Describes a survey of 28 community services and continuing education (CS/CE) directors to determine needed competencies for future CS/CE directors. Reports that consensus was reached on 14 proficiencies, including analytical ability, creativity, integrity, and decision-making skills; less uniform agreement was found on 25 other abilities. (ECF)

Argues that educational computing research has not kept up with the growing importance of educational technology. Examines criticisms of the research: the overtly optimistic tone permeating the majority of the literature, the avoidance of qualitative methodologies, and the distrust of a more theoretical analysis of the role of the computer in…

Discusses the best practices for distance learning programs in higher education. Highlights include the planning stage, including institutional mission, business planning and financial issues, needs assessment, collaboration with other schools and businesses, and technology feasibility; and the implementation stages, including faculty support,…

A survey of 20 health districts in England identified specialist services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviors. Great diversity was found in such services as specialized teams, staffed housing, assessment and short-term admission, and respite care facilities. Entitlement to appropriate treatment was more…

A national survey of parents (n=240) newly referred to Parent to Parent programs was conducted. These programs match an experienced parent of a special needs child in a one-to-one relationship with a newly referred parent. Newly referred parents preferred a wide range of supports, with the child's age and severity of disability affecting the need…

Provides a seven item checklist to help human resources development professionals determine whether multimedia is a correct method to meet training objectives. Topics include instructional design considerations when selecting a training method; needs assessment; learning styles; content and the need for updating; and individual learning versus…

This article reviews the background of the 1995 report of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the status and needs of dental education in the United States, notes the report's value as a database and information resource, urges its use by dental schools as a stimulus for considering options, and stresses the need for funding to stimulate…

This paper responds to the 1995 report of the Institute of Medicine concerning the present status and future needs of dental education in the United States. It describes the effort of the American Association of Dental Schools to systematically survey professional responses the IOM Report's recommendations. Among nine themes identified are…

This paper describes a collaborative project of several professional dental organizations to systematically respond to the Institute of Medicine's 1995 report concerning the present status and future needs of dental education. It describes the project's goals, objectives, guiding principles, and general findings. It identifies five action areas…

Discusses the outsourcing of campus services from the view of a business affairs administrator and a career services officer. Considers the areas of services which can be privatized, the pressures to move towards privatization, some of the issues in privatization, critical issues to consider in these efforts, economic concerns, and the…

Four tests evaluated the need for and effectiveness of detectable warning surfaces at curb ramps for pedestrians with blindness. Results found that the effectiveness of the detectable warning surfaces depended on other aspects of the design of the intersections and on factors such as the density of traffic and the traveler's skills. (CR)

Focuses on weighing the options to find the right technology-based assessment tool in schools and discusses questions to ask: "Do our state tests meet our needs?"; "What type of data is of most value?"; "How do today's assessment choices compare?"; "How important is support?"; and "Which criteria are most important in choosing the right test?"…

Discussion of instructional design for distance education compares team-based and faculty-driven design approaches based on three online graduate degree programs in two disciplinary areas. Discusses design considerations for online graduate distance education, including needs analysis, content and task analysis, and media selection and design; and…

This article examines the effects of labeling students "gifted." Educators are urged to spend less time on identification and more on providing services, conduct ongoing needs assessments, allow students to self-select areas of independent study, and educate stakeholders so the label is not perceived as the access to services. (CR)

A forum was held to identify the needs of parents of gifted children in Witwatersrand (South Africa). Results indicated parents were in need of information on: how to manage the child; emotional problems experienced by the child; attitude of teachers; dissatisfaction with school; problems with time; and a lack of skills, such as social skills. (CR)