A three-round Delphi technique elicited responses from 18 vocational special needs personnel regarding research needs and priorities for the next 10 years. A high degree of consensus was achieved on 57 percent of 91 research statements. Critical issues identified were transition and at-risk students. (SK)

Provides an overview of the articles in this special issue, which deals with the portability, or transferability, of educational computer software. Motivations for portable software relating to cost, personnel, and time are discussed, and factors affecting portability are described, including technical factors, educational factors, social/cultural…

Discussion of the portability of educational software focuses on the software design and development process. Topics discussed include levels of portability; the user-computer dialog; software engineering principles; design techniques for student performance records; techniques of courseware programing; and suggestions for further research and…

Discusses the interrelationships of the concepts of adaptability and portability of educational software. A conceptual framework for adaptable educational software is offered, a seven-stage model of adaptation is presented, and the research approach of the USE project in the Netherlands--which is concerned with the development and use of adaptable…

Discusses factors that must be considered when designing educational software for international, multicultural use. Basic design principles are examined, including graphics and content; system factors are described, including language; cultural differences are discussed; instructional strategies are considered; and the software development process…

Describes 12 constraints imposed by culture on educational software portability. Nielsen's seven-level virtual protocol model of human-computer interaction is discussed as a framework for considering the constraints, a hypothetical example of adapting software for Mexico is included, and suggestions for overcoming constraints and making software…

Discussion of cross-cultural media transfer emphasizes computer software portability. Educational aspects of portability are discussed; types of software most suitable to portability are described; educational guidelines for portability that focus on linguistic, contextual, structural, and motivational factors are offered; and a formative…

Discusses the portability of computer-related media in international distance education. Factors that influence portability of educational media are considered, current and potential applications in both developed and developing countries are described, and strategies to plan for portability are suggested that include political, social, and…

Describes eight conditions that facilitate the adoption, implementation, and institutionalization of educational technology innovations and suggests applications to the transfer of portable software. Applications of these conditions involving educational technology in Indonesia, Chile, and Peru are evaluated, and guidelines for successful…

Provides an example that illustrates the interrelationship of the factors that influence educational software portability. Nielsen's seven-level approach to human-computer interaction is used as the basis for a model for factors that influence portability, and five phases in the life cycle of a software product being adapted are considered. (10…

Discusses economic issues that affect the portability of educational software. Topics discussed include economic reasons for portability, including cost effectiveness; the nature and behavior of educational computer software markets; the role of producers, buyers, and consumers; potential effects of government policies; computer piracy; and…

Reconsiders and affirms the general model of factors that influence the portability potential of educational software by summarizing the articles in this special issue. Factors that received the most attention include software design and development; overall instructional approach; teacher training; and cultural assumptions. Areas for further…

Presented are 13 concepts considered important in estuarine education. These concepts were chosen by a panel of professionals in estuarine education, research and management. Included are the study methods, results, and implications for science education. (KR)

Examines the oral language and related literacy performances of four four-year olds to determine the role and functions of oral language in prekindergarten classroom exchanges, writing episodes, and print-awareness tasks. Children who are adept in oral use of Halliday's seven functions have a developed sense of their culture's literacy and perform…

Thirty-two preschoolers were observed while they played with realistic play props and nonrealistic play materials in an effort to determine whether realism of play objects was related to overall symbolic object transformation. Boys of all ages and girls under age five demonstrated greater symbolic activity with realistic play props. (SH)