Describes the application of evaluation methods to a graphic mechanics course offered to two public high school classes in Brazil through the Web-based distance education program "Programa Educ@r." Discusses the need for ongoing evaluation to control quality, and presents the results of the evaluation. (PEN)

Discussion of classes delivered via the World Wide Web and the need for timely feedback focuses on peer evaluations and computer-generated reports. Graphical methods of data presentation are described, including histograms with Bloom's taxonomy, based on experiences at Washington State University. (LRW)

This article presents a focused and detailed method for providing meaningful supervision to program administrators of early intervention programs. The Monthly Report and Quality Program Indicators provide anecdotal and statistical information about employee concerns, facility management, curriculum implementation, inservice development, community…

Discusses the use of evaluative techniques to measure outcomes that show the value and worth of librarians and library services. Highlights include quality improvement; evaluating quality; measuring concepts as opposed to concrete variables; meeting users' information needs; measuring intangibles; and measures from total quality management. (LRW)

An action research project sought to implement a quality management system in an academic department in an Australian higher education institution. The case study revealed that technical change was attained, but adoption of a quality culture achieved only token acceptance. (EV)

Total cost management, an innovation useful in higher education, is best implemented in the institution's support services. Total cost management is the practice of analyzing and improving an institution's financial and qualitative performance when producing a particular product or service, paying attention to the complete work process and all…

Argues that quality in faculty research does not translate directly into quality in teaching, and industrial modes of quality-assurance involving strong central management control are inappropriate for universities. The link between research and teaching is in mechanisms supporting quality. Academics know how to support quality in research; the…

The final paper in this theme issue summarizes concerns related to establishing a national quality assurance system for institutions of higher education in South Africa. Proposes a three-phase approach to establishing a national quality assurance system to include: (1) evaluation of existing institutional self-evaluation systems; (2) establishment…

A pilot study evaluated participation of 18 undergraduate students for one year in two Students' Quality Control Circles (SQCC) at the Faculty of Business and Management, Institut Teknologi MARA (Malaysia). Feedback from the students indicated that the SQCC was a suitable learning process and that it could be adopted as a subject. (DB)

Outlines quality assurance schemes for distance-education technologies that are based on the ISO 9000 family of international quality-assurance standards. Argues that engineering faculties can establish such systems on the basis of and integrated with accreditation schemes. Contains 34 references. (DDR)

Discusses scholarly misconduct as a source of misinformation on the Web and describes the results of focus interviews conducted in Singapore that considered the potential impact of misinformation on the Web. Topics include motivation for publication; motivation for misconduct; improving information literacy; and possibilities for quality control.…

Considers the impact of the Internet on scholarly journals. Discusses efficiency; dissemination of information; peer review process; a quality rating system that would allow submission of an article to a family of journals of differing prestige; the revision process; lower costs; universities as publishers; and multimedia possibilities. (LRW)

This article examines the interrelations between establishment of territorial quality certification systems (Protected Designations of Origin or PDOs), diffusion of innovations through local agro-food chains, and the role of the institutions overseeing geographical designations. Empirical analysis is applied to olive oil PDOs in Spain and entails…

Nursing home medical-record documentation of daily-care occurrence may be inaccurate, and information is not documented about important quality-of-life domains. The inadequacy of medical record data creates a barrier to improving care quality, because it supports an illusion of care consistent with regulations, which reduces the motivation and…

Assessments such as ranking exercises arguably level the playing field for stakeholders. Quality assurance may remain a challenge for consumers, but "public" assessments do provide a nominal element of independence or autonomy. This article outlines, from a German perspective, the way in which research assessments are frequently subject…