The CS0 course in the curriculum typically has the role of introducing students into basic concepts and terminology of computer science. Hence, it is used to form a base on which the subsequent programming courses can build on. However, much of the effort to build better methodologies for courses is spent on introductory programming courses…

The Internet has become part of our daily life and serves as a source of knowledge as well as a space for interaction. E-learning is thus a vital element in teaching, and digital media offer not only the possibility to support the individual learning processes of students, but also to foster multilingualism and to immerse into authentic learning…

The Nordic University in Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine--the NOVA University-was established in 1995 to increase the cooperation between the Nordic agricultural universities. The NOVA libraries of the seven institutions and facilities involved wanted to show that they are a very useful partner in launching new ideas. They have the…

Plans for building a lower secondary school, the Kuokkala project, in Jyvaskyla, Finland, are described in this paper. The first part describes the background of the project, an experimental school developed in conjunction with the school head and university researchers. The second part discusses ways in which the modern school ensures students'…

This study investigated ethical conflicts in early childhood education as experienced by early education teachers. The study's focus was the themes and main interactive relationships involved in such conflicts. Twenty-six Finnish kindergarten and elementary teachers were asked to write about a real-life moral dilemma they had experienced in their…

Focuses on the new role of a university library as a strategic partner within the university. Suggests the changes of the operating environment of universities will demand for new competences, tasks, modes of management and leadership, as well as organizational structure in libraries. Presents findings of the evaluation processes carried out in…

Papers presented at a session on management of library associations at the 1986 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference include: (1) "Medical Library Association: Organizational Change 1898 to Present--Illustrations from Continuing Education" (Raymond A. Palmer and M. Kent Mayfield, United States); (2)…

Finland has a strong professional guidance and counseling system. Guidance counselors from the labor administration and vocational guidance psychologists are available in the school systems. In the past, particularly strong emphasis was placed on guidance classes within the curriculum. Now, however, the time prescribed for such classes has been…

This paper discusses ethical dilemmas in early childhood education as identified by 26 kindergarten and early elementary school teachers. Ethical dilemmas are investigated in the theoretical framework of virtue epistemology. The method used in the study is a relational reading of teachers' narratives. Interpretive accounts are created to allow…

This paper contrasts two planned online university ventures, the Virtual University of Finland and the University of Australia Online. The meaning and operations of these institutions are considered with respect to the virtual teaching and research nexus, cost issues, and their capability to respond to quick changes in knowledge. The issue of…

The international vocational education research collaboration between the University of Jyvaskyla (UJ) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPISU), which began in 1993, was studied. Information for the case study was gathered from questionnaire and interview data from linkage participants from VPISU, seven UJ researchers, and…

This paper reviews the history and current status of services to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Finland. It notes the availability of free or almost free health services in Finland and the resulting very low infant mortality rate. The history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD), termed "minimal brain…

An overview is provided of the development of national planning and the centralization of research libraries in four countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Included in the review are cooperative projects and the actions of government and/or library commissions in each country. Planning at the local level and inter-Scandinavian efforts…

In Finland, ammattikorkeakoulu (AMK) or higher vocational education institutions or polytechnics are professionally and practically oriented; their teaching and learning methods reflect approaches different from those of universities. Training and learning methods focus on learning by doing. Project work used in polytechnic programs offers…