Objective: To describe the use of "draw, describe and write", a tool for exploring how adolescents perceive and explain their understanding of the world of drugs, as used in the development of the Blueprint project. Design: A cross-sectional study using a specifically designed research tool, including drawing and open-ended questions, used with…

The first in a 10-volume report, this volume provides an overview of the NETWORK school improvement study as a whole, placing it within the context of federal dissemination-related school improvement policies and programs. Existing research on these programs is examined and synthesized, and the evolution of the federal role in dissemination is…

A design for improving the quality of information available for continuous operational study of student retention at the University of Hartford in Connecticut was examined involving a microcomputer based decision support system for student retention research. The system, an interactive modeling approach to conduct longitudinal and comparative…

This study describes the problems of searching in professional journals for relevant articles on the subject of adult education evaluation. Seventy-three journals were identified as containing 337 appropriate articles when searching with 11 title words; 43 percent of the titles referred to human behavior change while 57 percent referred to program…

This report is part of a continuing series providing information on the status and progress of studies dealing with the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications of research. The report covers the period from 1 January 1978 through 31 March 1978, and includes extended reports on the following topics:…

The purpose of the project was to develop a formal needs assessment system for occupational education in the North Orange County Community College District and the Rancho Santiago Community College District. A brief summary of the purpose and scope of the project focuses on the need for an effective manpower information system, for…

This paper discusses the use of a semantic differential research tool to investigate the image of Tufts University in Massachusetts. Specifically explored are the following questions: (1) What are the differences between the institution's desired image and current image? (2) Do various constituencies view the institution differently, and if so,…

With the growth of computer technology, bibliographic data bases have developed into sophisticated online research tools. The major data bases are produced by abstracting and indexing (A&I) publishers. Vendors purchase the A&I publishers' machine readable tapes, then sell computer access to the tapes to information based organizations such…

This paper investigates the psychometric properties of the African Self-Consciousness (ASC) Scale in a noncollege heterogeneous population of 147 African Americans to determine the reliability and validity of the ASC Scale. Based on analysis of the scale's reliability, factor structure, and construct validity, the study shows the ASC Scale to be a…

A focus group study of 29 Queens College/CUNY (City University of New York) undergraduates, born and educated outside the United States, determined that most described needs related to course work rather than language or culture. Participants commented on library hours, physical surroundings, research tools, personnel, collections, and copy…

This paper describes the application of a mixed-evaluation method, published elsewhere, to three different learning scenarios. The method defines how to combine social network analysis with qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to study participatory aspects of learning in CSCL contexts. The three case studies include a course-long,…

In a four-section final report with its focus on methodology rather than on findings of particular follow-up studies, this project addresses two needs--to identify, review, and analyze vocational student and employer follow-up efforts at local, state, and federal levels, and to prepare training materials useful to individuals or groups at all…

The first part of a three-volume study, this report presents and justifies a research design for investigation of the relationship between the housing environment and the range of child development and family measures. The recommended design is nonexperimental in nature and focuses on comparisons of residents in selected housing programs (publicly…

School use of PRESTEL, CAMPUS 2000, NERIS, and ECCTIS is discussed, and the implications of these online services and CD-ROM products are considered. A report is given on the CHIRP project (Computer Hotline for Information Re-Packaging), which is designed to teach information skills in a way that is relevant and motivates pupils. (21 references)…

In this pilot study, a group of 41 "gifted and talented" juniors in high school English and social sciences classes used the menu-driven Wilsearch software to gather leads to information sources in order to complete their first major term paper. The study demonstrates that: (1) students had little difficulty in using the menu-driven…