This paper reports on two research studies. The first study investigates teachers monitoring strategies during computer-assisted composition instruction. The findings reveal four principles underlying a strategic, proximal instruction process. The four principles are collaborative assessment, guided practice, instructional branching, and learner…

This study examined interaction and communication patterns among students (n=9) and with the instructor in a graduate course offered at a distance using the FirstClass computer conferencing (CC) software. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: (1) What are similarities and differences in interaction and collaboration between CC and…

The Information Technology Project (ITP) at Clayton College & State University (CCSU) (Georgia) focuses on information technology as a central part of teaching and learning, primarily through Universal Personal Information Technology Access (UPITA). UPITA equips each student and faculty member with a powerful multimedia notebook computer with…

Development of career management skills in higher education (HE) was examined in a study of nine HE institutions in the United Kingdom. Despite widespread acknowledgment of the importance of career management skills, consensus on the precise way such skills should be defined and related to core (key) skills was limited. Three strategies for…

One of the potential negative effects of online courses is a loss of social relationships and a loss of the sense of community that is usually present on a traditional campus. This paper presents evidence that collaborative learning strategies, which require relatively small classes or groups actively mentored by an instructor, are necessary in…

This manual, which is based on extensive research on cognitive psychology and organizational theory, contains resources for nine workshop sessions designed to help people become creative problem solvers in their workplace and their lives. The materials are based on Bransford and Stein's IDEAL model, according to which successful problem solving…

"Learn & Live," a documentary film created by The George Lucas Educational Foundation and hosted by actor Robin Williams, profiles four K-12 school programs that are seeing positive results. In addition to these stories, the film shares insights from experts in education and technology to help explain why the innovations profiled in…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on innovation and creativity and their relationship to human resource development (HRD). "Intrapreneurial Programs and Their Impact on Sales, Profit, and Return to Investors" (Melissa H. Marcus, Dennis G. Tesolowski, Clinton H. Isbell) reports on a study in which 100 of 217 randomly…

Offering new perspectives on community college faculty recruitment and training, and on the renewal of current faculty, this journal issue contains articles on preservice training, faculty development, and teacher improvement. The following 10 chapters are included: (1) "Quo Vadis: Staffing the People's College 2000," by Michael H. Parsons, which…

Balancing the vocational and educational components in technical institutions today is difficult, requiring that faculty and administrators have vision, political realism, moral integrity, and energy. To understand better the rationale which underlies present forms of nonuniversity, postsecondary college education, a study was conducted at three…

The discussion of reflective techniques for second language teaching is intended for teacher trainees and in-service teachers and focuses on practical applications of the reflective method. Each chapter presents an important dimension of teaching and poses questions for classroom observation, investigation, and critical reflection. The suggested…

Group investigation is an organizational approach that allows a class to work actively and collaboratively in small groups and enables students to take an active role in determining their own learning goals and processes. As part of reform and restructuring efforts, Beaverton High School (Oregon) implemented the Group Investigation model with…

In school reform studies little attention has been paid to context, i.e., the structures, standards, norms, and practices that enable and encourage teachers to do their best work. In contrast, this study concentrates on the workplace (the school) as it is experienced by teachers: physical setting and resources; organizational structures;…

This bulletin of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) sets forth the philosophic grounds for democratizing schools and the evidence from research as to why this task should be undertaken. In the first part of the booklet, a brief NCSS position statement indicates that schools should practice democracy and be able to instruct through…

This self-instructional module, one of 16 on techniques for coordinating work experience programs, provides preservice and inservice educational materials for teacher-coordinators supervising on-the-job training. The two goals for this module are to know the teacher-coordinator's role in coordinating on-the-job training and to be able to identify…