The National Film Board of Canada's Computerised Film Booking System: A Strategy for the Future

The National Film Board is an agency of the Canadian Government which was created in 1939 to initiate and promote the production and distribution of films in the national interest, and in particular, films designed to interpret Canada to Canadians and to other countries.     

Transition Services for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study of a Public School Program on a Community College Campus

Students with intellectual disabilities aged 18–21 are increasingly receiving transition services on college campuses during the last years of public schooling. These students may attend college courses, work in the community, access community recreational activities, and engage in age-appropriate experiences with peers without disabilities. However, there is little research that documents the types of practices included, the perspectives of consumers, or the outcomes of these transition services. Results from this case study depict how one public school program on a community college campus incorporated recommended transition practices and how students with intellectual disabilities and their families perceived these practices.     

Relation and Interactions Among Reading Fluency and Competence for Adult Education Learners

Statistical analyses of data from an academically diverse sample of 276 adult basic and secondary education learners extends understanding of the relation of and interactions between oral reading fluency and reading competence indices. Significant interactions between total word rate and word error rate that differed in relation to two measures of reading competence suggest that adult literacy instructors should emphasize fluency instruction to a greater or lesser degree depending on whether the major goal of instruction is academic reading (e.g., being able to comprehend a textbook) or functional reading (e.g., being able to fill out a job application).     

Establishing workload equivalence: U.S. independent study courses and college residence classes

Abstract

The Learning Council, a corporate interdivisional enterprise, employs distance learning to meet the learning needs of the organization. Specifically, distance learning is used to increase participation in the Johnson &; Johnson tuition reimbursement program, to offer learning opportunities to employees from a variety of sources, and to bring formal university courses on‐site for employees. The Learning Council is continuing to evaluate these programs as the business environment changes. This article reviews these applications of distance learning and lists considerations for other organizations interested in distance education opportunities. The use of distance learning methods facilitates the maintenance of flexibility and responsiveness in providing continuous learning for employees. The use of a combination of various distance learning methods works well, giving the company a “business edge.”     

Understanding and Teaching Problem‐Solving in Physics

Summaries

English

We describe a systematic study of skills for solving problems in basic physics, a domain of practical significance for instruction, but not of prohibitive complexity. Our studies show that an inexperienced student tends to solve a problem by assembling individual equations. By contrast, an expert solves a problem by a process of successive refinements, first describing the main problem features by seemingly vague words or pictures, and only later considering the problem in greater detail in more mathematical language. We have formulated explicit theoretical models with such features and have supported them by some detailed observations of individuals. In addition, experimental instruction incorporating such features seems to improve problem‐solving performance significantly. These investigations yield thus some basic insights into thinking processes effective for problem‐solving. Furthermore, they offer the prospect that these insights can be used to teach students improved problem‐solving skills and to modify common teaching practices which inhibit the development of such skills.     

The challenge to make schools safe: Preparing education personnel to curb student aggression and violence

Abstract

The incidence of aggression and violence in schools is approaching epidemic proportions. Unfortunately, few teacher education programs offer coursework designed to prepare school personnel to face the mounting challenge of student aggression. Drawing upon the accumulated literature, changes are discussed in the content of teacher education programs that would prepare teachers to effectively address student violence. Assertions are made that colleges of education must assume leadership roles in redefining professional boundaries to prepare all school personnel to combat student aggression. Lastly, arguments are presented for strengthening university and public school collaboration to promote programs designed to curb the rising tide of student aggression and violence.