In the past 15 years a new curriculum field known as "Science, Technology, and Society" or STS has been established, first in higher education and since 1982 in K-12 education. The first section of this review charts the development of the STS field since the late 1960s. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s a group of writers, called STS prophets,…

This report describes the development of a long-range plan by the Texas State Board of Education for the educational use of technology in Texas schools. The first of four sections of the paper reviews selected research on the effectiveness of technology in grades K-12. The topics addressed are basic skills acquisition; higher-order skills…

Universities around the world have changed dramatically in the period since World War II. Although the basic concerns of higher education (teaching, research, and service) have remained unchanged, the reality of expanded numbers and increased responsibility in a number of areas has placed immense pressure on universities. Seven goals essential to…

Essays on the present and future states of research and development (R&D) units in colleges and universities are collected. The essays served as discussion papers for an annual meeting of heads of educational R&D units in Australia and New Zealand. "The Political Situation of Teaching-Research Units," by Terry Hore, encourages…

This monograph summarizes the current thinking in the national literature on the subject of cost-containment and productivity in higher education and applies findings to higher education in California. It presents a framework for characterizing the major factors driving higher education costs, outlines potentially promising areas in identifying…

This paper examines how the concepts of strategic planning, assessment, and Total Quality Management fit together and relate to one another in the field of higher education. Central to the explanation of how these topics are related is the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, a driving force behind the quality improvement movement in that country. The…

Organizational theory offers rural school administrators several ways of thinking about retrenchment made necessary by declining enrollment. Obstacles to innovative responses to retrenchment include a shift in how organizations are perceived: from closed systems in which rational decisions are made about changes, to open systems in which…

Rural sociology confronts a continuing crisis of identity because of its failure to develop a sociology of agriculture. Historically, despite an initial focus on agriculture, rural sociology became deflected to the analysis of rurality. Recent emphasis of rural sociologists on the turnaround phenomenon is symptomatic, but fails to deal with the…

In the coming decade, three major developments will become important factors for change in vocational education. These are changes in the demographic profile and retirement practices, regional shifts in economic activity and in employment, and renewal of the industrial sector as a key ingredient in economic growth. Because of inflation, greater…

In recognition of the importance of futures information in planning efforts and continued staff development in achieving institutional goals, Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC), in Springfield, Illinois, undertook a project to develop and validate a strategic planning process for human resource development of faculty and staff in a radiologic…

Through parents' accounts, this book provides information about the experience of having an autistic child in the family. It examines the nature of autism, the problems it presents, and the various ways that parents cope with the disorder. Chapter 1 discusses the experiences of families with autistic members and the sequence in which they were…

Environmental scanning (ES) is a formal process of assessing trends and forecasting events which can influence an institution so that the potential challenges and opportunities can be effectively anticipated during strategic planning activities. The goal of ES is the implementation of proactive, anticipatory policies that will be robust under a…

Some of the responses of colleges and universities to declining enrollments and diminishing resources are reviewed. Institutions have tried to reduce the size of their operations, reallocate resources internally, and retrench a number of faculty and programs. Several approaches to reductions, reallocations, and retrenchments in specific cases,…

This report updates the National Strategic Research Plan of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and reports progress made from 1991 through 1993 as required by the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-553) which established the Institute. An executive summary…

This report discusses the potential for computers and other educational technologies to aid in school restructuring in New York State. Issues involved in such a restructuring are examined and include: (1) the need for a common effort in creating a state program; (2) current practices and current realities in the classroom; (3) current uses of such…