This report summarizes two studies conducted during the late 1960s on effects of team instructional organization upon elementary teachers' decision-making influence in educational affairs and their job satisfaction. The first study, by University of Oregon researchers, compared interview and questionnaire data from Wisconsin teachers in four…

Used as an additional aid by the teacher, microelectronics can assist mentally and physically handicapped children to meet educational objectives that have been specifically agreed upon for the individual child. Microelectronics can help deaf children develop speech production, communication skills, and grammar and sentence construction;…

Describes an advice-giving computer system being developed for genetics education called MENDEL that is based on research in learning, genetics problem solving, and expert systems. The value of MENDEL as a design tool and the tutorial function are stressed. Hypothesis testing, graphics, and experiential learning are also discussed. (Author/LRW)

Noting ongoing difficulties in identifying the fundamental role of social studies in educating young children, this chapter focuses on how children begin to develop historical and geographic understanding. The chapter considers age-appropriate and developmental concerns and the role of national standards in history and geography. The chapter…

This discussion of educational technology and the role of computers is based on the author's experiences with the United Kingdom's National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning (NDPCAL). Highlights include curriculum development; teachers' roles; research and development; evaluation; control group experiments; instructional…

Discusses the role of electronic networks in engineering work; reviews selected literature on engineering work, knowledge, and communication; describes current uses of electronic networks; and presents results from a study of the use of networks by engineers in the aerospace industry, including their perceptions of networks. (67 references) (LRW)

This practical guide is one of a series aimed at assisting academics in higher education in researching specific aspects of their work. Focusing on small-scale insider research in colleges and universities, the handbook covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values in the area of teaching methods. Strategies for…

Using tests to reform education is not a new concept. National and state education policies reflect confidence in the power of assessment to encourage school improvement. New understandings of the nature and context of student learning are shifting the movement away from traditional multiple-choice tests to alternative assessments. The emphasis is…

As part of a 3-year study to identify emerging issues and trends in technology for special education, this paper addresses the possible contributions of virtual reality technology to educational services for students with disabilities. An example of the use of virtual reality in medical imaging introduces the paper and leads to a brief review of…

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Congress have improved the quality, effectiveness, and integrity of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). A basic skills improvement program funded by the DOL was implemented in two Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, worksites. Several implications for managing the changes within JTPA related…

Updating a 1978 literature review, this document assembles five articles analyzing recent research on how various types of educational agencies disseminate information for school improvement. Each article summarizes literature relevant to one type of educational agency, discusses interrelationships among the research findings, and assesses the…

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…

Reviews research and development projects sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that address microcomputer-based support for instructional activities at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Highlights include a graphics project, local area networks, and the Interactive Presentation Development System, which is…

At a time when crucial questions concerning the nature of early childhood and early childhood education are being increasingly examined worldwide, an exploration of the issues, priorities, and methodologies of research in early childhood education may provide valuable material for debate. This book focuses on research in early childhood education…

Reviews science and technology policymaking in five countries with free-market economies: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. Implications for eastern European and other countries currently reorganizing toward domestic market economies and greater orientation toward world trade are discussed. (61…