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This document addresses the needs of students that enter community colleges unprepared at entry postsecondary coursework and therefore require remedial, basic skills, and/or developmental education programs. The major student groups served by developmental programs are recent high school graduates, returning adults, high school dropouts, illiterate adults, and immigrants and students with limited English proficiency. In the last 10 years, community colleges have begun using new approaches towards developmental education. They include the following: (1) successful collaboration between high school and community colleges; (2) model 2-year and 4-year partnerships; (3) service learning programs on community college campuses; and (4) urban community college systems configured to serve as "Gateways to Democracy." The document discusses recent trends in remedial education as explained by two major studies completed by the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Study of Community College Remediation. Other topics addressed in the document include challenges to the educational community, basic skills education, assessment, and mission at Colleges of Contra Costa, standing policy issues, strategic planning discussions on basic skills, future challenges and goals of basic skills education, and grant opportunities and available resources. Contains 22 references and 5 addendums. (MZ)

This document discusses the Small Business Development Center initiative which addresses the needs of California businesses to grow through the delivery of one-on-one counseling, seminars, workshops, conferences, and other technical activities. The community colleges host 21 full centers. Some of the major objectives of the initiative are the following: (1) create and retain jobs; (2) create investment in companies to stimulate economic investment; and (3) increase business sales thereby increasing economic impacts on regions served. Some of the strengths of the initiatives are that it actively promotes to the small business community college programs and services, offering diverse services to colleges, and partnering with local organizations including colleges, chambers of commerce, cities, economic development organizations and private business. There are four systematic barriers to the success of the initiative: (1) communication and leadership barriers between the three main stakeholders; (2) different funding formulas have created problems so that funds have not been distributed to rural centers; (3) limited funding; and (4) demands for services exceed center resources and it does not seem that this situation will change in the near future. The document also addresses the emerging opportunities for this initiative, whether the initiative could be sustained without categorical funding, and how additional funds would be used if they were made available. (MZ)

This report presents three case studies that are part of a larger study of six organizations which have closed a sheltered workshop or a nonwork, segregated program and replaced them with integrated employment or other integrated, community-based activities for individuals with disabilities. The three organizations reported on are Bonney Enterprises in Corvallis, Oregon; United Cerebral Palsy Association of the Capitol Area in Austin, Texas; and Independence Association in Brunswick, Maine. To assist other organizations interested in pursing a similar goal, the study examined the process of organizational change and the internal and external factors that influence it. Site visits were conducted over a period of two days with each organization, during which key players in the conversion process and representatives of the major constituencies affected by the change were interviewed. The case studies indicate that the decision to close a facility-based program required courage and a willingness to take concrete and often risky steps toward these goals. Some of the themes emerging from these successful organizations have been a value base that prioritizes community employment, a willingness to take risks, and the evidence of clear substantial decision points in the conversion process. (CR)

A longitudinal study explored cultural historical change within the Zinacantecan Mayan culture to create theoretical and empirical links between individual processes of cultural apprenticeship and societal processes of cultural change. The study examined the transmission of culture from parent to child in an apprenticeship relationship as the Zinacantecan culture moved from an agricultural base to a commercial base. Qualitative and quantitative findings point to a process of reciprocal change in which societal conditions provide an ecological push toward new modes of cultural apprenticeship and as new modes of apprenticeship create a younger generation with the skill profile appropriate to the changed societal conditions. The findings indicate that as cultures change over time, so do the processes of cultural learning and cultural transmission. (JPB)

This study explores the nature of professional expertise in economics. Two experiments were conducted to examine the existence of problem categories in economics as a basis for problem representation. Findings are that experts use categories that reflect major economics principles, and novices sort by literal cues contained in the problems. In the second trial, experts did not produce stable sortings whereas novices produced a stable sorting of categories. Subjects included 6 experts, 6 intermediate fourth-year university students in economics, and 6 novices in the first year of college with one semester in economics. Subjects were asked to sort 18 economics problems into groups based on similarities of solution. After sorting the problems, subjects were asked to write down the problem-numbers and give a description of the category. A second study was to determine the stability of sorting procedures among experts after a lapse of six weeks. No differences were found in the average number of categories produced per sort between different groups. (EH)

This study attempts to investigate development of expertise in the area of economics. Results suggest that development of expertise in economics has a stage-like development similar to the domain of medicine. Studies in medicine show that expertise development is not simply a process of extending knowledge in existing semantic networks. The study involved 7 experts from the economics department, 8 fourth-year university students, and 10 novices at the end of the first year of the economics programs. Subjects were given a text for a limited period of time and then asked to write down as much as they could remember after the time lapsed. The cases examined were considered to be at intermediate difficulty. Recall and case analysis protocols were scored against the original case text propositions. Data suggest a stage of development among novices, intermediates, and experts. (EH)

