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The papers in the collection reflect areas of concern to adult educators, especially at the university level. The first of the collection's three sections deals with graduate program design and contains three papers: Problems of Graduate Program Design, Wilson B. Thiede, and two reaction papers by John Ohliger and Clive C. Veri. Section 2 on epistemological issues contains three papers: Epistemological Issues in the Problem Approach to Adult Education, Jerrold R. Coombs, and two reaction papers by Robert A. Carlson and James Farmer. Part 3 which deals with counseling contains four papers: Counseling: A Central Component in Adult Education, Robert J. Nejedlo, and three reaction papers by Russell J. Kleis, Howard McClusky, and Robert E. Snyder. (JR)

The use of games and gaming, which are simulated decision making, is examined in a paper addressed to the manager and administrator in higher education. Focus is on the use of games in situations of resource allocation for budgeting and long-range planning. Basic definitions and concepts are presented, followed by a discussion of the scope and nature of games and their development. Two games are identified as being currently used in higher education: USG and RRPM 1.6, each discussed in detail and evaluated as to uses and limitations. For further study there is an annotated bibliography to complement specific footnote citations. Appendices include an annotated guide to the literature on RRPM 1.6. A systems flow chart is provided along with a listing of the computer program to enable the reader to run USG, and a numerical solution is given to complement the discussion of the logic in the text. The games are mathematical and computerized but there are no prerequisites in mathematics or computer science required of the reader. All need concepts are developed from elemental and primitive terms used in higher education. These concepts are illustrated by means of block diagrams. (LBH)

Attention to the politics of education particularly as operated within urban school boards using the concept of elite-arena councils is drawn in this paper. A brief summary of the data and the political-anthropological concepts used to analyze the data, conclusions and recommendations based on those data, and their analysis are presented. The analysis is seen to recommend changing the political structure of education governance in New York City toward a more arena-type council. One structure for accomplishing this would be to submerge education totally in the city government. Since total submergence of education into urban city government is held to be politically and culturally impractical, a second method is suggested that accomplishes the same goal by developing a structure that places education parallel with, and in some elements fused with other urban government structure. Based on data collected by three separate boards from 1967 to 1970, it is concluded that the structure of the New York City educational governance system is not only elite but incapable of producing policy in response to the multifaceted demands of the pluralistic culture of the city. A design for restructuring the governance system is proposed. This paper is said to demonstrate that political anthropological concepts can be fruitfully employed in understanding this important area of American politics. (Author/AM)

This paper introduces a note of caution about oversubscribing to rational game theory models of analysis at the expense of humanistic inquiry. Although game theory provides a useful tool for the explanation of rational alternatives in given social situations, it should not replace humanistic inquiry. "Good" decision-making in game theory usually focuses on the use of cost-benefit models of rationality to maximize the players best interest, regardless of whether it is morally correct to act in that way. However, the most significant questions are not those concerned with finding the best means to an end, but of reconciling and deciding among the ends or goals themselves. Another problem concerns the assignment of numerical costs to the payoffs. The fact remains that prior numerical measurements cannot be assigned with finality to human behavior. Students may fail to realize that game theory concerns itself with means and not ends, and that real social problems are much more complex and comprehensive. Since game theory models fail to consider the social implications of decision making, an effort must be made to examine social decisions from a humanistic perspective. It is more important for the student to knowthat his decision is a function of his conviction rather than expediency. (Author/DE)

This paper directs attention to the use of the EQUATIONS game as a research tool to study certain kinds of mathematical behavior, for example, the kinds of mathematical problems which players prefer to consider and to force their opponents to consider. Mathematical equations that meet certain game rule constraints constitute a problem space. A resource is a component of these equations, i.e., digits and operations symbols. Allocating resources is performed by a player's move within the well defined limits of game rules which may have the effect of altering the problem space. In this paper, forms of the mathematics game EQUATIONS are described and analyzed. Player strategy is analyzed, and the relevance of that analysis to the study of mathematical behavior is discussed. (Author/JBW)

