Reports on the structure and methodology of a British project investigating the impact and implications of competence-led curricula in further education. Outlines the alternative dissemination strategies, research methodology, and management approach used. Concludes that the teacher as researcher approach needs to be applied more explicitly in the…

Program improvement is the theme of eight articles in this issue. Articles discuss collaborative relationships, strengthening programs, outcomes-based education and tech prep, improving adult education, futures studies, program evaluation, and supervised agricultural experience. (JOW)

A study compared the generalizability of 36 medical students' performance scores under systematically varied station times in 2 surgery end-of-clerkship performance-based examinations. Results indicated longer station length decreased generalizability of scores by decreasing variability among students' performances. Testing time was also affected.…

Discusses the practicalities associated with the introduction of proficiency-based instruction into university programs and courses that teach Arabic. Some of the additional responsibilities that such innovations place on the language teacher are identified, and issues for further discussion, research, and experimentation are raised. (19…

Using distance education to develop management metacompetencies such as creativity, flexibility, and resourcefulness encounters problems in terms of learner vulnerability, learning style, structural dysfunctions, and "reality" methods. A combination of distance learning, discovery learning, and competency-based simulation may address these…

A University of Washington medical school study investigated faculty opinions concerning essential clinical skills and students' reports of having been or not been evaluated on them. This form of self-study was found useful for assessing general concerns about the effectiveness of clinical instruction. (MSE)

This case study, conducted by a doctoral student in educational administration, indicates that Florida State University's Department of Educational Leadership is changing from a traditional classroom setting to a performance-based, student-centered ambience. Service is being delivered to students in various ways. Faculty members and students…

Unlike traditional objective testing methods, alternative assessments encourage student involvement in real-life problems and challenges. The teacher's role is to help students determine and identify assessment tasks and criteria, participate in ongoing assessment of work in progress, and propose alternative ways to meet criteria. This article…

Educators will face a public backlash against educational technology unless they clearly state what K-12 students are to gain from it, ensure teachers are prepared to use it, and document the results. This article discusses the development of a document describing required technology competencies for students and educators, focusing on national…

A private secondary school in Portland, Oregon, sees arts and academics as equally important to education. The school integrates art throughout the curriculum; offers specialized classes in performing, visual, and media arts, taught by professionals; and offers field experiences and internships. Students progress through the performance-based…

The national context in which occupational standards and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) have been developed is described. NVQ methodology is explained, and issues arising from NVQ implementation are outlined. Developments in accreditation within the contexts of counselling and psychotherapy and guidance for learning and work are…

A rural health care staff development unit in New South Wales (Australia) switched from face-to-face teaching to a model encompassing competency-based training, recognition of prior learning, portfolio assessment, and flexible delivery using telecommunications technologies. Recommendations for ongoing implementation and marketing of…

The article explains how a formative evaluation in the context of a university in a developing country involving different stakeholders contributed to the development of proposals to improve ongoing educational practices. The case to be discussed is the implementation of generic competencies in the Faculty of Education at the Eduardo Mondlane…

For most of the twentieth century, the goal in education was the generation and dissemination of information. With the rise of technology and unlimited access to information, it is the ability to apply knowledge and learn from experience that is the new priority for employee development. Action learning, with its emphasis on action and reflection,…

In this article, the author examines the added value of strengths-based interventions in response to her college president's challenge that an educator should not be simply out for a talk in teaching. She redesigned her dissertation experiment to measure the impact of strengths-based teaching in two classrooms of Introduction to Public Speaking…