Discussion of measuring and improving the quality of library public services focuses on a method for quantifying and categorizing patrons' comments from a questionnaire developed at the College of Charleston (South Carolina) library. Topics include Total Quality Management, measures of user perceptions, and defining the service role of libraries.…

Discussion of the reorganization of the national higher education system by the Australian government focuses on a questionnaire distributed to university librarians that examined quality assurance processes and management. Topics include quality indicators and libraries; methodologies, including Total Quality Management; allocation of quality…

Describes how Office of Residential Life at one university met maintenance challenges facing its residential and food-service facilities. Discusses study conducted in 1992 to evaluate widespread management practices and addresses its findings, including six recommended practices. Examines development and implementation of facilities audit,…

The future of educational design, development, and improvement lies in integrating "how" with "what" and "why." Critical strategic thinking factors include abandoning comfort zones; focusing on ends, not means; linking all three planning and result levels; starting with an ideal vision; preparing measurable…

Focuses on quality assurance in open and distance education. Discusses making use of new technologies in ways besides the simple transfer of content; establishing systems of quality assurance and control tailored to universities' needs; four broad principles for developing distance education policies and procedures; and managing change. (AEF)

Continuing medical education (CME) on the Internet has grown steadily over the past several years. However, the quality of Web-based CME has received limited attention in the medical literature, and there have been few attempts to articulate quality standards. This article describes five sets of standards published in the distance education…

This paper provides further evidence to challenge the scepticism of successful interprofessional working. It is a story of a project to support families and children, more specifically, isolated mothers, and the use of continuous quality improvement and action research methodologies to engage a community and change service provision. Based on…

A number of small countries face similar problems while organising external assessment of higher education institutions: how to select proper experts, how to prepare them and maintain? How to avoid bias or interest conflict between experts who evaluate the institution and the institution being evaluated? How to reduce the financial costs of…

Reforms that have been undertaken in the mental health system have significant implications for psychologists working in and with schools. This article introduces the special series in "School Psychology Review" on "Emerging models for promoting children's mental health: Linking systems for prevention and intervention." This article describes…

For more than 60 years, the health education profession has worked to develop, implement, and refine guidelines for preparing and training health educators. Among the seminal works documenting this dedication to, and quest for, quality assurance in professional preparation and practice are guidelines for professional education of health educators…

This article offers an insight into the regulation and conduct of training and education in a globalised industry, and across an international labour market. Focusing on the cargo shipping sector of the maritime industry, it considers the provision of training and education for modern merchant officers within the context of an international…

"Education for a Digital World" contains a collection of strategies and tools for effective online teaching, based on the principles of learning as a social process. Narrative is supplemented by real-life examples, case studies, and resources to supply comprehensive perspectives about structuring and fostering socially engaging learning…

Information and Communication Technology in education is changing the way we teach, learn and conduct research. Today we have WIRE, WEB and WINDOWS leading to CONNECTIVITY, NETWORKING and APPLICATIONS. Not surprisingly the National Council of Teacher Education, (NCTE) India, decided to make ICT Literacy a compulsory part of the Pre-service course…

This article addresses the problem of inept, ineffective, and mediocre governing boards at America's colleges and universities. It maintains that substandard governance can almost always be traced to one of two culprits, or both: (1) most boards are orchestras of soloists; and (2) many boards tend to either lionize or trivialize the president.…

This report compares the provision of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom. It finds that training policies are increasingly based on similar general principles which promote the improvement and reform of vocational education and training, although the implementation of these principles tends to…