Learner controlled instruction in which the student controls the computer (e.g., computer programing) instead of it controlling the student (e.g., drill-and-drill-and-practice) is described. The nature of this mode of computer use is explored, and some examples based on case studies conducted by the author are given. A rationale for learner control is discussed in terms of cognitive and affective outcomes of computing. The cognitive outcomes include relatively specific learning and thinking skills and more general systematic methods of problem solving. Affective outcomes include self-confidence, curiosity and exploratory behaviors, and motivation. (Author/WCM)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a procedure (a modification of the Delphi technique) for identifying racially-related problems and achieving some consensus on solutions to these problems among students, parents, and the school staff. The students who participated attended six classes which were selected to provide a balanced cross-section of students. The first step was the completion of an open-ended questionnaire designed to elicit racially-connected school problems and suggested solutions. A second questionnaire was developed using the problems most frequently mentioned by the different groups representing each race. Under each problem were listed solutions that were suggested by the respondents, as well as those suggested by the project staff and two consultants. This second questionnaire was distributed to the participants asking them to evaluate each proposed solution to a problem on a five-point scale, or if they felt that the statement was not a problem, they could check that alternative. A third and final questionnaire was to be administered to the participants, specifying the most frequent response given to each solution. The third questionnaire was not approved by the principal and therefore was not administered. Even without the third questionnaire, this modified Delphi technique did provide a surprising degree of consensus concerning the solutions to most of the problems which were identified. (Author/JM)

It is time to reevaluate the myths of the nineteenth century and the structures they created pertaining to education. There is a need to utilize new power relationships to creatively build a pluralistic educational system. It must be recognized that conflict can lead to collaboration if respect is present, whereas collaboration which ignores conflict will not in the long run be productive. The simplistic truth orientation of the social reformers of the nineteenth century, who felt that they could build our democracy and school systems on a foundation of acculturation and moral education, did not recognize the legitimate rights and humanity of the people they wanted to help. Today we reap the legacy of these policies; but hopefully we are more willing to recognize the necessity of citizen involvement with its accompanying conflict so that differences will not be suppressed and legitimate procedures will be established to educate citizens, help them create alternatives viable for their children, and help us to bring about needed changes and reconciliation of conflicts. In order to do so, simplistic dichotomizing between those who have the "truth" and those who do not will have to be replaced by acceptance of different approaches and temporary, issue-oriented coalitions of citizens and professionals. (Author/KSM)

Three fundamental educational issues which are usually ignored in favor of more trival operating problems are identified as follows: how can the educational process be redesigned to focus on the learning, not teaching, process; how to avoid organizing education around rigid schedules and artifically quantified units of subject matter and instead promote development of a continuous desire to learn and an ability to do so; and how to design an educational system that individualizes each student, preserves his sense of self, and encourages creativity? The contribution of management scientists to these problems is suggested as replacing reactive designing by idealization. Idealization rotates planners and designers toward what one does, facilitates involvement of a large number of participants, and encourages the consciousness of self-imposed constraints, making it easier to remove them. Some of the possible solutions, contained in an idealized education system developed at an international conference of operational research societies, are summarily outlined in a learner-centered design for preschool through university levels. (Author/KSM)

Reported is another study related to the Project on an Information Memory Model. The purpose of this study was to establish the possible relationships of personality characteristics with the processing of information by humans in an abstract problem solving task. Thirty senior high school students, each of whom had completed the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS), were asked to take the role of court judge, deciding on divorce proceedings and custody assignments. The subjects were presented with a problem involving the incestuous relationship between nine people who had Greek-letter names. The subjects vocalized the five-minute solution and the monologues were noun, pronoun analyzed. Twenty-eight information theoretic measures and six external measures were calculated from the Gamma Problem (output was placed in a matrix and treated for information theoretic measures according to the Moser Model). Fifteen personality variables were obtained from the EPPS; nine were used in the analysis. The information theoretic measures, the external measures, and the personality variables were tested for relationships by linear regression analysis. Paradigms, involving data analyses, of the relationships of personality to the information in verbal solutions of the Gamma problem confirmed that personality was embedded in the fashioning of sequences of messages from the memory and for processing a desired state of affairs for a socially sensitive problem. (Author/PEB)

The author proposes that four basic questions be answered prior to the institution of any program of job improvement at the workplace, regardless of the problem or the solution involved. Each of the questions may help bring to light some hidden assumptions and, in doing so, may clarify the goals of program development. These questions are: (1) Whose goals are to be achieved by the program? (2) What problem is the program attempting to solve? (3) What assumptions are being made about the motivation and other personal characteristics of those workers involved in the program? (4) What goals are ignored by the program? The author discusses each question as it relates to the evaluation of job-related problems. (Author/PC)

