This document describes self-directed learning, summarizes practices and research since 1930, examines sociocultural influences on teaching and learning, and describes methods for initiating self-directed programs at all levels. Chapter I describes areas in which students could take responsibility for their own learning: selecting methods and…

The adult literacy community is undergoing a period of rapid change due to the expanding role of information and communication technologies (ICT). Developments in instructional and educational design and enhanced technical capabilities have impacted on the range of online learning being offered. The online learning environment has evolved into a…

This report describes the key elements of an alternative access program at Mount St. Mary's College (California), from the recruitment and orientation of culturally diverse students to those ongoing academic and support services necessary to student persistence to graduation. The model is outlined in chapter II. Chapters III and IV describe how…

Four surveys are described which gauged student opinion concerning state, national, and international events as well as responses relevant to curriculum structure and subject matter knowledge. The surveys, conducted from 1975 through 1978, elicited responses from approximately 400 to approximately 850 New Hampshire public high school students. In…

The New York State Education Department conducts a Pupil Evaluation Program (PEP) in which each year all third, sixth, and ninth grade students in the state are given a series of achievement tests in reading and mathematics. The data accumulated by the department includes achievement test scores, teacher characteristics, building and curriculum…

The study's hypotheses were that: (1) the structural factors of ethnic density, socioeconomic status and type of school were more important determinants of college aspirations than such psychological variables as locus of control, optimism level and level of satisfaction with self and with the school program; and (2) students who were aware of…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for increasing student engagement and retention through the use of authentic assessment and cooperative groups. The targeted population consisted of one sixth grade class in an elementary school and two ninth grade classes in a high school located in different communities in the far…

For most distance education (DE) systems, distance, time, and/or opportunity isolate learners from their teacher and their fellow students. To facilitate interaction, most DE systems include different types of support groups. Modern technology allows groups to interact effectively even though individuals are far apart. Technology may appear to be…

This collection of 14 first-hand accounts from experienced and accomplished learning technology practitioners highlights issues in using learning technologies for flexible, distance, and open learning. The papers are as follows: "Using Learning Technologies: An Introduction" (Margaret Haughey); "Naming the Learning Technology Issues…

This monograph outlines the "Long-Range Plan" for Texas public schools, which was implemented by the state board of education in compliance with legislative mandate. The plan, to be reevaluated and updated each biennium, originated from the perceived needs of a diverse and changing demography. The report presents listings of state board…

This handbook outlines the grade 1 course entitled "People at Home and at School." A statement of the California philosophy of history-social studies education precedes the handbook's three sections. The first two sections present major goals of the overall program, an overview of social studies content for grades K-6, and a chart of…

This report contains forty papers presented at the tenth international conference of the International Council on Correspondence Education. The conference theme is described as one analyzing educational and administrative sub-systems and components, with reference to their purposes, significance, characteristics, interrelationship, and cost…

This paper suggests three educational changes that need to be made in light of the changing relationship between the student and the institution. First, a closer relationship between colleges and elementary and secondary schools must be built. Since a majority of high school students go on to college, educators from the separate levels must focus…

A questionnaire responded to by 424 students was intended to find out the ways in which the needs and experiences of 19,000 lifelong learners enrolled in the Lifelong Learning Society (LLS) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) meshed with the goals of the LLS. Of those students, 44 participated in a follow-up interview. These were the goals of the…

Ideas about what constitutes work, the ways work is organized, the tools used in work, and the relationship between work and the other components of life are all changing rapidly. The implications of these changes for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia and elsewhere were examined. The following issues were considered: (1) the…