This document is intended to help open learning and distance learning practitioners use, design, and select appropriate open and distance learning materials. The document begins with a brief overview of the following forms of open and distance learning materials: workbooks; structured materials; computer-based training materials; online materials;…

This case study reports on collaborative activities among four fourth grade teachers and their students over a year and explores the effectiveness of distance learning for international team teaching. Two classes in Mexico City conducted school activities with two classes in College Station (Texas). Researchers examined: school activities that…

This report presents the findings of the 1998 survey of providers of training in English or French as a second or foreign language in Canada. The purpose of the survey was to gather information at the national level and, where possible, at the regional level, on the size of the industry, its characteristics, and the role played by foreign…

Although scientific and technological developments are mathematics-based, many students continue to perform poorly in mathematics. This study investigated how students' mathematics self-concept (MSC) is related to their motivation to learn mathematics (SMOT) and gender differences in the two constructs. Out of 165,900 students in 256 secondary…

A study examined the career paths and training of dance and drama students in the United Kingdom. First, a comprehensive picture of careers and training in dance and drama was generated through visits to 12 schools and interviews with selected school staff, 36 students, and other relevant professionals. Next, individuals who are economically…

The relationship between literacy and "people's power" within the context of Mozambique's project of socialist reconstruction was explored through an ethnographic analysis of literacy education practices at the Matola Industrial Company, which is considered one of many embodiments of Mozambique's colonial past. First, the role of the…

This report presents the preliminary findings from WHO's (World Health Organization) fourth Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study. The study has two main objectives: (1) to monitor health-risk behavior in youth over time in order to provide the necessary background and clear targets for health promotion initiatives; and (2) to…

In 1993-94, a random sample of 547 individuals authorized to perform marriages in Australia (marriage celebrants) and 560 couples from across Australia who had married in 1993 were surveyed regarding their views of premarriage education (PME) and the factors enhancing/inhibiting participation in PME programs (PMEPs). Of the marriage celebrants,…

Concerns over the high incidence of divorce and domestic violence have prompted many Australian churches and some nonchurch agencies to offer premarriage education programs (PMEPs) to couples planning to marry. Unlike past PMEPs, which were often didactic, Australia's present-day PMEPs tend to be learner-centered programs that encourage…

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest and most ambitious study undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Forty-five countries collected data in more than 30 languages. Five grade levels were tested in the two subject areas, so that more than half a million…

A bilingual (Japanese/English) electronic mail survey of over 1,100 computer science students at the University of Aizu elicited recommendations for content and design of a curriculum in English for Special Purposes (ESP). Features students preferred included these: a four-skills introductory course during the first year; materials encouraging…

In fall 1988, Arctic College (AC--Northwest Territories, Canada) in collaboration with Athabasca University (AU--Alberta, Canada) initiated the University Transfer Program (UTP) to provide first-year university education for full- and part-time students at the Yellowknife campus of AC. Program content, standards, and instruction were maintained by…

The divergent cultural patterns, philosophies of education, and basic structures of government in Japan and the United States have resulted in distinct differences between the educational systems of the two countries. The national government strictly regulates all aspects of Japanese education (including student achievement levels and the…

The COG-TECH (Cognitive Technologies for Problem Solving and Learning) Network conducted three international projects between 1994 and 2001 under the auspices of the European Commission. The main purpose of these projects was to train teacher educators in the Mediterranean countries to use computers as effective pedagogical tools. The summer…

This national longitudinal study follows the first 5 years of life of 13,135 children in England, Scotland, and Wales who were born during a single week in April 1970. Part One examines the concept and extent of social inequality in the sample of children and compares the social circumstances of this third cohort with those of the earlier two…