The study focuses on the survey Feedback--Problem Solving--Collective Decision intervention, a structural/task-oriented approach to planned organizational change. The objective of this research program is to further refine an organizational development approach which provides schools with a structure consistent with the environment of educational systems, the professional capacities of school personnel, and the inherent demands of the educational technology. A modified and abbreviated version of this district-level intervention was pilot tested and evaluated in a previous action-research project. The pilot program focused on the superimposition of complementary collective decision structures over the existing authority configuration in schools through the use of survey feedback and problem solving processes. The intervention succeeded in increasing organizational flexibility and adaptability by providing for problem identification, solution generation, and change initiation at the faculty level. Product evaluation confirmed that the structural intervention brought about significant favorable changes in teacher work attitudes and perceptions of collectivity in organizational decision processes. (Author/RC)

A study was made to explore how a time sharing computer system can help the coach of high school sports. A structural analysis determined that the computer's capability to process information helps the coach: (1) store large quantities of information; (2) perform numerous operations in a very short amount of time; (3) provides consistent accuracy while also providing versatility. Next, a computer model encompassing thirteen sports was grouped according to each sport's individual needs. This grouping enabled a coach to develop general types of computer programs for "common" activities. Here, the computer was used as a problem solving tool to assist the coach in the analysis of activities and the data which they generate. The programs need to be sufficiently general to suit a variety of coaches and activities, but have built in definable parameters to meet specific needs. Five areas of secondary athletic computer application areas have been: simulations, scheduling, scoring, statistics, and scouting. As a result, a great deal of a coach's time has been saved and a more meaningful type of information has been obtained from computer usage. (WCM)

New technical specialties are emerging within the computer industry at a rate threatening the ability of educational institutions to train those who would understand and apply them. The industry's ability to undertake more ambitious projects and to thereby solve more complex problems is limited by an inadequate force of skilled manpower. Thus, it finds itself in the following position: (1) there exists a distressingly large number of poorly qualified people at all levels; (2) those who are now competent are becoming less so every day as technological developments continue; (3) long-term career prospects for data processing people in most user organizations are not sufficiently promising to attract the talented; (4) universities are turning out far too few computer-oriented problem-solvers; and (5) the industry is having a difficult time achieving professional maturity. The solution of these problems will require considerable effort. (Author/WCM)

In most of the United States, rural areas are experiencing economic and social changes that raise new policy questions for both government and private organizations. Often, these changes have industrial or urban roots and require knowledge and skills not part of the background of most rural people, with the likely outcome that farmers and other rural citizens will not be as effective as they might be in guiding future developments. To be most effective, rural leaders need a basic understanding of the methods whereby public problems can be solved through group action. Recognizing this, the College of Agriculture, Pennsylvania State University, designed and implemented a special adult education program focusing on public affairs leadership development. The 5-year program began in fall 1970. Designed for training potential leaders 20-40 years of age, the program offers an integrated sequence of workshops, travel seminars, and home study, which include: public policy from a broad perspective; economic, political and social changes that affect public planning; leadership in group action; alternative solutions to rural problems; and national and international issues. Emphasis was placed on sharpening the ability to analyze public problems and communicate with others, rather than on laying down arbitrary guidelines. Suggestions for program evaluation and future research needs are also given. (KM)

The written simulation is a useful form of instruction in subject matter requiring problem solving and decision making and is also useful for evaluation of learner outcomes in areas where what is learned can best be measured by its use in problem solving and decision making. A number of criteria which stressed the perceived need for greater flexibility, reality, and comparative studies were suggested for evaluating the potential of the written simulation for decision-making research. The written simulation was then viewed in terms of this context. While written simulations have potential for studies in the field of decision making, there are two serious shortcomings: simulations with realistic content are still artificial, and written simulations are limited by the ability, sensitivity, and creativity of the writer. (Author/RB)

A national sample survey of innovation processes reported by superintendents in 353 school districts reveals four distinct patterns of belief regarding change. These four patterns are identified as "participative problem solving,""RD&D,""strategic manipulation," and "open advocacy-human revolution." Three of the four correspond closely to "perspectives" identified by the author in a previous review of the literature on planned change and knowledge utilization. Important "barriers" to innovation were also analyzed and appeared to show a large general factor related to teacher confusion and lack of information about the innovation, and a secondary factor related to financial capacity. A bibliography is included. (Author)

