DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 383 882 CE 069 247

AUTHOR Joyner, Randy L., Ed.TITLE Back to the Future with Business and Marketing

Education. Annual Atlantic Coast Business andMarketing Education Conference Proceedings (12th,Raleigh, North Carolina, February 17-18, 1995).

INSTITUTION East Carolina Univ., Greenville, N.C.PUB DATE Feb 95NOTE . 97p.PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Business Education; Classroom Techniques; Computer

Assisted Instruction; *Computer Oriented Programs;Cooperative Learning; Distance Education;Distributive Education; Education Work Relationship;Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Futures (of Society);Information Processing; Job Skills; *Labor ForceDevelopment; *Marketing; Multimedia Instruction;Secondary Education; Secretaries; Special NeedsStudents; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods;Telecommunications; Word Processing

ABSTRACTThis proceedings includes: "Bridging the

International Learning Gap" (Arnold); "Back to the Future" (Baker);"Conducting Successful Class Projects over the Internet" (Beasley);"The Need for Ethics Instruction at the High School Level" (Brown);"Incorporating Industry-Based Skills Standards into High SchoolSecretarial Programs" (Bunn); "School-to-Work Integration" (Cauley);"Preparing a Business Plan" (Clodfelter); "DECA [DistributiveEducation Clubs of America]" (Collins); "InternationalTelecommunication" (Cotten); "If You Could See What I See" (Fournier,Brown, III); "How Non-School Experiences Prepare Students for HighPerformancr' Education and Work Tasks" (Fritz); "TQM [Total QualityManagement] and TQE [Total Quality Education]" (Gerken, Hildebrandt);"Work-Based Curriculum" (Giovannini); "How Do We Keep CounselorsInformed about Marketing Education (ME)?" (Goins); "Communicatingwith More than Words" (Gordon); "Is Business and ME's CurriculumReady for Life-Coping Skills?" (Greathouse); "Back to the Future inWorkforce Education" (Hall, Hicks); "Ice Breakers for YourInteractive Business Classes" (Henson); "Back to the One-Room School"(Holsey); "Teaching beyond the Software" (Jackson); "'Toto, I Don'tThink We're in Kansas Anymore'" (Jackson); "Incorporating CooperativeLearning into Word/Information Processing Classes" (Jones); "FacultyAttitudes towards E-Mail" (Kandies); "Can Multimedia REALLY EnhanceInstruction?" (McAlister-Kizzer); "Active Learning InstructionalStrategies for Business Courses" (Luckey); "The Future Is Now throughDistance Learning" (Lush, Jenkins); "Incorporating Higher-OrderThinking Skills into the Business Classroom" (Magee); "TheInformation Superhighway" (McCannon); "Weathering Change in the NorthCarolina Community College System" (Morrissey); "Implications of SBM[Site-based Management] for the Preparation of Public School Teachersand Administrators in North Carolina" (O'Brien, Reed); "SaintSERVE"(Ostheim); "Desktop Publishing Using WordPerfect" (QuesenberrySkelton); "The Future Is Now with Interactive Television"(Richerson); "Business Ethics Using a Teaching Model" (Roach);

"Experiencing Business and Academic Integration through a Case StudyApproach" (Schmidt et al.); "Does Color Really Work in IncreasingInterest in Business and Marketing?" (Scriven et al.); "An Outsideron the Inside" (Seibel); "Does the Business Education (BE) CurriculumNeed Disinfecting?" (Sox); "Marketing Management" (Truell, Price);"Virtual Curriculum" (Vogler, Leitzel); "TAP into Your Future" (Volk,Holsey); "Virtual Reality for Business and ME" (Wallace); "Portfoliosin Teacher Education" (Wells); "Opening Windows to the Future of BE"(Wilson); and "Innovation through Office Technology"(Anderson-Yates). (YLB)

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with

Business and MarketingEducation

February 17 & 18, 1995

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PROCEEDINGS

BACK TO THE FUTURE

WITH

BUSINESS AND MARKETING EDUCATION

Twelfth Annual Atlantic CoasiBusiness and MarketingEducation Conference

Raleigh, North Carolina

February 17-18, 1995

SPONSORED BY

Department of Business, Vocational, and Technics: EducationEast Carolina University

