The utilitarian spirit of Australian education has meant that since the nineteenth century the notion of tertiary education has embraced all post-school learning, delivered in sandstone universities or working men's institutes or on the job. This is not the definition the peak bodies TAFE (Technical and Further Education) Directors Australia (TDA)…

Defining adventure therapy involves considering the level of change attempted; the degree held by practitioners; the population served; and whether "adventure" refers to activities used, philosophy of adventure, or both. Deciding whether adventure therapy is a profession or a set of tools and techniques depends on the place of adventure…

Article discusses the relationship between credentialing and professionalism in health education, including definitions and illustrations of common terminology, methods of certification, and examples of the professionalization process. A main emphasis is the application of Boyer's principles of an effective community interwoven into the concept of…

A brief policy paper on multicultural education and a bulletin from the State Superintendent on its implementation in schools in Washington State are included in this report. The first paper lists 31 competencies that should be demonstrated by teachers who teach in multicultural settings. It also discusses the "change roles" that both…

ALF is an acronym for Adult Learning Facilitator, a designation that may be warranted to build a distinguishable identity for adult educators. If a professional considers climate setting and other facilitative behaviors as a major priority before and during any learning event, then he or she should be considered an ALF. If a professional has…

This script, which portrays a discussion by a five-person committee about whether to grant tenure to a faculty member, is a vehicle for discussing the meanings of scholarship and standards, the nature of truth and realism, and the constructivist view of learning. The argument about the quality of the faculty member's scholarship leads into a…

Defining "high risk" and "adventure" programs, this article discusses the more prominent issues of the controversy surrounding the growing demand for certification of adventure education program leaders. (Author/SB)

Discussion of the development of a list of certification competencies for instructional designers by National Society for Performance and Instruction's Standards Committee and Association for Educational Communications and Technology's Division of Instructional Development includes precepts on which competencies are based, ways list will be…

A brief history of linguistic considerations suggests that language is not merely "how teacher educational certification policy is expressed" but actually is "teacher education and certification." Teacher certification linked to institutional accreditation, it is suggested, fails to distinguish training from competence. (MLW)

A definition of social skills needed by individuals with mental retardation in employment settings is proposed. Three measurement approaches are discussed, involving the perceptions of others in work settings, the social goals and perceptions of the targeted individuals, and the performance of social behaviors in natural contexts. (JDD)

The position paper of the New York State School Boards Association covers concerns of identification of the gifted and talented, program development, program evaluation, teacher qualifications, community and parental involvement, and legislation. Twenty-one recommendations are made and include the following: The definition of giftedness should be…

Examination of computer literacy debate presents arguments by Leuhrmann, who advocates teaching computer literacy in one course rather than across the curriculum; six definitions from educators; and results of a survey of 10 state education agencies on recent state involvement in implementation of computer literacy programs. (MBR)

This report describes deliberations and recommendations of a Maryland task force to examine issues and develop policy recommendations related to "special instruction" as an early intervention service. It specifically concerns the relationship between special instruction and specialized child care; personnel qualifications; and provision…

The resurgence of "lifelong learning" has renewed consideration of the nature of "working knowledge." Lifelong learning has many aspects, including construction and distribution of individuals' very self-hood, educational institutions' role in capturing informal experiences, and the juggling required between family and…

Assembly member Carol Liu, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Adult Education, requested that the California Research Bureau prepare a report on adult education. The legislative request specified that the following topics be covered: (1) a definition of adult education; (2) recent information on student enrollment, funding sources and…