First published in 1980 "The Door Stood Open" deals with an early demand upon open university policy. It deals with important themes like context of the younger students pilot scheme; demand for open university places among the younger age group; motivational factors and potential study problems; the impact of open university study on…

Context: Introducing Computer Science (CS) into formal education can be challenging, notably when considering the numerous stakeholders involved which include the students, teachers, schools, and policy makers. We believe these perspectives should be considered conjointly, which is possible within Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs). RPPs look…

The book aims to provide an archival forum for researchers, academics, practitioners, and industry professionals interested and/or engaged in the reform of the ways of teaching and learning through advancing current learning environments towards smart learning environments. It facilitates opportunities for discussions and constructive dialogue…

Writing is an important content area that pervades all subject areas and is required for post-school success, yet many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle in written expression. In this article we discuss the characteristics of students with ASD that make writing difficult, and the strengths, such as the use of technology,…

In 2008, the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation created the Saint Paul Early Childhood Scholarship Program, a pilot program to provide families with scholarships to cover the cost of high-quality early childhood education (ECE) programs. Although there is a large body of research about the benefits of preschool specifically and early learning…

The "Policy to Performance Toolkit" is designed to provide state adult education staff and key stakeholders with guidance and tools to use in developing, implementing, and monitoring state policies and their associated practices that support an effective state adult basic education (ABE) to postsecondary education and training transition…

Evaluation is an important program component of RALLY and helps to document the gains that stem from this program. This article describes the quality of RALLY implementation and selected student outcomes of an exemplary RALLY program at an urban middle school. The findings showed effects on students' resiliency as well as academic success, as…

The importance of engaging students in science and helping them to become informed citizens has been highlighted by many groups invested in science education. This report describes a project that furthers both academic and civic goals through the integration of a service learning component into an undergraduate course. This nonmajors class covers…

A wide range of tools is now available to enable teaching practitioners to create web-based educational materials from PowerPoint presentations, adding a variety of different digital media, such as audio and animation. The pilot study described in this paper compared three different systems for producing multimedia presentations from existing…

Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS) instruction was piloted to test the viability of a cooperative system of shared instruction that could be cost-effective and efficient, reducing unnecessary duplication of courses taught. Results of the 1984 pilot show that ITFS was successful based on participants' (industry employees and the public)…

This paper reports on the planning of a pilot developmental kindergarten program for a school district that traditionally emphasized an academic kindergarten program. Background information is presented which explains the reasons for initiating the change. Steps taken to plan the program are explained, and a list of possible impediments to…

This paper is a progress report of the first phase of a project which essentially seeks to replicate previous studies using the successful/unsuccessful design in an attempt to: (1) corroborate the surface/deep structure conclusion which has become an essential component of an understanding of problem-solving; (2) examine more closely the nature of…

Walla Walla Schools (Washington) designed a demonstration project using the Marzano thinking skills model, which emphasizes learning preparation, content thinking, and basic reasoning skills. Placing selected thinking skills within specific curriculum areas and grade levels proved so successful that teachers then collaborated on a content-free…

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors which help successful equity initiatives that had been seeded in technical and further education (TAFE) institutes through short-term funding to take root and spread. The report concludes that many equity programs remain stuck in the seeding stage and fail to thrive and grow. It suggests that…

For a pilot program to succeed, administrators should take the following steps: state the program objectives; keep lines of communication open with school staff; broaden available resources; be clear about expected time demands; see that staff members know the availability and how to handle funds; and take time to review, assess, reflect, and…