School of EducationGreenville, North Carolina 27858-4353

FACULTY AND STAFF

Dr. Ivan Wallace, Professor and Chairperson

Dr. Vivian Arnold, Associate ProfessorDr. L. Keith Goins, Assistant ProfessorDr. Lilla Halsey, Associate Professor

Ms. Kimberly Johnson, Graduate AssistantDr. Randy L. Joyner, Assistant Professor

Mr. David Parke, Graduate AssistantMs. Patricia Stallings, Lecturer

Dr. John Swope, Associate ProfessorMs. Michelle Terry, Graduate AssistantDr. Kenneth Volk, Assistant Professor

Dr. Robert Wrisley, Assistant Professor

Ms. Cynthia Smith, Departmental Secretary

EDITORIAL COMMENT

The Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual Atlantic Coast Business andMarketing Education Conference are published by the Department of Business,Vocational, and Technical Education, School of Education, East CarolinaUniversity, Greenville, NC 27858-4353. The 1995 Coi.fs.rence was held onFebruary 17-18, 1995 in Raleigh, North Carolina with the theme, Back to theFuture with Business and Marketing Education.

Proceedings of the 1995 Conference were reviewed prior to publication. Sincerethanks is expressed to the members of the review board who generouslycontributed their time and expertise to review the abstracts and papers submitted.Without their conscientious review of the abstracts, Proceedings of the TwelfthAnnual Atlantic Coast Business and Marketing Education Conference couldnot be published. The members of the 1995 review board were:

CAPiall Arnold, East Carolina UniversityGreenville, North Carolina

cottie 'Colson, Edgecomb Community CollegeRocky Mount, North Carolina

9ahn erken, Aurora High SchoolAurora, North Carolina

A special thank you to the authors who submitted abstracts to be considered forpublication.

Special appreciation and thank you is expressed to David Parke, GraduateAssistant in the Deparment of Business Vocational, and Technical Education atEast Carolina University, for his invaluable assistance and service beyond the callof duty in publishing the Proceedings of the Twelvth Annual Atlantic CoastBusiness and Marketing Education Conference.

Rczadey Poeptat

Randy L. Joyner, Editor

Proceedings of the Twelfth AnnualAtlantic Coast Business and Marketing Education Conference

Volume 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bridging the International Learning GapVivian 0. Arnold

1

Back to the Future: The Continuing Odyssey In Business Education from a QualitativePerspectiveClora Mae Baker

4Conducting Successful Class Projects Over the Internet

Robert E. Beasley5

The Need for Ethics Instruction at the High School LevelPatricia Brown

8Incorporating Industry-Based Skill Standard `o High School Secretarial ProgramsPhyllis Bunn

10School-To-Work Integration: Developing the Future WorkforceMary M. Cauley

12Preparing a Business Plan: Entrepreneur Teaching Strategy

Richard Clodfelter14

DECA: An Effective Tool for Overcoming Today's Classroom ChallengesJeff Collins16

International Telecommunication: The Key to the Future in Business and MarketingEducationJoyce Cotten

18If You Could See What I See: Marketing Videophone Technology

Randolph Scott Fournier & Herbert F. Brown Ill20

How Non-School Experiences Prepare Students for High Performance Education andWork TasksRobert L. Fritz

23TQM and TOE: It's and Attitude!

John Gerken and Don Hildebrandt24

Work-Based Curriculum: The Future for Business and Marketing EducationEugene Giovannini26

How Do We Keep Counselors Informed About Marketing Education?Keith Goins 28

Communicating With More Than WordsJean S. Gordon 30

Is Business and Marketing Education's Curriculum Ready for Life-Coping Skills?Lillian Greathouse 31

Back to the Future in Workforce EducationShirley L. Hall and Cherri P. Hicks 33

Ice Breakers for Your Interactive Business ClassesJack Henson 35

Back to the One-Room School: Teaching Special Populations in Regular ClassroomsLilla G. Holsey 36

Teaching Beyond the SoftwareJ. Howard Jackson 38

"Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore"J. Howard Jackson 40

Incorporating Cooperative Learning into Wordllnformation Processing ClassesDorothy Lavern Jones 42

Faculty Attitudes Towards E-mail: Implication for Secondary TeachersJerry Kandies 44

