Introduction

Abstract

Information systems design can progress toward meeting the needs of the population of decision‐makers, managers, policy‐makers, and interdisciplinary workers by attention to specifications obtained from the user's situation. The user situation is represented by problems and their component dimensions, of which subject is only one dimension. The other problem dimensions, which relate to information traits, are discussed for the purpose of proposing a new orientation for the design of information systems.     

Telecommunications

Robert Lee Chartrand and James W. Norentz, Jr., eds. Information Technology Serving, Society (Oxford and New York: Pergamon Press, 1979—E12.50/$25.00)

Rosario Joseph Tosiello, The Birth and Early Years of the Bell Telephone System: 1376-1880 (New York: Aicno Press, 1979—$32.00)

James E. Brittain, ed. Turning Points in American Electrical History (New York: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Press [dist. by John Wiley], 1977– $20.00, paper)

Harry L. Van Trees, ed. Satellite Communications (New York: IEEE/John Wiley, 1979—$27.00, paper with a hardback edition available)

Dave Ingram's Oscar: The Ham Radio Satellites (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa: Tab Books, 1979—$8.95/4.95)

Clayton Hallmark's How to Repair Old-Time Radios (Blue Ridge Summit, Pa.: Tab Books, 1979—$12.95/7.95)

Telecommunications Law Reform (American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1150 17th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 —price not given, paper)     

ANALYSIS OF CONTENTS,CONTRIBUTORS, AND RESEARCH DIRECTIONS: MAPPING PUBLICATION ROUTES IN THE JOURNAL

A content analysis of the journal Religious Education: An Interfaith Journal of Spirituality, Growth and Transformation was conducted for a 10-year period between 1993–2002 (Volume 88, 1–Volume 97, 4). A total of 325 articles (277 authors) were analyzed into 3 primary research directions (theoretical, qualitative, and quantitative). Author institutional affiliation, religious identity, position, geographic location, and number of contributions were also computed. Implications for the Journal and the field of religious education are discussed.     

Bilingual education for majority english-speaking children

A variety of second-language program options are available to anglophone children in Montreal’s public schools: French-as-a second-language (FSL), delayed and early French immersion, and full French-medium schooling. In this research, the achievement in French, English, and mathematics of two cohorts of anglophone students in each of these program options was evaluated longitudinally through grade 6 (12 years of age). The performance of these students was compared to that of comparable anglophone and francophone control groups who were attending conventional all-English and all-French schools, respectively. In terms of approximations to native-like command of French, the French-medium option was the most effective followed by the early immersion option: students in these programs were generally indistinguishable from the French Controls on all written French language tests and in mathematics. On tests of French oral skills, however, they scored below the French Controls, the extent of disparity depending on the opportunities available for social interaction with francophones. As well, no retardation in English language development was found for any of the options, even those that provided little instruction time in English. To the contrary, anglophone students scored significantly higher than English Controls on tests of English and mathematics, and in general the more concentrated the second language component, the better they performed relative to the controls on first language skills and mathematics. The apparent transfer of competence from second language to first and the bilingual advantages involved in these results are discussed in terms of time spent on the target language, the mode of instruction, and the opportunities provided for interaction with native-speaking peers.     

Expansive framing as pragmatic theory for online and hybrid instructional design

Educational technology research and development - This article explores the complex question of how instruction should be framed (i.e., contextualized). Reports from the US National Research...     

Dreams and realities: The international dimension of the 1991 white house conference on library and information services

Using longitudinal time-series data, this article analyzes the causes of the recent sharp increase in household expenditure on telecommunications in South Korea with an almost ideal demand system (AIDS) model. The analysis shows that the Korean household demand for telecommunications has become highly price elastic following structural changes associated with the rapid diffusion of mobile phones and the Internet during 1998–2008. Following these structural changes, telecommunications services have become complements for transportation, books and printed matter, and culture and recreation services, but substitutes for culture and recreation durable goods. Consequently, one important reason for the increase in the expenditure on telecommunications in Korea is the migration of many services from offline to online by means of telecommunications.     

The crafts in the post-modern economy

Conclusions In the emerging Post-Modern Economy, traditional weaknesses of the Arts and Crafts are becoming strengths, strengths that promise a prosperous and productive 21st century for Canadian craftspersons and artists. Driven by a demographic revolution that has produced a population with rapidly rising levels of education, increasing participation of women and an aging demographic profile, the new economy will be one in which quality and design are critical factors in international economic competitiveness.