This report is the first in a series describing the background, theory, and progress of the Differentiated Staffing Project in the Eugene, Oregon, School District. This particular report reviews the history of the project and outlines the organizational structure that has emerged and developed in the experimental elementary schools. A number of…

Interest in "open" education has been stimulated by reforms going on in the British primary school. It is also stimulated by a belief that British schools must become more responsive to the people they are intended to serve and less controlled by institutional routines and technological requirements. A two-dimensional scheme is proposed…

This volume reports experiences in individualizing and opening classroom instruction of elementary teachers in the League of Cooperating Schools (18 Southern California School districts). Written for teachers by teachers, it offers specific details and advice to aid both the new and the experienced teacher with the organizational and technical…

Interviews and surveys of 13 teachers and staff and 213 students from four successful Canadian "outreach schools" found that the characteristics of alternative education that contribute to its success are volunteerism, small size, egalitarianism, a caring attitude, participatory decision making, organizational flexibility, individualized…

The changing educational needs of midwives in England were assessed, and an open learning package for midwives was developed based on the findings. Data were collected from the following: questionnaires mailed to 1,100 registered midwives (70% response rate), all 205 coordinating supervisors of midwives in England (83% response rate); 1 randomly…

This book identifies the major new developments in the provision of education and training for adults and examines the ideas, developments, and strategies currently being used in the light of the particular needs of disaffected adult learners. (Disaffection refers to feelings of estrangement, lack of trust, feelings of inadequacy, anger, and…

The overall theme of this book is the relationships between government and organizational policies and the work of practitioners in open and distance learning. The book explores a selection of international examples, many of which concern the use of new technologies for opening education. The contributors, many of whom are recognized experts,…

An evaluation was made of the training needs of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Italy and the potential of open, distance, flexible, and multimedia learning to meet those needs. The methodology included contacts with training providers, governmental institutions, and SMEs and circulation of…

The Post-Secondary Enrollment Options Act, enacted by the Minnesota State Legislature in 1985, allows 11th- and 12th-grade high school students to take courses, for credit, in colleges, junior colleges, and vocational-technical institutes despite opposition from high school authorities. Students may use credits from these courses to count toward…

Research problems and issues of concern to educators in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are discussed in 21 papers. Papers fall into the general categories of educational history and current practices. Papers in the first category cover the following topics: a history of the Education Inquiry of 1824-1826, the "hedge" or…

This introduction to the Open University contains an historical overview; a description of undergraduate, postgraduate, and associate-level courses of study; and information on course components, including printed material, television and radio, tuition and counseling, assignments and assessments, summer school, and course teams. Data and…

Directed primarily at the University of Mid-America (UMA) as a specific program to be evaluated, this report sets forth criteria that can also be applied to other nontraditional educational programs and other programs in general. In a section on terminology, definitions are offered for criteria, standards, indicators, measures, success, and open…

The American educational system is based upon outmoded premises and should be revised in line with present trends and future needs. Our present system of education was created to serve an industrial society: to develop an elite cadre of well educated professionals, a mass of somewhat educated technical workers, and a solid base of laborers. It…

The papers in this collection reflect some of the ideas about children, teachers and environments for learning which resulted from participation in the "yards" at Pacific Oaks Friends School, an open education environment established by Quakers for preschool and elementary aged children. Each of the eight articles focuses on either the…

The document comprises three papers which focus on humanistic education. The first paper describes a bibliography for use in a college level interpersonal relations course. Objectives of the course are to encourage students to relate to other people and to reflect upon theories of interpersonal phenomena. The second paper examines humanistic…