This article describes the results of the VIISA Outreach Project, a well-received in-service training model for personnel who work with infants and young children with visual impairments, which has been in existence since 1991 in 23 states. The program combines home study with on-site courses taught by experienced instructors. (Contains 11…

High-stakes testing's goals are to improve student learning of worthwhile academic content and narrow achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged populations. Students are supposed to work harder and teachers are supposed to work more efficiently and effectively. Curriculum design and target-setting are key elements. (MLH)

Discussion of designing learning activities that incorporate Web sites into the curriculum focuses on appropriate debriefing strategies for multiple-intelligence learners. Considers outcomes of successful debriefing, including increased understanding of content, improved problem-solving strategies, increased recall ability, and increased…

Describes a library program to teach senior citizens how to use computers, developed at the Vigo County (Indiana) Public Library. Discusses gearing courses for inexperienced users; balancing hands-on sessions, general information sessions, and one-on-one sessions; location of courses; timing of classes; searching the Web; and written materials.…

This instructional design looks at momentum in physics through railroading, to assist students in developing appropriate mental models that will enable them to solve problems relevant to the process or principle being taught. A PEAnet (process, entity, activity network) relationship enables an instructional visualization (simulation) in which…

This article describes the development of the Head Start Mental Health Research Consortium, a research partnership between the Administration on Children, Youth and Families and the National Institute of Mental Health. The Consortium is designed to assess mental health needs of low-income children and optimal approaches for addressing these needs.…

Discusses the research design for an educational evaluation of the Alexandria Digital Earth ProtoType (ADEPT), a digital library of geo-referenced information resources. Reviews the deployment of digital libraries in educational settings, the role of information technology in developing students' scientific thinking, and evaluation of digital…

Discusses the complexity of Spanish heritage language learners through a study of a program at the University of San Antonio. Highlights variables to consider in planning programs, such as institutional location, percentage of Hispanics in the student body, types of Spanish spoken, attitudes of teachers toward student language and culture, length…

Responds to a critique of "The Small ICF/MR Program: Dimensions of Quality and Cost" (Conroy), that questioned the research design of the study. It emphasizes the significantly higher quality of life ratings for community living arrangements in opportunities for choice-making, integration, individualization, and other measures. (CR)

Describes a study of college students that investigated Web-based search engine queries and compared relevancy ratings with expert-formulated queries. Considers the number of subject terms used and the use of Boolean operators and discuses the need for designing search engine interfaces that provide greater support in term selection and operator…

Discusses issues in training students to be culturally literate and the process for creating, designing, and developing cross-cultural (globalized) instructional materials. Defines terms associated with globalizing instructional materials and the process of adapting these materials to other cultures. Outlines cultural and technical considerations…

Highlights considerations in designing high-quality, developmentally appropriate indoor play environments for all children. Suggestions for arranging classroom space focus on arrangement and accessibility of play areas. Tips for selecting and arranging play materials relate to ensuring diversity of play materials, increasing and maintaining…

This article reports on a survey of 41 special education faculty that found that few included instruction on self-determination in their courses. It then describes a course that was developed on transition planning to ensure that special educators obtain the skills necessary to support the development of self-determination skills. (Contains…

Details the work of Claudia Vangstad who expanded the range of the MRI approach to transform a school culture. Vangstad significantly increased her effectiveness not by limiting applications of the MRI problem-solving approach to individuals, but rather by expanding the range of approach to include larger units: psychoeducational groups,…

Describes an approach to using new technologies in online education that consciously uses the multiplicity of options that these technologies provide. Provides a case study of an online course in a master of education program and examines multiplicity in contexts for learning, instructional media, instructional formats, learning activities, and…