the age of 65 are the fastest growing segment of computer users. Due to this increased demand, effective training programs are essential. Although previous research findings illustrate the importance of older adults' goals, abilities, and experience levels in learning to use computers, these factors are often neglected in the…

Regional accrediting agencies today require higher education institutions to develop and demonstrate a culture of evidence-based decision-making and improvement as part of its emphasis on effectiveness. However, scant literature or examples exist to guide colleges and universities in developing such a culture. Cultural change is usually prompted…

School improvement might be initiated by state or district mandate, or it might be motivated by the concerns of school personnel. Teachers and administrators frequently enter the process with some idea of what needs to be reformed or improved, but issues can be overemphasized or overlooked if the process does not begin with a comprehensive needs…

As part of its work to advance the multiple pathways approach to high school education, the James Irvine Foundation engaged the Bridgespan Group to develop a framework for assessing the nature and needs of the fields in which nonprofits operate. These agents of change often struggle to understand how to focus their field-building investments and…