It is known that first year Information Systems students have different levels of computer literacy when they enter the university. This is specifically the case in South Africa, where large numbers of students come from disadvantaged educational backgrounds. Universities sometimes try to overcome the disparity in computer literacy by introducing bridging courses or extra classes for the computer illiterate students. The use of cooperative learning and information technology may enable the lecturers and students to cope with the demands of a first year course in Information Systems. The planning of telecenters using cooperative learning techniques is, however, crucial for the success of such an endeavor. This paper focuses on an evaluation framework for the planning of ITCL (information technology supported cooperative learning) in telecenters for students. The components involved in the implementation of ITCL at telecenters are identified. A questionnaire that can be used for evaluation of the planning of ITCL centers is discussed in detail; in this questionnaire, specific questions about the different components involved in the planning of ITCL centers are provided to guide the lecturers in the establishment of such a center to ensure that the correct ITCL environment is created. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/AEF)

Cinema as an art and communication form is entering its second century of development. Sergei Eisenstein conceived of editing in horizontal and vertical terms. He saw vertical editing patterns primarily as the synchronization of simultaneous image and sound elements, particularly music, no create cinematic meaning by means of the relationship between them. The Eisensteinian editing theories and techniques embody the values of the dominant paradigm of the time. They were grounded in a linear, assembled, progressive, and fixed worldview of the positivist paradigm of the industrial era. In recent years, both paradigm and technology have changed. At the paradigmatic level, emergent systems theory derived from biology and ecological consciousness, posits a worldview of interdependent systems that are self-organizing, self-renewing, and self-transcending. At the technological level, the rise of cybernetic and electronic technologies, replete with computers and networks, now dominate the technological landscape. The cinematic technology revolution of the last decade along with the revisioning of the theory base has led to a reconceptualization of vertical editing. The techniques of digital technology are informed by emergent systems thinking. The spontaneous juxtaposition of layers, immediate feedback, and layering of imagery all create new meanings. Because a digital image is not fixed it can be revised at any time. Informed by a systems view and implemented by digital tools and techniques, the Eisensteinian notion of vertical editing has acquired new meaning. (AEF)

The rapid development and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has a direct and dramatic impact on all aspects of life. The traditional distinctions among media, publishing, telecommunications, computing, and information services have become blurred, and new paradigms for creation, dissemination, and exploitation of knowledge continue to evolve. In this transformation from an "industrial" to an "information" society, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) has a unique intellectual and ethical mandate to make these new technologies work for social, cultural, and economic development, in the interest of democracy and peace. This report focuses on the social, cultural, ethical, and legal implications of the information revolution, with emphasis on its impact in areas of public concern such as education, libraries, cultural production and exchange, the media, research, and environmental management. The report discusses policy aspects of electronic media, and experiences and proposals relevant to efforts of public institutions, governments, and other development actors to implement these evolving technologies in the developing world. The report contains five sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Technology for Development or Development for Technology? (3) Key Priority Areas and Future Possibilities; (4) Constraints To Realizing the Potential of ICTs in Developing Countries; and (5) Action Needed To Release the Developmental Potential of ICTs. (Contains 21 references.) (Author/SWC)

This paper describes the accounting profession, and the education and training of accountants and accounting technicians in Sub-Saharan Anglophone Africa. The report reviews professional accounting examinations and degrees, education, practical training, and continuing professional education. The paper highlights the weaknesses in accounting education and training, and recommends measures to strengthen these areas, including the development of national and regional accounting bodies, the establishment of national accounting qualifications at both fully qualified and technician levels, and the strengthening of teaching institutions. Contains 11 references, 8 annexes, 25 boxes, and 12 tables. (Author)

This paper is a slightly edited version of an authentic document, based on notes from a career that lasted from 1947 to well after independence in Tanganyika (since 1964 and the union with Zanzibar known as Tanzania). The paper provides a fascinating record of what it felt like to be a participant in an exciting and pioneering period of educational development. The text has been selected from a much longer set of documents. A short glossary of terms that may not be familiar to contemporary British readers has been added. (EH)

This monograph summarizes the results of a World Bank research project that compared private and public secondary school costs and achievement in five developing countries--Columbia, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Thailand. All the case studies address the question: Would a high school student, selected at random from the general student population, perform better in a public or private school? In the absence of experimental data, the studies compare students' performance on standardized tests in a cross-section of public and private schools. Student background, motivation, innate ability, and prior performance are controlled through the use of various statistical techniques. The report also compares the costs of public and private schools. The principal findings include: (1) although students in private schools come from more privileged families than those in public schools, on average, there is a significant overlap between the two groups; (2) with student background and selection bias held constant, students in private schools out-perform students in public schools on a variety of achievement tests; (3) unit costs of private schools are lower than those of public schools; and (4) private schools are organized for greater school-level decision making and emphasis on enhancing student achievement; this seems to affect the mix of inputs that private versus public schools choose. Implications for policy include: (1) over-restrictive regulations on private schools may be suppressing an efficient way to provide education; (2) in some cases, governments could encourage greater private sector participation in education; and (3) public schools could emulate at least some of the teaching and administrative practices of their private counterparts. Contains numerous tables throughout the document and 66 references. (EH)