Intended for employers concerned about problem solving and communication within their organization, this document outlines a strategy for developing an instrument that would provide objective data rather than impressionistic data. A questionnaire was designed to explore the relationship between the central constructs of problem solving and communication and the organizational climate. Data from the questionnaire were used to identify the obstructive factors and seek solutions to them. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire are discussed in detail. An appendix to the document listing the six possible obstructive factors found in the questionnaire follows a list of references. (JC)

Discussed in this report is a technique used in cross-cultural research for measuring cognitive processes in children and youth. The research strategy aims at evaluating the subject's performances on problem solving tasks by having subjects become active agents in the discovery process while experimenters remain as passive and neutral as possible. The subject is asked to solve a problem by asking questions to get the information he or she needs to reach a solution. The subject becomes an active searcher; the experimenter only provides the information requested. The subject's tactics indicate how he or she deals with the structure of the problem. Thinking about a problem becomes a way of making explicit and communicable to oneself or to others its logical structure. If this is so, it is of interest to know how subjects belonging to different cultural settings process problems, and the influence that their structure and the symbolic system used (manner of presentation) have on tactics. The subject's performance can then by analyzed in terms of the set of logical rules that he or she uses and of the symbolic systems that favor or hamper problem solving performance. (CS)

The case study analysis system was designed to increase student analytical skills while focusing on social conflict situations. The analysis system is a systematic means of identifying, classifying, and clarifying factors found in social conflict situations. Students are also expected to gain insights into forces that change social structures. Through case study students become aware of unfamiliar as well as creative solutions to threatening and dangerous conflict predicaments. Students who complete case study conflict analyses should be more sensitive to alternative conflict solutions, and perhaps more skillful at handling social conflict dilemmas. Suggestions are given to teachers for applying the system in the classroom as illustrated in an example. Suggestions are also provided for developing case study materials. (Author/JH)

Creativity can be considered a function of knowledge, imagination, and evaluation and usually programed instruction is thought to be detrimental to creative behavior since the material is highly structured and the responses are usually restricted. However, this need not be so, for one seed of creativity, student control, is inherent in programed instruction. To test the possibility of teaching creative behavior via programed instruction a program on problem solving was developed and experimentally evaluated. The experiment involved six schools and 62 subjects in each of three groups: control, program alone, and program instructor-presented. A battery of psychological tests involving various aspects of creativity was used as a pre- and posttest. The results of the experiment indicated that the program instructor-presented group scored significantly higher gains than the program alone group, which in turn was significantly higher than the control group. (WH)

In order to identify how social studies teachers attempt to resolve values conflict situations, 82 "disinterested" teachers in southeast Ohio responded to a questionnaire. The term "disinterested" is used to describe teachers who did not belong to a professional social studies organization, nor attend conferences specifically geared for updating expertise. Each teacher described a conflict incident and ranked it according to categories of decision making, justice, dissent and equality. Results indicate that the sample teachers are more interested in individual rather than group problems and that these incidents involve antagonists fairly close to themselves rather than socially distant. It is assumed that involvement in conflicts with individual persons is less mature than involvement with larger groups or institutions. Only three percent of the sample identified the antagonists as an institution. The teachers describe how they resolved the dilemma which is then categorized according to resolution by authority, argument, negotiation, capitulation, and avoidance. Forty-six percent of the teachers used authoritative means to solve problem situations while less than one-fourth used compromise as a solution. These results confirm those of Frankels (ED 092 445) whose research on "interested" teachers also indicates that teachers are unable to perceive a situation from another's viewpoint. (DE)

Children's performance on multidimensional classification tasks was examined in two experiments. In Experiment 1, preschool, first-, and third-grade children were shown a standard stimulus and were then asked to judge whether several comparison stimuli were the same as or different from the standard. Comparison stimuli differed from the standard on zero to four dimensions (form, orientation, size, brightness, or combinations of these dimensions). Most of the preschool and first-grade children based their judgments on a single dimension of difference, while multidimensional judgments predominated at the third-grade level. In Experiment 2, first-grade children were pretrained to make identity matches in response to the same-different classification instructions. A second classification task, with a different set of stimulus dimensions, was then presented. Identity pretraining failed to produce multidimensional responding on the second task. Verbal posttest indicated that the children were able to detect more than one set of dimensional differences. The results indicate that there are age-related differences in the number of dimensions children utilize in stimulus comparison. The unidimensional responding of younger children cannot be attributed to failure to understand the same-different instructions or inability to detect more than one set of dimensional differences. (Author/CS)

