Presents a case study of the development and implementation of the "results framework," an innovative planning and evaluation tool that is becoming a standard for U.S. Agency for International Development projects. Explains the advantages of this evaluation and monitoring approach. (SLD)

Examines the use of pesticides in an integrated pest management (IPM) program. The three steps to creating an IPM are discussed along with IPM personnel communication requirements, and the need for written policies managed by a knowledgeable coordinator. Additional resources for information about IPMs are included. (GR)

Beyond curriculum development, web-based courses require creation of a virtual environment with infrastructure for online registration and records, financial aid, orientation, advisement, and evaluation. In developing this environment, faculty should consider the market, operations, finances, organization, and collaboration. (SK)

The developer of a course given the National Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education describes the course rationale and units and the overall objectives of enabling students to understand and appreciate the entrepreneurial process, develop a business plan, and use business skills and technology. (SK)

Responses from 122 extension professionals showed that 56% offered programs targeted to specific groups. Deterrents to multicultural programs included lack of time, resources, and limited training; 95% recognized the need to address cultural differences and were receptive to learning about different groups. (SK)

This study sought to advance current mentoring research by examining the development and maintenance of exemplary formal mentoring programs in the nation's top performing companies. The ADDIE model of instructional systems design, which incorporates five steps from needs analysis to evaluation, formed the conceptual framework guiding the study.…

Media specialists operate in an environment of challenge, controversy, and daily travail. A new and particularly challenging trend makes media specialists responsible for teaching classes, especially in reading, or to hold a spot on the so called "specials" rotation. [For Part II, see EJ717650.]

The ways in which one can keep the library media plan on track in the face of the realistic challenges faced by media are discussed. A system for prioritizing tasks, both planned goal-related tasks and tasks that walk in the door in varying degrees of emergency status and by need of more time management strategies could be used. [For Part I, see…

Increased interest in the measurement of hospital quality has been stimulated by accrediting bodies, purchaser coalitions, government agencies, and other entities. This paper examines quality measurement for hospitals in rural settings. We seek to identify rural hospital quality measures that reflect quality in all hospitals and that are sensitive…

Multimedia presents a number of challenges and opportunities which must be addressed if it is to be used effectively in an educational context. Engineering education can greatly benefit, if these challenges and opportunities are met. This paper describes a framework for the development of multimedia applications. It then uses this framework to…

In this article, we discuss the development of online courses in higher education in terms of the in- structional quality and economic costs. In our conceptual analysis, we point out problems in developing online courses with sufficient quality due to limited funds being made available for online course development. Moreover, economic costs exist…

In "Effective Literacy Coaching: Building Expertise and a Culture of Literacy," literacy experts Shari Frost, Roberta Buhle, and Camille Blachowicz provide more than 50 practical activities designed to help K-12 literacy professionals: (1) Assess the current literacy program; (2) Plan changes that will foster a culture of literacy; (3) Collaborate…

Preparing students in the early childhood field to work with children both with and without disabilities and to collaborate with different professionals is an important endeavor for colleges and universities. The purpose of this paper is to articulate a unique model of program collaboration between early childhood special education and early…

This article describes the creation of a fully online master's program for e-learning specialist training. This program is the first of its kind in Japan. As background information, Japan's general trends in e-learning are described, including activities of the e-Learning Consortium Japan and National Institute of Multimedia in Education. Such…

The Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) was conceived by ministers at their triennial Conference of Commonwealth Ministers of Education in 2000. The Commonwealth of Learning was asked to investigate possible models, and presented a proposal to ministers at their next conference in 2003. The concept of a virtual…