This report describes difficulties in educational reform faced by countries in transition, those post-communist countries from Eastern and Central Europe that have been changing their social, economic, and political systems since 1989. Romania is the case study used for this example and is viewed in terms of four stages: (1) deconstruction, an ideological breaking away from the old regimes and institutions; (2) consolidation with the definition of the new legislative framework established; (3) restructuring with economic reforms due to pressure from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; and (4) counter-reform with residual communism still very active. The report identified three specific problems in the struggle for power in Romania that affect even education: (1) stability/breaking off and continuity/change dilemmas; (2) role of ideology in evolving the educational policies; and (3) the relationship between experts and the decision-making process. The experience of the five years of transition shows that communism cannot disappear as suddenly as it was established. Contains 22 references. (EH)

This research study sought to explore the relationship between spiritual reading and its effects on human growth. The emphasis of the study was how participants felt they had grown in their relationship with God through reading. Participants were clergypersons in the Tidewater, Virginia area. The 30 pastors interviewed for this study indicated that reading did help them grow in their relationship with God and in other areas of their lives. Only two respondents stated that a book written by a spiritual master had helped them in their religious growth. Reading tended to be a relationship between the literature and the reader. Therefore, no cause-and-effect relationship could be found between the type of literature and the growth produced. There was no relationship found between any reading and any growth reported. Based on these findings, further research is recommended in many areas of spiritual literature. Included in the recommendations are that research be conducted on: (1) personality type and the preference for reading spiritual literature; (2) what clergy, non-clergy adults, young adults, and children have found helpful in their spiritual growth; (3) the differences in the spiritual growth between men and women; and (4) the differences between religious and non-religious persons regarding what they have found helpful in their spiritual growth. Contains an 80-item bibliography, a 46-item list of works by spiritual masters. (KW)

This report profiles nine economies linked by Asian identity, yet marked by great economic and technological disparity, in order to project which economies will be full-fledged participants and competitors in tomorrow's high-tech product markets. Based on the various indicators of technological activity and competitiveness presented in this report, several Asian economies stand out. They are apparently headed toward greater prominenced as developers of technology and will become visible competitors in product markets. Japan stands alone as the most advanced industrialized country in the region. Four others--Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan--often referred to as the "four tigers" or as the newly industrialized economies, have made dramatic leaps forward in the global economy over the past decade. The remaining four countries--China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia--lag far behind these other countries in economic and technological development. Yet each of these four countries has exhibited tremendous growth in terms of economic and technological development. Appendices which comprise half of the document are detailed data tables. (EH)

As the nations of the world pursue development, the role of culture is important to consider in development activities. This report examines the link between culture and development and suggests that a people's cultural traditions and practices can be utilized in successful development activities. The investigation functions on the premise that throughout history, and across all cultures, a people's culture has been linked intimately to its development and that this link was broken in recent times, especially in developing countries because of the universal adoption of the western development model and because of the internationalization of western technology. The report discusses the interactions among culture, technology, and development. The experiences of currently developed and developing countries are compared with regard to the role of culture in development. The conclusion indicates that many cultural traditions can be employed to facilitate development and that individual nations must decide to what degree cultural attributes will be utilized in development activities. The characteristics of cultures that favor success in development include: (1) cultural confidence; (2) inventiveness and innovation; (3) creativity; (4) political will and encouragement; (5) importance accorded to knowledge and education; and (6) social rewards for individual success. Additionally, an extensive bibliography lists other materials on cultural and developmental issues. Contains 36 references. (Author/CK)

Standard item response theory (IRT) models posit latent variables to account for regularities in students' performance on test items. They can accommodate learning only if the expected changes in performance are smooth, and, in an appropriate metric, uniform over items. Wilson's "Saltus" model extends the ideas of IRT to development that occurs in stages, where expected changes can be discontinuous, show different patterns for different types of items, and even exhibit reversals in probabilities of success on certain tasks. Examples include Piagetian stages of psychological development and Siegler's rule-based learning. This paper derives marginal maximum likelihood (MML) estimation equations for the structural parameters of the Saltus model and suggests a computing approximation based on the EM algorithm. For individual examinees, Empirical Bayes probabilities of learning-stage are given, along with proficiency parameter estimates conditional on stage membership. The MML solution is illustrated with simulated data and an example from the domain of mixed number subtraction. (Contains 29 references, 8 tables, and 1 figure.) (Author)

This research summary presents discussions from two regional workshops held in Indonesia and Pakistan in 1989 and 1991, respectively. The focus of the workshops was to formulate prototype instructional materials of population education core messages for primary education, literacy and continuing education programs in the Asia Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL), under UNESCO sponsorship. Chapter 1, "Curriculum Materials Development: Guidelines and Instruments," includes the following sections: (1) "The Integration of Population Education"; (2) "Considerations in Determining Population Education Learning Requirements"; (3) "Issues and Problems in the Preparation and Use of Population education Materials"; (4) "Guidelines in Curriculum and Materials Development"; (5)"Linkages with Different Development Sectors"; (6) "Sample Evaluation Instruments"; (7) "ACCU Experience on Teaching-Learning Materials Development"; and (8) "List of Reference Materials." Chapter 2, "Population Education Core Messages for Integration into APPEAL," contains the following sections: (1) "Population Education Core Messages Developed in Indonesia"; and (2) "Population Education Core Messages Developed in Pakistan." Appendices contain lists of participants for the two workshops. (EH)