This study focuses on the process which goes on between husbands and wives in helping one another deal with problems and tensions. The husband-wife helping process is envisioned as a moderator of the relationship between the experiencing of pressures and strains in life and work situations and reports of personal satisfaction and well-being. Questionnaires were sent to 189 married husband-wife pairs. Some of the findings indicated that wives generally set the stage for the discussion, alleviation and resolution of anxieties and tensions arising for either partner. Couples who were older and married longer revealed a diminished level of mutual helping activity, a decrease in communication about problems and tensions, and greater criticism of each other's functioning as a helper. The introduction of children into the family appeared to offer diminishing returns to the husband-wife helping relationship emerged as a very significant factor influencing the quality of life of the marital partners. Suggestions for further research are presented. (Author/PC)

The author lists, from recent professional writings, 34 prevailing but contradictory attitude statements divided into two parts relating to students and student personnel. Twenty entries deal with clientele, campus, and classes; fourteen pertain to personnel services and the practicing professional. Before adjustments in these or other paradoxical situations can be made, each student personnel worker has to assess his degree of commitment toward resolving the problem areas which pertain to him. Only an honest self-reflection will, in the end, promote constructive change in the internal workings of the student personnel machinery on each campus. (Author/PC)

Three studies to determine the effects of adult models on interrogative strategies of children (ages 6-11) are reviewed. Two issues are analyzed: (1) the comparative effectiveness of various types of modeling procedures for changing rule-governed behaviors, and (2) the interaction between observational learning and the developmental level of the observing child. It was concluded from this series of studies that cognitive models are more effective than exemplary models. In addition, exemplary models were found to be capable of eliciting constraint-seeking questions (which help in "narrowing in" on a correct answer) from children who already possessed the generalized format of such questions within their repertoires. However, exemplary models have proven to be ineffective in provoking such questions among children lacking the covert search strategies and conceptual partitioning behaviors which go into constraint-seeking. Cognitive modeling has been effective in bringing about constraint-seeking in children who, by virtue of being in the initial phases of the transition from hypotheses-scanning to constraint-seeking, do not possess the component skills underlying constraint-seeking. Cognitive models, in addition, have effected increases not only in constraint-seeking but also in problem-solving efficiency. (CS)

A survey was conducted with 104 seventh-grade students in four classrooms participating in EQUATIONS tournaments. The tournaments had been taking place on a weekly-basis for several weeks. The study compares four basic pedagogical assumptions behind the tournament structure with student opinion of the tournaments. Student responses to the survey were analyzed in the form of frequency and percents of alternate responses and with chi square tests. It was concluded that students view their place in the tournament hierarchy as reflecting their ability, but they are willing to meet stiffer competition. They view winning as being under their control. The assumptions behind tournament structure for EQUATIONS appear to be consistent with student opinions of the EQUATIONS tournament. (Author/JBW)

This paper describes the characteristics and circumstances defining nine decision cases in an effort to provide methodological assistance for practitioners. Each case is examined according to its objectives (single or multiple), resource level (limited or unlimited), time frame (a priori or evaluative), and the nature of desired decisions. In cases 1, 2, and 3, the decision-maker considers activity-designs. The complexity of cases 4, 5, and 6 mandates more detailed analysis. Here the notions of tasks and program-packages (sets of tasks) are introduced. In cases 7, 8, and 9, the term activity is used to connote the same overall meaning as program-package. These distinctions are necessitated by analytic complexities arising out of a need to derive an optimal decision-variable for each case. Decisions made by the decision-maker are at the level of activity-design for cases 1 and 2, program-package for cases 4 and 5, and activity for cases 7 and 8. The case discussion is preceded by an introductory exhibit showing the evolutionary structure of the nine cases. (Author)

