This book describes the history, structure and institutions of open and distance education in six countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, the UK and the US. It discusses how open and distance education is evolving in a digital age to reflect the needs and circumstances of national higher education systems in these countries, and explores…

"Research Universities and the Future of America" presents critically important strategies for ensuring that our nation's research universities contribute strongly to America's prosperity, security, and national goals. Widely considered the best in the world, our nation's research universities today confront significant financial…

The necessity of the foundational courses that take place in teaching courses in teacher education programs is a much-debated topic. Some writers argue that these courses are important since they help teachers and teacher candidates understand the dynamics in the process of teaching and learning and assist teachers in thinking extensively about…

An interview with the current president of the Alliance Francaise reviews the evolution of French cultural outreach since World War II, related initiatives by the French government and private agencies, important activities of the alliance, and specific areas in which research on the role of French is needed. (MSE)

This historical paper is an introduction to curriculum thinking in Japan. It discusses contested value frameworks that have exercised professional educators in the light of two "Western" interventions: (1) the modernization initiatives of the Meiji government of the nineteenth century; and (2) the policies that followed Japan's defeat in…

The history and current status of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) in China, including problems, solutions, and overall objectives of TEFL, are discussed as well as teaching methods used in middle schools, colleges, and universities. (Author/CB)

Describes the origin and development of the National K-12 Standards for Arts Education. Discusses issues related to the fine arts being left out of the original national standards documents. Maintains that the standards are essential if the fine arts are to maintain parity with other curriculum subject areas. (CFR)

The initiation and development of public education in the Philippine Islands is unique in modern educational history. Probably only among a people with an enthusiastic belief in the significance of education, under the benevolent guidance of a nation with an equally enthusiastic confidence in its possibilities, could the educational experiment…

Surveys recent government reports addressing problems of teaching English to the school population of England. States responses to these reports have exposed scholarly community conflicts. Notes the present demand for a return to formal grammar and standard English moving away from the 1970s movement towards the linguistic/vocational model. (NL)

Examines U.S. educational research policy since the 1960s in conjunction with author's directorship of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Discusses federal education laboratories created in 1965. Reviews the OECD's 1969 evaluation of federal research and development programs. Contends U.S. research policy suffers…

Maintains that China has established "window cities," designed to view and absorb Western policies. Asserts that education is categorized as one of the Chinese development strategies. Examines the relationship between educational development and the window effects. (CFR)