Can Multimedia REALLY Enhance Instruction?Donna L. McAlister-Kizzer 46

Active Learning Instructional Strategies for Business CoursesSue Y. Luckey 49

The Fvture is Now Through Distance LearningMary Jean Lush and Matt Jenkins 51

Incorporating Higher-Order Thinking Skills into the Business ClassroomRobert C. Magee 54

The Information Superhighway: Where are the Women Drivers?Melinda Mc Cannon_ 56

Weathering Change in the North Carolina Community College SystemSharon Morrissey 58

Implications of SBM for the Preparation of Public School Teachers and Administratorsin North Carolina

Terrance P. O'Brien and Rebecca R. Reed 59

Saint ServePhil lis Q. Ostheim 62

Desktop Publishing Using WordPerfectDebra B. Quesenbemi and Bonnie M. Skelton

63The Future is Now With Interactive Television

Ginny Richerson66

Business Ethics Using a Teaching ModelTerry D. Roach

68Experiencing Business and Academic Integration Through a Case Study ApproachB. June Schmidt, Curtis R. Finch, Susan L. Faulkner

70Does Color Really Work in Increasing Interest in Business and Marketing?Jolene D. Scriven, Robert Mitchell, and F. Stanford Wayne

73An Outsider on the Inside: An Candid View of the U. S. Department of EducationKaren Kuhla Seibel

75Does the Business Education Curriculum Need Disinfecting?

Charlene W. Sox76

Marketing Management: Course Development and ImplementationAllen D. True II and William T. Price, Jr77

The Virtual CurriculumDaniel E. Vogler and Thomas C. Leitzel

78TAP Into Your Future! The Technology Adventures Program at East Carolina UniversityKen Volk and Lille Holsey

80Virtual Reality for Business and Marketing Education

Ivan Wallace82

Portfolios in Teacher EducationRandall Wells

84Opening Windows to the Future of Business Education

Patricial. Wilson85

Innovation Through Office Technology: A Key to the Future of Business EducationMarcia Anderson-Yates87

Bridging the International Learning GapVivian 0. Arnold

East Carolina University

Introduction

Being a Delegate to the Societe InternationalePour L'Enseignement Commercial (SIEC) andInternational Society for Business Education (ISBE)Conference held in July 1994 is one way to bridgethe international learning gap. SIEC/ISBE is aunique organization bringing together people frommany different countries but with the common aim ofpromoting business education and training throughlearning from one another. The theme for theConference was "Internationalizing BusinessEducation: A Nordic Perspective." Oslo, Norway,was the host site, the Norwegian Chapter of SIECserved as the host group, and the Norwegian Schoolof Management was the host university. There were260 participants with 22 countries represented.

Learning Through SIEC/ISBE Sessions

Learning through SIEC/ISBE was enhanced bythe sessions presented during the week-longconference. Each country had the opportunity topresent one session. Some sessions of interestincluded Reform of the Norwegian EducationalSystem; a panel discussion of the EuropeanEconomic Union; International Programs for ExportMarketing Executives and Management byNegotiations, Flexible and Open Learning inBusiness Education, and Multimedia. Discussions ofthese sessions follow.

The Norwegian Educational System wasdiscussed by the Deputy General Director, Ministry ofEducation, Research and Church Affairs. One of thebasic principles of Norwegian educational policy isthat all children and young people have an equalright to education and training irrespective ofdomicile, sex, social or cultural background andaptitude. Both Norwegian and English are taught.From a population of 4.3 million, almost 900,000 areundergoing some form of education or training, andfurther, 1.3 million follow adult education courses.The education system in Norway has three mainlevels: compulsory school (primary and lowersecondary for ages 6 to 16-year-olds), uppersecondary education, and colleges and universities.There are 3,350 primary and lower secondaryschools, 700 upper secondary schools, 98 regionalcolleges, 6 university-level colleges, and 4universities. In addition, approved private schoolsreceive 75%-85% of the operating costs trom the

state. Upper secondary education (for ages 16-19)which combine 3 academic and vocational educationis followed by entry to either (1) higher education or(2) a trade or journeyman's certificate All stateeducation is free until age 19.

The Government and the legislature (Storting)mandated a common standard for the nationaleducational system in structure and content at alllevelsReform 94. Major changes included (1) areduction in the number of foundation coursesoffered at upper secondary level from over a hundredto thirteen general areas: (2) compulsory school waslowered from 7 to 6 years; (3) the 98 regionalcolleges were reassigned into 26 colleges: and (4)each college broadened the range of subjects taughtwith each college having a specialty. For example,the only National College for Teachers of BusinessEducation is located in Honefoss. Graduateprograms are offered at four locationsone privateand three public institutions.