This paper presents a study which indicates that accurate performance on a simple conservation task need not be related to congnitive maturity. Twenty adults and 20 third graders were given three verbal problems, each requiring a same-different judgment and an explanation of that judgment. Only 3 adults were able to give correct judgments, while 19 of the children were able to do so. It was surmised that the adults were not able to ignore irrelevant information, and that carefree attention to the characteristics of task information is necessary if advances in developmental theory are to be realized. (ED)

Particular problems in the process of summative evaluation of document based information systems designed for educators are caused by a series of conditions of context factors of the evaluation. Some of these factors are identified and described. An evaluation plan is presented which recommends that the emphasis be shifted from initial definitions of objectives, benefits, and clients to increased emphasis on the identification of alternative information systems and the dissemination of its evaluation data. Examples from previous evaluation studies are presented to illustrate the problems as well as the recommended approach. (WCM)

Approximately 40 percent of America's Indians live in urban environments; of these, about 12,000 live in Seattle, Washington. With no representation in local government, and lacking the power and cultural sophistication to make the political process work for them, many Indian emigres have developed an almost institutionalized distrust of and concommitant failure to utilize the political process, which compounded their alienation from urban society. The Indian Paraprofessional Services Program (IPS) was initiated in 1972 to interrupt this cycle. The first of its kind in the nation, the program trained Indian "ombudsmen" to act as buffers between urban Indians and the alien city environment. The role of the 5 paraprofessionals, mostly from Washington tribes, was to assist Indians caught in criminal and civil legal processes and bureaucratic complications. The 3 month training program emphasized bodies of law and sociology pertinent to Indian clients, covering such things as consumer law, welfare rights, criminal law, housing rights, and counselling skills. Because of increasing case loads and fee generating cases, lawyers who had indicated interest in Indian causes were invited to join the panel. A successful program, the most profound effect of IPS was upon the attitude of urban natives toward the legal process itself, showing that a dispossessed minority can, from among its own leadership, ease its people into their new urban life style while working within the established order. (KM)

A study on the transportability of computer courseware was presented to the Association for the Development of Computer-based Instructional Systems (ADCIS) at their August 1974 meeting. This study addressed the area of minor incompatibility that can cause transportability of customized Coursewriter software at individual sites to become difficult. Nonetheless, customizing software is basically good in that it allows additional capability and greater flexibility. The disadvantages, and impact on transportability, occur when separate installations make modifications that are mutually exclusive and conflicting. A solution lies, in the forum ADCIS provides, for concerned installations to work together to coordinate customizing. This allows desired modification while minimizing the impact on courseware transportability. The author suggests that installations form a subgroup under the Coursewriter Systems Implementation Group. In general, the subgroup could examine and exchange information on modifications of this nature with an effort toward achieving some standardization or set of guidelines to minimize the possible danger. (WCM)

Because economic geography is viewed as a field with too many different aspects for one person to master, teaching an introductory course in the subject poses the challenge of selecting an organizing theme. One specific approach, organized around higher level generalizations and theories, is the use of location theory. Coupling location theory with the trend toward problem solving can result in the theme of the locational analysis of welfare economics. Welfare economics, which is the evaluating and ranking of economic alternatives open to society, is a topic in need of research but available to classroom consideration in part because of its interest to students. Examples of use of this theme range from the simple question of where ice cream vendors should stand on the beach for the greatest benefit to their customers to the location of a factory for the greatest benefit to the immediate population and to society as a whole. In the footnotes economic geography texts and materials, some of which use the locational theory approach, are cited. (JH)

The purpose of this experiment was to provide further information on how an individual's strategy and his performance are affected by increasing the amount of relevant or irrelevant information he receives. The subjects were sixty volunteers from an undergraduate course in educational psychology who were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups. Each subject was told that he would be asked to solve several concept identification problems and to learn the concept in as few card choices as possible. Each subject solved 16 problems appropriate to his particular treatment group. Scores were obtained for focusing strategy, number of card choices to solution, and time to solution. It was concluded that since a subject's focusing strategy score is lowered by increasing the amount of information in a concept learning task, the learning of concepts in the classroom would be enhanced by presenting students with concepts which involve small amounts of information, making it possible for students to develop strategies appropriate for coping with such information. Also, since strategies appear to develop over time, students should be given an opportunity to solve several problems in order to perfect their strategy and performance at solving such problems. (WR)

