Education is many things, but it is primarily the mode of production and reproduction of socially sanctioned knowledge, including the technical skills and sustaining ideology needed to maintain cultural continuity while adapting to social change. To teach creatively and to explore and shape knowledge amidst vast technological changes is the test…

In 1994, the Government of Norway initiated a major restructuring of the non-university sector. Almost one hundred vocationally-oriented institutions were amalgamated to create twenty-six comprehensive, autonomous colleges. Nursing education was completely reorganized. Once offered in specialized schools closely linked to hospitals, nursing became…

Describes how growing state occupational license laws that require passing examinations create a large demand for education. Reports on a study of the exam-preparation methods of applicants taking the California contractors' license examination. Sees a role for community colleges in preparing license candidates. (DMM)

Presents survey results concerning the more than 260 community colleges providing educational services to the 26,000 inmates participating in higher education. Finds a greater involvement of two-year colleges than in the past, with programs characterized by special admissions standards and reliance on part-time staff for administration and…

Describes a national survey of directors of occupational education at community colleges conducted to determine their perceptions of the importance of selected occupational education supportive services (e.g., open admissions, career/academic advising, financial aid, women's programs, remediation and developmental education, and placement). (LAL)

Describes a study of the perceptions of 245 human resource development specialists concerning the technical, human relations, problem-solving, and basic skills of Illinois community college vocational/technical graduates. Nursing and allied health program graduates received the highest ratings. Overall, graduates were rated highest in human…

Identifies a number of factors considered by community college deans of vocational education to be vital in any determination of program success. Posits these critical factors (e.g., enrollment data, placement factors, student performance, student and employer satisfaction) within an institutional report card format appropriate for distribution to…

Describes how institutional vocational education data and census data can be combined to assess minority group representation at community colleges. Uses enrollment and census data for Oregon to contrast geographic differences in the distribution of minorities and to examine minority group participation rates in vocational programs. (DMM)

Reports on a study of the differences in the learning styles of 400 community college students in career and transfer programs as measured by the Canfield Learning Styles Inventory. Presents findings by program area and sex. (DMM)

Reports on a study of the effects of students' sex, type of vocational program, and aptitude test scores on self-ratings and teachers' ratings of students' generalizable skills. Concludes that student self-ratings and teacher ratings may represent feasible, practical ways to assess students' skills. Includes recommendations for further research…

Reports on a study of 34 occupational programs in 17 community colleges which were identified by a local administrator as effective or ineffective. Identifies 15 programmatic factors which were associated with the effective programs. (DMM)

Examines a study which determined and compared community college occupational program graduates' and leavers' views on actual and optimal amounts of general education. Indicates that the degree and certificate students had taken proportionately more general education courses than was required by the college or than they considered optimal. (DMM)

Presents a rationale and operational guidelines for determining comparable costs for two-year college occupational and technical programs, using production costs of student credit hours and cost center components (e.g., teaching costs, administrative personnel costs, general institutional expenses, federal funds, gifts, grants, and unique program…

Provides findings from a literature review and a national survey conducted to establish a profile of the curricula, faculty, and students in two-year agricultural occupational programs. Shows similarities and differences among postsecondary occupational programs. Reveals that agricultural programs began and operated without benefit of organized…

Provides citations and abstracts for seven ERIC documents dealing with student retention in the face of declining enrollment, attrition and student progress, early identification of potential dropouts, causes of course withdrawal, withdrawal analysis, and student attrition and retention in two-year occupational programs. (DMM)