The pros and cons of Norway's joining theEuropean Economic Union (European CommonMarket) was an important topic. Basically, Nordicindustries of fishing, farming, and lumbering areopposed to the Union. Others, especially citydwellers, prefer the union. On the one hand, if theUnion is accepted, Spanish ships will be allowed tofish in Nordic waters and compete for world marketsand membership means submitting to rule from unionheadquarters in Brussels. On the other hand, if theUnion is rejected, Norway must compete withdeveloping industries and marketsthose it whatonce was the USSR and those in the EuropeanCommon Market which will cost jobs, isolate thecountry, and cut exports. Emphasis was placed unthe changed conditions in Russia and thr loss ofthose markets. Speakers from Spain looked atinternational trade between the Nordic Countries andthe European Union in terms of competition fortourism, oil production, fishing, and timbering. They

- concluded that the -Nordic countries should joinbecause of their small population in relation to theEconomic Union and because of the numbers oftourists that could be invited to Norway. TheSpaniards conceded that the Nordic countries wouldbring stability to the monetary system and a tendencytoward peace if they joined. (Note Finland, Austria,and Sweden voted to join the 12-nation Union during

the Fall; however, Norwegians voted to stay out ofthe world's largest trading and political bloc.)

Norwegian speakers who were instructors in theInternational Programs for Export MarketingExecutives and Management by Negotiationssupported the thesis that you cannot becomeinternational at home. Thus, exchange programswere established in 41 sites with other English-speaking countries (Denmark, Great Britain, etc.) aswell as France. Positive results were experienced bythese exchange students concerning languageusage, society and culture tolerance, internationalattitude, market and management knowledge,acquisition of appropriate techniques and ideas,accepted business usage, experiences in projectwork and working with others, experience in livingabroad, and forming a network of contacts.Negotiations were conducted using E-mail.

The English group reported the results of theirproject on flexible and open learning in businesseducation Getting Inside Knowledge: DevelopingUnderstanding of intercultural Communications forInternational Business Through Open Learning.Undergraduate Business Education students,preparing to teach, designed and produced openlearning materials for intercultural communicationsassignments by designing modules. This methodproved to be effective for three reasons: (1) a highlevel of synthesis of complex ideas and studentmotivation; (2) acquisition and development ofbusiness knowledge; and (3) the development ofcommunication and transferable skills. The students'learning outcomes indicated that this approach mayoffer a way to establish levels of understanding moreeffectively than conventional assessment methods,such as dissertations, reports, and student pre-sentations.

Sweden/Norway's presentation was a demon-stration on MultimediaHow to Use It as anEffective Tool in Our Schools. The Director of theDaisy Center, Honefoss, made a presentation usingan American/French computer with CD ROM, soundcard, transistor radio with amps, Real Magic card forvideo, LCD panel, and a touch-sensitive multi-dimensional menu. The sound demonstrationincluded text, pictures, animation, and sound.Microsoft Word for Windows was used for text.Microsoft Paintbrush was used for drawings, videosin analog and digital form were used for pictures (Themovie chosen was Top Gun.), as well as photo CD.This presentation was amazingly similar to whatmight be prepared on any other campus.Learning Through Exchange Programs

The instructors from Norway and Russiadescribed some cultural challenges they dealt withwhen initiating an exchange program The ForeignCountries Economics Institute (FCEI), belonging to

the Economic Faculty at the University of StPetersburg. Russia and the National TeachersCollege of Business Education (SLHK) in Norwayparticipated. In 1992 access was established byproviding PCs, textbooks. and equipment for theInstitute in St. Petersburg as proof of honestintentions. Next, a cross-cultural week withNorwegian and Russian students was undertaken tostudy the variations in the culturenot priority ofcultural qualities. The SLHK students identified allRussians with the communistic system which wasdisliked and distrusted, and these attitudes distancedthe FCEI students. St. Petersburg students. on theother hand, were having financial difficulties andwere humiliated; therefore, most foreigners werelooked on with skepticism. However, all of thesestudents recognized their education as an instrumentto make a better future. When the Norwegianstudents arrived in St. Petersburg in February 1993.the first days were used for social and culturalactivities to establish confidence and "meltingtogether," and the last days were devoted to workingtasks. Communication was in English. The projectwas very successful with future projects alreadyplanned. The professor from FCEI, St. PetersburgState University, suggested that the main directionsof Russian higher economic education must bediversification and networking.

