Design Education in China: New Proposals to Address Endemic Problems

This paper is concerned with identifying the problems that pervade design education and the practice of design in China so that a way forward can be proposed to make improvements that will enable the Chinese design industry to become more competitive after entry into the World Trade Organisation. The authors gathered data from their own experiences and observations in situ, as well as surveys they commissioned. They found that there are numerous endemic, fundamental problems in the practice of design education across the whole education sector. Fortunately, many Chinese design educators and managers of design companies are cognizant of these problems and are motivated to institute changes, even though they are unsure of what these changes should be or how they should be implemented. The authors conclude by making their own recommendations for effecting improvements in design education and professional development.     

Creating Integrated Environments for Young Children with Special Needs

More and more frequently, infants and preschoolers with special needs are being included in classrooms with typically developing children. This article suggests ideas for teachers—practical ideas about how to cope with the challenge of inclusion, how to address the needs of the group as well as how to further the comfort and learning of each child in an integrated setting.     

Evaluation of infant/toddler intervention programs

The need for infant enrichment programs has been highlighted in the past decades. Research evidence has accumulated that infants who were raised in families that did not provide rich language and play experiences dropped drastically in IQ by three years of age compared to those raised in developmentally more stimulating environments (Golden, Birns, Bridger, & Moss, 1971). Also, increasing numbers of single and working parents have found quality substitute care for infants to be a rare commodity. Their concerns have lent urgency to efforts to evaluate the effects of infant care programs.