In this study we describe a mechanism for supporting a community of learning scientists who are exploring educational technologies by helping them to share and collaboratively build design knowledge. The Design Principles Database (DPD) is intended to be built and used by this community to provide an infrastructure for participants to publish,…

Results-based management (RBM) is an approach to programme planning and management that integrates strategy, people, resources, processes and measurements to improve decision-making, transparency and accountability. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) began the adoption of a RBM model with its 2003-2006 Three-Year Plan. This led to a significantly…

Self-efficacy is one of the important concepts of the social cognitive theory, and can be defined as individual's perception of his or her own capabilities for organizing and successfully executing the courses of action required to attain designated types of performance. Teachers with high self-efficacy perception can contribute to creation of a…

The premise is advanced that a major weakness of the everyday generic instructional systems design model stems from a too modest traditional conception of the purpose and potential of formative evaluation. In the typical ISD (instructional systems design) model formative evaluation is shown not at all or as a single, product evaluation step. Yet…

This article describes how study-units in the module form can be built up to produce an effective learning process. These modules are self-contained, independent study-units on which a modular instructional system is based and which might be parts of mastery learning systems. (Author)

Sales, service, and production activity training programs might benefit from utilizing the matrixed reference piece, an inexpensive information and reference organizer well adapted to comparative procedural concepts. (Author/LH)

Volunteers trained in media development techniques can assist special education teachers in producing specific curriculum materials. (Author/CL)

Passages from three selected samples of textbooks are used to show what requirements are made of textbooks in the social sciences. Some hints are given to the teacher for converting reading suggestions into instructional material. Short texts from Karl Marx are also suggested. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An interview with Hartford N. Gunn, Jr., President of the Public Broadcasting Service, in which he discusses the operation of the cooperative, its relationship to other funding sources and the assumptions behind it. (Author/HB)

This is a simple how-to-do it manual intended to help projects that wish to produce print materials. It highlights the stages involved in producing print materials, giving an overview of the steps required and offering hints on different approaches to the various processes. The manual begins with the comprehensive layout (dummy) stage and proceeds…

This paper describes work that has been completed to date on a course in Cantonese for students who already have some knowledge of Mandarin. Among the topics discussed are the principles on which the course is to be based, the method of data collections, and the organization of the materials that have been so far produced. Specimens of the latter…

Some negative features of instruction development are considered, with focus on four major error syndromes associated with current instructional development activities. The first, Immoderate Aspirations, deals with developers who attempt to accomplish goals which are beyond the capabilities of current development expertise. The second, Feedback…