Learning Through Business ContactsA visit to a Norwegian internationally-oriented

company provided another dimension to learningthe Alcatel Telecom Norway AS. This is the world'slargest supplier of telecommunication equipment withmanufacturing facilities in 25 countries andprojects/activities in more than 100 countries. Areasof service include digital switching. ruraltelecommunications, defense communications,network management, and information security. Amarketing representative at Alcatel served as hostand offered human-interest stories about clients fromChina and elsewhere who had been trained in Oslo.Alcatel offered no training or courses in interculturalcommunications for their employees. Pride incountry and Viking heritage was most apparent.Learning Through Understandings

This international conference for BusinessEducators brought into focus many of the commonproblems that persist around the worldall educatorsneeded additional funding for equipment andprogram improvement. Students, everywhere, tendto lack basic skills suitable for joining the labor force.There were, however, a few threads thatappeared to run through conversations and served toprovide insights as to how to overcome somelimitations. For example, international under-standings were being sought through cultural andstudent exchanges. Additionally, educational reform

appeared to be wide-spread in an attempt to offer abetter delivery system for all clients (students) so thatthe natural resources of human minds can be fullyutilized

Summary

Bridging the International Learning Gap is acontinuous process; however, when one takesadvantage of the opportunities to learn, personalexperiences lessen the gap and bring addedunderstanding. Speaking, first hand, with peoplerepresenting many different countries, cultures,customs, and life experiences brings insights for

3

personal and professional growth Using theseopportunities truly creates a bridge of learning Aseducators we must realize that our world is no longerour immediate space It is the universe that is nowaccessible to all who are willing to create bridges.

J. A. Comedius (born in 1592) expressedappropriate sentiments when he wrote

We all sit in a great theater of the worldWhatever may happen there concerns all of us

Back to the Future: The Continuing Odyssey in Business Education from aQualitative PerspectiveClore Mae Baker

Southern Illinois University

For many years, Business Education researchershave used surveys and questionnaires as theprincipal method of collecting data. BusinessEducation researchers have developed researchquestions, prepared instruments to collect data toanswer the questions posited and reported findings.While a valid form of research and reporting, manyresearchers have compared the process to trying tocapture a "three-dimensional world of nature on ablack and white photograph." (Tesch, 1990, p. 6). Inother words, many intertwined, tangential ideas havebeen omitted and flattened. With all of thechallenges facing Business Education today, it istime that researches look at the discipline through adifferent lensqualitative research.

The purpose of this paper was to discuss thenotions of using qualitative research methods as ameans of furthering and enhancing research inBusiness Education. Qualitative research is certainlynot a recent development. Qualitative researchmethods have been used by sociologists andanthropologists for well over 100 years. Qualitativeresearch is an umbrella term; sometimes it is referredto as participant observation, in-depth interviewing,life history, field research, naturalistic, ethnography,case study, or descriptive research (Bogdan &Biklen, p. 2-3).

No matter what term is used, in the broadercontext, the important thing to remember is that theresearcher is telling an in-depth story. Therein liesone major problem--qualitative research takes much

longer, requires greater clarity of goals during designstages and cannot be analyzed by running acomputer' program (Berg, 1095, p. 2). Qualitativeresearch does not unfold sequentially--much of thedata collection can be equated with the branches of atree. Several major branches (ideas) go in differentdirections and smaller branches grow out of themajor branches. These smaller branches mayprovide the most information.

Some branches twist and turn in severaldirections; thus, data can be quite difficult to study.However, as the study unfolds, data is categorizedand generalizations materialize, the researcherbegins to see the multi-dimensionality of thesituation. In an attempt to differentiate betweenquantitative and qualitative approaches. Dabbs(1982, cited in Berg, 1995) indicated that the notionof quality is essential to the nature of things. Qualityreferred to the what, how, when, and where of athingits essence and ambiance. Qualitativeresearch referred to the meanings, concepts,definitions, characteristics, metaphors, symbols, anddescriptions of things (Berg, 1995).