The import of cognitive style research for educational problems and research is discussed. Topics covered include a definition of "cognitive style," particularly "field dependence/independence," individual differences in personal characteristics associated with differences in perceptual mode (field independence) relevance of cognitive style research to educational research, a review of research relating differences in cognitive style to individual differences in teaching and learning, and possible directions for future research. (Author)

A survey of computer use was conducted in 1974 in a small, nonrandom sample of Massachusetts colleges and universities. Allowing for inflation, but adjusting for the increase in computer power per dollar, it is clear that significantly more computer power is being devoted to instruction--both "with" and "about" the computer. The percentage of computer-using courses teaching "with" the computer is estimated to be about 70 to 75 percent of the total number of courses using computers. In particular, physical sciences, social sciences, business, and mathematics have increased their computer use. The bulk of the application is in drill and practice, problem-solving, games, and simulations. Each of these applications is found in most of the departments reporting use of the computer. By contrast, there are very few instances of tutorial or inquiry and retrieval uses. (Author/WCM)

An educational methodology for the development of interdisciplinary, problem-solving skills was developed. Called the problem laboratory, the approach focuses on linking the student with the real problems of real organizations through specifically designed data bases. Students are presented with a brief problem statement and proceed to solve the problem by querying the data base. The problem laboratory approach has been found to be successful in two years of operation in an experimental setting. Some of the difficulties of operating this type of program on an experimental basis are described along with problems that must be solved before large scale expansion can occur. (Author/WH)

The U.S. Commissioner of Education concedes that his powers in many areas are merely powers of persuasion. However, he sees his role as that of needler, of constructive critic of American education at all levels and in all facets of performance. The Education Commission of the States was created to recommend basic policies and to advocate a broad framework within which excellence in education can flourish. The commissioner lists 10 State level policy, planning, and priority-getting deficiencies urgently in need of attention. ECS has done its work. Implementation is now up to the State legislatures, the governors, the chief State school officers, and the State leadership bodies in higher education. (Author/WM)

This publication contains four conference addresses, responses to those addresses, and a synopsis of eight discussion group reports. The report begins with a paper on staff resources in secondary schools, then considers the problem of assessing the staffing needs of secondary schools and ensuring an adequate supply of qualified secondary teachers, and attempts to establish for Scotland a rationale for the apportionment of teaching resources to and within the secondary school sector. The next paper discusses the joint use of resources by schools and Further Education colleges. It considers the reorganization of educational facilities for the 11-18 age group. The synopsis of eight discussion group reports centers on key aspects of the first two papers. The third paper considers resources for education and their management in British education; the partnership between central and local government and the organized teaching profession; and the system of central planning and control of public educational expenditure exercised by the central government. The final paper concentrates on the implications for education of corporate management style implementation at regional and divisional levels in the new structure of local government, with particular emphasis on information, evaluation, and accountability. (Author/DN)

Bracketing is defined as a procedure whereby individual decisionmaking team members sharpen their perceptions of organizational need prior to administrative action. Like the Delphi technique, the procedure eliminates major detriments of group activity planning and includes sequential interrogations and feedback procedures. Unlike the Delphi technique, respondents are not given descriptive indexes of group thinking prior to the definition of team-expressed organizational need. A review is given of how bracketing was used to advantage in defining administrative needs, priorities, and performance objectives for the Birmingham, Michigan, Public Schools. (Author)

Many educational decisions are made on issues over which conflict occurs because of value differences among the groups involved. The decision-making model proposed here is a political or conflict model. It defines an organization as stable patterns of interactions between coalitions of groups having a collective identity and pursuing interests and accomplishing tasks, coordinated through a system of authority. The main value dilemmas faced by educational administrators focus on what constitutes leadership and on who commands the loyalty of the administrator. Leadership value conflicts center on developing commitment to organizational goals, reconciling personal and group goals, delegating responsibility and authority rather than abdicating them, continuing a concern with organizational improvement rather than with mere survival, making decisions, and being both task-oriented and considerate. Loyalty--the most difficult, testing, and potentially damaging dilemma--involves three subissues: (1) professional loyalty conflicts between colleagues, collegial standards, and organizational standards and expectations; (2) intraprofessional and interprofessional conflicts; and (3) conflicts between professionals and laymen, and conflicts arising out of political disputes within and between communities and their elected representatives, the trustees. (Author/IRT)