Describes the development of the multimedia curriculum at the University of the Arts (Pennsylvania). Highlights include degrees offered; the new multimedia lab, including both Macintosh and PC computers; an emphasis on collaboration and interdisciplinary knowledge; and preparing students for change. (LRW)

Examines the role of English worldwide and introduces paradigms: a "diffusion-of-English paradigm" and an "ecology-of-language paradigm." Discussion of the two paradigms in light of recent tendencies within the European Union, the postcommunist states, and the international arena emphasizes the alliance between language…

Examines the focus of current English language programs for immigrants to Australia. It is noted that the most sweeping policy and curriculum changes were those emerging in the early 1990s and that a major element, in addition to a changed funding base and focus on migration settlement only, was the introduction of accredited competency-based…

Discusses reasons for the current popularity of learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in the Ukraine, focusing on why English teaching and learning has failed in state-owned educational institutions and on alternative forms of ESL teaching and learning. (CK)

Reform of the university is discussed taking the perspective that advances in information technology will have a substantial effect on the university system. It is suggested that within 20 years, the traditional university will become an anachronism, supplanted by a unified system of information exchange. The New Zealand context is emphasized.…

Discusses the increasing adoption of the learning community ideal among community colleges, describing the leaders and organizations who have contributed to this movement. Reviews five indicators of a learning community: effective learning, professional development plans for every employee, constant reevaluation of missions and values,…

This paper argues that infusion of technology into higher education is the key to its future, particularly that of metropolitan universities, and is a metaphor for broader issues of educational change. Ways to involve faculty in understanding those changes, and to capitalize on information age technology to transform learning and thus the role of…

Common criticisms of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) are outlined, and its predictive ability is discussed. Persistence in its widespread use for college entrance is also examined briefly. Arguments for achievement tests as an alternative are explored. It is concluded that alternatives are likely to be equally controversial, and that…

As colleges and universities seek to raise attention to teaching, peer review offers distinct advantages, especially for faculty eager to reduce classroom isolation and collaborate in improvement. It also presents political and methodological challenges and presumes significantly different roles for faculty in improving quality of student…

The organizational development strategies used in the Sydney University (Australia) physics department, designed to bring about a reassessment of the role and practice of teaching and to support the implementation of teaching reforms, are described. The roles of leadership, devolved responsibility, and consultation in effecting change in both…

A discussion of educational reform in Central and Eastern Europe in general, and Romania in particular, suggests four distinct reform stages: destructuring (1990); stabilization (1991-92); restructuring (1993-95); and counterreform (after 1993). Political, social, and economic attitudes and actions characterizing these stages are examined. (MSE)

Describes the 10-year process in which Hagerstown Junior College (HJC) (Maryland) underwent a transition from a passive institution to a proactive agent for community renewal. Indicates that HJC redefined its civic purpose and executed its agenda through community-based programming and the facilitation of community problem solving. Includes 15…

Evaluated effects of a nine-month project that paired fourth graders with elderly volunteers for a number of shared interdisciplinary activities. The Children's Perception of Aging and Elderly inventory posttest scores indicated the experimental group had significantly more positive attitudes toward the elderly than the control group. Results held…

Suggests that any model of washback must include insights from the theory of educational innovation to help explain why tests do not always have the desired or feared effect. Key concepts in educational innovation are reviewed, showing how these concepts are manifested in a case study in washback and outlining how they are being applied in recent…

A discussion of reform in Australian higher education in the current context of rapid social, economic, and administrative change looks at several areas of concern: the direction of the institutions; an imbalance of management and substance; and a new conformism that encourages generic institutions based on an international model and inhibits…