Computer-managed instruction in Naval technical training

Based on the success reported by the behaviorally oriented programmed instruction movement in the 1960s, the Navy in the late 1960s and early 1970s began to individualize and self-pace a number of their high student throughput apprentice training courses. To facilitate self-pacing the Navy set up a centralized computer-managed instruction (CMI) system to manage self-paced courses. This paper describes the evolution of that CMI system, reviews a number of studies done on the system over 10 years (many of which were published as internal technical reports with restricted distribution), describes the demise of the system, and discusses future directions of self-paced and individualized instruction.     

Where have they gone? Issues in transition and progression for special school leavers

This paper reports on semi-structured interviews with 76 former special school students now aged between 16 and 25. These young people were 'disadvantaged' rather than 'disabled' and many were experiencing 'fractured' transitions from school. Although they were more positive about their schools than similarly disadvantaged peers who had attended mainstream provision, they nonetheless raised concerns about the quality and usefulness of their experiences. On leaving school they had, in many cases, moved from one unsatisfactory activity to another, without any obvious signs of progression. They displayed a high level of purposefulness but lacked personal and social resources to support their progression within somewhat unsupportive structures. The paper argues that an exclusive focus on transition from school is inadequate and that young people may need support well after this point, possibly from the Connexions service. It also suggests that the notion of 'resilience' may have more to offer than traditional special education discourses.     

Some recent Unesco publications

Notes and Reviews

Some recent Unesco publications     

Mental Effort and Performance as Determinants for the Dynamic Selection of Learning Tasks in Air Traffic Control Training

The differential effects of four task selectionmethods on training efficiency and transfer incomputer-based training for Air Traffic Controlwere investigated. A non-dynamic condition, inwhich the learning tasks were presented to theparticipants in a fixed, predeterminedsequence, was compared to three dynamicconditions, in which learning tasks wereselected on the basis of performance, mentaleffort, and a combination of both (i.e., mentalefficiency). Using the 3-factor mentalefficiency formula of Tuovinen and Paas (2004, this issue), the hypothesis that dynamic taskselection leads to more efficient training thannon-dynamic task selection was confirmed.However, the hypothesis that dynamic taskselection based on mental efficiency leads tomore efficient training than dynamic taskselection based on performance or mental effortalone was not supported. The results arediscussed in light of the theoretical frameworkand suggestions are given for futureresearch.     

Schooling Quasi-Markets: Reconciling Economic and Sociological Analyses

We provide an economic assessment of the operation of schooling quasi-markets, re-interpreting the findings of the mainly sociologically-based empirical research. We find that economic analysis is complementary to that of sociology, providing further explanations for the failure of greater competition to increase the diversity of provision and challenge traditional school hierarchies.     

What Is Education For?

This paper is a speech given at King's College, University of London, where Dr Tate asks us to review current rationales for teaching and learning in schools. He outlines his own view which states that it is a liberal humanist project in the tradition of Arnold through to Gramsci which seeks to bring civilisation and values to the population. His paper surveys how this answer plays out in other countries as well as what this means for educationalists and education policy makers. He ends by asking the government to look at the big picture and the big idea which education is.     

谷歌：志在必赢

导读：谷歌和微软一直争得不可开交。微软最近推出了必应搜索引擎,作为回匝,台歌则宣布将推出免费操作系统“谷歌Chrome操作系统”,究竟哪家公司会赢得上风昵,谷歌的新操作系统又有哪些特牲,未来的网络会如何发展……请看下文分斩。