Actually, Business Education researchers canlook at this type of research as a journey where ideasare constantly becoming visible dunng the researchprocess. Qualitative researchers seek to describeand understand the processes that create thepatterns of the human terrain. Just when you thinkyou have arrived at the conclusion of the journey, aninteresting idea may emerge which will direct yourodyssey in a different direction.

References

Berg, B. L. (1995) Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. (2nd ed.) Needham HeiglIts,MA. Allyn & Bacon.

Bogdan, R. C. & Biklen. S. K. (1992) Qualitative Research for Education: An Intrrduction to Theory andMethods. (2nd ed.) Boston: Allyn & BaconTesch, R. (1990). Qualitative research: Analysis types and software tools. New York: The Falmer Press.

4

Col :ducting Successful Class Projects Over the InternetRobert E. Beasley

East Carolina University

Introduction

Conducting class projects over the Internetallows students to cooperate with others of similarinterests around the globe to answer importantquestions and solve real-world problems. Utilizingthis global medium provides some distinctadvantages over the way most class projects havebeen conducted traditionally. First, the Internetprovides a more diverse group of projectparticipants. These participants can be scatteredthroughout the world, yet their participation isalmost as if they were in the same room. Second,these diverse audiences naturally bring with themto the project a more diverse set of cognitiveabilities, skill levels, ideas, and beliefs. Third, theInternet provides an effective means of sharing adiverse set of tools, such as specializedspreadsheets or databases for compiling andanalyzing the data collected by the participatingclasses. And fourth, because participants in thesetypes of projects can be located in physicallydifferent parts of the world, with different latitudesand longitudes, cultures, economies, andgovernments, a more diverse set of data can beobtained. In this paper, the characteristics ofsuccessful global class projects, which can exploitthese advantages, will be discussed.

Characteristics of Successful Class Projects

Five characteristics of successful classprojects follow:

Topic

The range of possible topics is, of course,infinite and is only limited by one's imagination.However, in order for any project to gair sufficientparticipation, the topic must be interesting enoughto gain the attention of a large number of potentialparticipants. Thus, careful consideration of thetopic must be given. Furthermore, the title of theproject should reflect the topic and be written insuch a way as to gain the attention of thosesearching for projects in which to participate. Ashort, descriptive title is best because it allowspotential participants to quickly determine if the

project is one in which they may be interested ininvestigating further.

Focus

Experience has also shown that, for a project tobe successful, its focus must be on a commonphenomenon that differs in some respect (Levin.Rogers, Waugh, and Smith, 1989). Since theInternet allows students from diverse backgroundsto participate in the same project, projectdevelopers should choose a topic in which theparticipants share something in common (e.g.,food) but that differs in some important respect(e.g., staples, prices).

Orientation

It is also important that the project is goal-oriented as oppose to exchange-oriented. That is,there should be a purpose for conducting theproject other than just to exchange messages withothers over the Internet (such as with electronicpen pals). For example, in the My Name isDifferent Project (Beasley, 1993), each par-ticipating class of students was required to debatewhether or not a young Chinese-American boyshould change his Chinese name to an Americanequivalent. During the debate process, studentswere required to provide reasoned support for theirarguments and then attempt to reach a consensuson the issue. Finally, if a consensus could not bereached, students were required to vote. The goalof this particular project was to provide a realisticexercise in reasoned debate and the democraticprocess.

Planning

Good planning is essential to the success ofany class project conducted over the Internet. Thegoals and objectives of the project must be clearlyand unambiguously articulated, keeping in mindthe intended grade level(s) and prerequisite skillsof the.desired participants as well as the intendedduration of the project (Rogers, 1994). Theprocedures to be followed at each participating sitemust also be clearly and unambiguously composedand in a form that can be easily shared withparticipating classes over the Internet (i.e., ASCII).Any in-class instructions, whether for teachers orstudents, should be thorough to ensure consistent

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participation across classrooms. This is par-ticularly important if the project to be conducted issome kind of scientific undertaking. In the NoonObservation Project, students were required tomeasure the length of the shadow cast by the sunat noontime on a specific day in order to determinethe circumference of the earth (Levin, Rogers,Waugh, and Smith, 1989). What is expected ofthe participants at the end of the project shouldalso be clearly articulated. Project designersshould make sure to convey to all participantsexamples of the kind of final products to be sent tothe project moderator at the conclusion of theproject as well as a description of what participantswill receive as a result of the project (e.g., compiledresults from all participating sites, conclusions).Labor

In order for the project to be attractive toteachers, many of whom are already overly busy; itshould not appear that the project is so involvedthat it could be extremely time-consuming. If theproject description makes a teacher feel thatparticipating in such a project will heap even morework on them, few will wish to participate. Theproject developer must make sure that theprocedures and tasks to be performed by theteachers are not too labor-intensive. It shouldappear to be fun for them and not an additionalburden.

