This chapter explores how the structure of large complex organizations such as Cooperative Extension affects their ability to support internal evaluation of their programs and activities. Following a literature review of organizational structure and its relation to internal evaluation capacity, the chapter presents the results of interviews with…

This article focuses on the planning and organisation of teachers' continuous professional development as part of the nationally representative "Schools and Continuing Professional Development in England--State of the Nation" research study (SoNS), commissioned by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Thematic analysis…

In early 2004, the Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) required that all of its hotels (both owned and franchised) install high-speed Internet access (HSIA) in all of their rooms by June 2004. This case focuses on how one of its franchise properties located on the northern gulf coast of Florida (the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort &…

Library intranets require flexibility and efficiency and enhance the internal communication and collaborative nature of creating and organizing the institution's information. At the University of Houston Libraries, the focus was on public services, so little attention was given to the intranet--the tool every department relied on for quick access…

Statewide exit examinations play an important role in discussions on school effectiveness. Referring to educational governance concepts, this paper presumes a relation between varying organizational structures of statewide examinations across states, and heterogeneous effects on school actors. It is assumed that their ability to affect work in…

This article intends to introduce an e-portfolio system to help mentors assess the teacher candidates' performances and products in a large scale open and distance learning teacher training program. The Pre-School Teacher Training Program (PSTTP) of Anadolu University is a completely distance program that helps around 12.000 students get the…

This article presents a model of collaboration between a state child welfare licensing division and a public university to develop and administer online examinations for persons seeking licensure as administrators of residential child care facilities or child placing agencies. The exams assess knowledge of state standards and various practice…

The purpose of this case study was to discover the types of leadership policies and practices that make one-to-one laptop initiatives sustainable in three schools in South Dakota and Kansas. In order to implement a one-to-one initiative, administrators must determine what needs should be met ahead of the implementation. The needs may include…

This will be my first time authoring this column, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity it presents to explore the intersection of library technology and public services. As the recent title of the 2008 Internet Librarian conference indicates, "Beyond Library 2.0: User-Focused Tools and Technologies," the tide of what for several years has…

This article examines the operational and administrative underpinnings of Vanderbilt University's Ed.D. program. It explores the ways in which the admissions process, program orientation, and other academic and support services were reconceived when Peabody College formally launched its redesigned Ed.D. program in the summer of 2004. Further, it…

Adult education has historically been called to serve as a means to an end in promoting federal and social policy. As such, adult education seems to be shaped by current trends and national needs. Most recent, are the work-first policies of the 1990s. This qualitative case study explored ABE program administrators' perceptions of the impact of…

This eighth in a series of surveys of the basic communication course, begun in 1968, has as its purpose to gather longitudinal and descriptive data on the nature of the course. The latest study differs from past studies in that some of the results are presented comparatively for two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Samples for both…

"The impact of web-based lecture technologies on current and future practice in learning and teaching" was a collaborative project across four Australian universities, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). The project was both exploratory and developmental in nature and according to the project's external…

The use of distance education by entry-level dental hygiene programs is increasing. The focus of this study was to determine the number of entry-level dental hygiene program administrators with experience developing and/or maintaining dental hygiene education by distance, the challenges encountered, and the strategies used to overcome the…

Millions of adults in the U.S. report that they speak limited English, and English language ability appears linked to multiple dimensions of adult life, such as civic participation and workforce participation and mobility. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined: (1) the trends in the need for and enrollment in federally funded…