The seven units developed for the Math Network Curriculum Project (MNCP) incorporate an active approach to the study of mathematics using microcomputers. The intent is to have students explore new concepts by experimenting with different situations. Most teachers of mathematics have not learned mathematics in an active way, and thus need to…

The Wisconsin Foundation for Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education is currently involved in the development, implementation, and distribution of a sophisticated interactive computer and video learning system. Designed to offer trainees an open entry and open exit opportunity to pace themselves through a comprehensive competency-based,…

Noting that conceptions of the cognitive representations and processes involved in discourse comprehension and production recently have undergone an important shift in orientation, this paper points out the importance of the shift to the conception of the nature of texts, of text understanding, and of cognitive processes in knowledge creation and…

The papers in this collection of presentations at a conference of the University/Urban Schools National Task Force address topics on trends in educational technology and issues in teaching with educational technology. The following papers are included: (1) "The Appropriate Use of Technology in Education" (James E. Dezell, Jr.); (2)…

Strategic planning for an Integrated Academic Information Management System (IAIMS) for Georgetown University Medical Center is considered. The goal is to organize and transmit accessible and timely biomedical information where it is needed. Activities are proposed for education, research, patient care, management, sharing information on…

In order to help teachers of business communication look for new and innovative ways to improve their teaching, this book offers a "how to" approach to various topics in business communication. The ideas expressed in this book are a collaboration of 32 members of The Association for Business Communication who served on the Teaching…

The goals of instructional technology in Japan are enumerated, and significant aspects of the field are presented as follows: (1) an overview of the environment for instructional technology is given in terms of academic societies and professional associations, academic and popular journals and magazines, diffusion of media and budget, and recent…

A project was developed for the seventh- and eighth-grade student population to make available a computer-based program that provides specific prerequisite course data as well as electives to careers chosen by the students. The original areas of interest were defined by the student through use of a survey instrument and the initial course…

Rural teachers of vocational agriculture, realizing the need for access to current information in their field, obtained funds for initiating the use of a computerized telecommunications service. The service selected, AgriData Network, includes reports of news, markets, and trends; a collection of over 500 teaching plans in all subject areas in…

This issue of "Focus" includes seven essays addressing various concerns related to community college curriculum, instruction, and instructors. "Money, and the Good of Humanities," by Dr. Demont H. Howell, explores the utility of humanities education in preparing students for coping with the present and the future. "Teaching High Level Thinking in…

In fiscal year (FY) 1985 the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) was engaged in 24 major activities that responded to the rural problems of the region and supported the community development efforts of 29 land-grant universities in 13 southern states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The work of the SRDC Business Management Network…

A collection of essays on the management of bilingual education programs is organized in three units: managing in a culturally diverse setting, balancing critical interactions, and special issues. The following papers are included: "Recruiting and Retaining Competent Personnel for Bilingual Education Programs" (Joan E. Friedenberg, Curtis H.…

A collection of 16 brief articles are provided as possible reprints for newsletters and bulletins in school district working to achieve Title IX compliance and sex equity. Topics covered are: children's spare time, women in nontraditional jobs, changing work patterns, females and math, tots and toys, child care and working parents, tomboys, gifted…

A necessary prerequisite to the operational use of item response theory (IRT) in any testing program is the investigation of the feasibility of such an approach. This report presents the results of such research for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Despite the fact that GMAT data appear to violate a basic assumption of the…

This book surveys currently available software for English language learners and identifies future directions in the development of such software that are likely to prove fruitful. Discussed first are ways in which computers add to the learning experience. Stand-alone programs are compared with authoring systems, and "purpose-made" and…