This article presents the authors' critique of lessons proposed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). The authors initiate a discussion about content that they hope will play out in schoolhouses and statehouses across the country. They take on a different task: they present a handful of lesson ideas from P21 that could enhance studies…

This article discusses the way in which social identities structure the learning processes of students in two subjects in the Dutch secondary school curriculum--Care and Technology. It analyses interviews with 23 students and their teachers with a view to explaining the disappointing results in these subjects in terms of breaking through gender…

This selection of the papers presented at a conference includes 6 introductory papers, 32 papers dealing with innovations and experiences in the authors' own countries, and reports from 6 working groups. These working groups addressed the six key topic areas of the conference: (1) relationships between new technologies and labor relations and…

Product take-back (also called extended producer responsibility) has become a trend for dealing with the garbage resulting from categories of problematic products. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one such category with computer equipment being of particular significance. This article provides a description of the European…

The five papers in this pre-conference reader were intended to stimulate discussion about the impact of technology on society and on education in general, and to provide some insights into the opinions of Dutch and Flemish researchers working in the field. In the first paper, "Information Technology in Education," Tjeerd Plomp addresses…

Telecommunications policy makers in Western Europe face the dilema of satisfying public demand for a wider range of television viewing alternatives without sacrificing national cultural integrity. The Dutch Parliament addressed this problem in 1984, 1985, and 1986 as it approved steps to implement the "Medianota," the comprehensive…

International transfer, defined as the process of diffusing a product or idea across national boundaries, has become an increasingly significant source of educational innovation in recent years. In order to analyze the outcomes of an international transfer project, three dimensions should be considered. The first, the amount of change in the…

This paper discusses the design of flexible and intelligent library buildings. The first section addresses how flexibility, as one of the requirements of a library building, that has high priority in the planning process. Intelligent libraries are considered in the second section, and functionality is stressed. The third section examines…

Distance higher education for adults, media selection, and country profiles are considered in conference papers. Titles and authors are as follows: "Distance Education, Trends Worldwide" (Lord Perry of Walton); "Adults in Higher Education: Lowering the Barriers by Teaching and Learning at a Distance" (Hans G. Schutze);…

Highlights the need to reinvigorate chemistry education by means of the visual-spatial approach, an approach wholly in conformance with the way modern chemistry is thought about and practiced. Discusses the changing world, multiple intelligences, imagery, chemistry's pictorial language, and perceptions in chemistry. Presents suggestions on how to…

Reviews developments in telecommunications applications for education in Western Europe by describing national or regional initiatives for support of telecommunications use by teachers and in schools. Highlights include examples of networks and support services and the role of the Commission of the European Communities. (22 references) (LRW)

Explores the information market in the United States from the perspective of information scientists from the Netherlands Council for Libraries and Information Services (RABIN). Highlights include empowering the end user; the new information infrastructure; facilitating access; document delivery; electronic journals; new markets; pricing; and…

Confirms and refutes Freudenthal's provocative prediction that by the year 2002 mathematics education will be integrated into other subjects. Discusses the Committee for the Development of Mathematics Education's report on reforms in mathematics teaching, assessment, and use of computers in mathematics education. (MDH)

Discussion of differences in elementary and secondary school mathematics instruction between the United States and The Netherlands focuses on a Dutch project brought to the United States that uses print materials and software products. Topics addressed include integrating technology into the curriculum; cultural differences; designing assessment;…

This paper investigates technology policy for national governments, particularly the importance of education and training and the role of institutions of higher education as components of such policies for the diffusion and absorption of knowledge, as part of an overall strategy for improving the competitive edge of a nation's enterprises. The…