Distance education has become a major teaching and learning tool. Distance education typically uses technology to reach learners in the following ways: (1) audio communication through one- or two-way radio or telephone; (2) audiographic links such as computer-to-telephone setups; (3) freeze-frame transmission of visual images; (4) one-way…

The four issues of "Skole" published in 1995 include articles examining alternatives to public education and the value of free schools. Free schools offer an unstructured curriculum in which comparisons between students are eliminated and students are empowered to be responsible for their learning. Proponents of this approach to…

This book contains abridged and edited versions of research reports with original commentary that were previously published elsewhere. The articles reflect J. Dewey's notion that schools must prepare children to be effective members of a democracy and that life in a heterogeneous society requires cultural flexibility and cooperation that must be…

This report discusses forces that are shaping alternative approaches to the delivery of postsecondary education, particularly distance education and open learning. One of these forces is the ever-changing composition of the student body, whose demands are increasing and whose needs are becoming more disparate because of a more and more…

Data from the West Virginia Department of Education reveals that from September 1991 to January 1992, school districts reported 18,915 out-of-school suspensions involving 12,997 students. In 1995, the West Virginia State Legislature enacted the Safe Schools Act, which specifically mandates suspension for no less than 12 consecutive months for…

This directory provides information on over 200 institutions and organizations that are involved in organic, alternative, or sustainable agriculture and that also focus on education, training, or provision of information. The directory was compiled by the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC), which is 1 of 10 information centers…

This book looks at the administration of an academic institution as a learning factory which needs to be run like a business, competing with other businesses offering the same service. The book begins with a discussion of the concepts of the continuing education learning market, the playing fields and rules of the games, as well as the idea of…

This manual recommends procedures for developing and operating a rural-based distance learning consortium. Following some brief definitions and an outline of the three basic essentials for success (trust, shared vision, and suitable telecommunication infrastructure), guidelines for developing a distance learning consortium are presented in five…

Charter schools are created and managed by an entity composed of parents and/ or teachers, community and/or business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses. Many people believe that charter schools can provide a high quality education without the regulatory constraints of the conventional public schools. This digest reviews…

To show that training programs for adults with intellectual handicaps can be successfully carried out regardless of the size of the community, information is provided on vocationally oriented programs in place at two Canadian community colleges: the Consumer and Job Preparation Program (CJPP) at Douglas College, in New Westminster, British…

In the spirit of educational reform efforts, public schools have national goals for the first time and are under pressure to adopt a national curriculum, national testing, and parental choice of schools. School reform depends on upgrading teacher education. Only a more carefully recruited, better prepared, and more professionally rewarded teaching…

The perceptions of elementary school teachers, principals, and supervisors about classroom management strategies required of teachers when using alternative task structures and interactive instructional strategies were studied. A questionnaire developed by the researchers was administered to 34 kindergarten through grade 5 teachers, 7 principals,…

A high school teacher was studied who was known to have begun implementation of a modern paradigm of mathematics education, as described in the "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" and the "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics," both by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. His…

The Study of Academic Instruction for Disadvantaged Students explored the nature and effects of alternatives to conventional practices in mathematics, reading, and writing instruction in schools that serve high concentrations of children from low-income backgrounds. This report presents what was learned by describing and analyzing instructional…

The first year's observations of projects funded by the Annenberg/Corporation for Public Broadcasting in its New Pathways to a Degree project are summarized. The project was designed to help colleges use technologies to develop academic degree programs that are accessible to the new majority of learners, those who have jobs, home responsibilities,…