Time Frame

Stapleton, Levin, and Waugh (1991) describesix stages of successful networking projects.These include the proposal stage, the refinementstage, the organization stage, the pursuit stage,the wrap-up stage, and the publication stage.Adherence to the time-frame allotted for eachactivity in the project, from the organization stage(Stage 3) through the publication stage (Stage 6),is essential to the success of the project for tworeasons. First, the project moderator mustcoordinate the efforts of potentially hundreds ofparticipating sites. If some of these sites do notmeet their activity deadlines, the project moderatormust exert additional effort to urge theseparticipants to finish their activities. At the sametime, other sites may be waiting for intermediateresults, such as progress reports. Second, if allparticipating sites do not finish the project onschedule, the results of the project may be anti-climactic, especially for those participants. whofinished their part of the project on time. For thesereasons, it is important to develop a realistic timeframe for each activity to be performed during theprojecta time frame that provides a flexiblewindow for each activity, but at the same timeallows the project to move ahead at a pace whichdoes not produce an atmosphere of boredom.

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Activities

Activities in which students are to participateshould be classrc om centered as much aspossible. If a project is initiated in which themajority of the work is to be done outside theclassroom, such as at home on a particular night.students may forget to do their assignment or, forsome reason, may not be able to complete it.Designing a project in which the activities areclassroom centered also permits poorer students toexperience good peer participation models andallows students having difficulty to get help fromthe teacher. In addition, conducting the activities inthe classroom ensures that students have a sharedcontext of the project, a context in whichcooperative learning is fostered. Finally, whenproject activities are classroom centered, theteacher can more easily integrate the project intothe ongoing curriculum.

Students should also be given the opportunityto experience the full range of activities performedby those conducting analogous projects in the realworld. For example, if the purpose of the project isto collect data on some interesting phenomenon(e.g., access to personal computers in theclassroom, applications used), students shouldparticipate in all steps of the study just as if theywere researchers themselves. These steps mightinclude such activities as designing the datacollection form, collecting the data, analyzing thedata, interpreting and writing up the results, andfinally submitting a paper for peer review,publication, and debate.Controversy

In some cases, it may be desirable to inject anelement of controversy into the project. This isusually done by posing some kind of big question,as it has been called. For example, in the MyName is Different Project, the question wasposed, should Chang-Lee change his name toCharlie? In a climate in which cultural heritage isof great interest, this question proved to generate alively exchange of ideas and rationales on thesubject. However, the topic should not be too

controversial. Judgment should be exercised inchoosing the right amount of controversy tointroduce into the project. A topic that is toocontroversial may serve to divide participants andcreate an atmosphere of frustration and hostility. instead of an .atmosphere-of cooperation.Conclusions

Using the Internet to conduct global classprojects has some very distinct advantages overthe way class projects have been conducted in thepast. In particular, the Intemet provides a morediverse group of project participants wh ) come to

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the project with a more diverse set of abilities, paper, projects can be designed that exploit theseskills, ideas, and beliefs. Additionally, the Internet advantages as well as provide a fun and ennchingmakes access to a diverse set of tools more experience for all who participate.convenient and provides a more diverse set ofdata. By following the guidelines presented in this

References

Beasley, R. E. (1993). My name is different project: Final report. Unpublished manuscript. University ofIllinois, Urbana, IL.

Levin, J. A., Rogers, A., Waugh, M., & Smith K. (1989, May). Observations on electronic networks:Appropriate activities for learning. THE COMPUTING TEACHER. pp. 17-21.

Rogers, A. (1994). Keys to a successful project [Machine-readable data file]. Bonita. CA: Global SchoolNetFoundation (Distributor).

Stapleton, C. E., Levin, J. A., & Waugh, M. L. (1991). Organization of successful teacher educationactivities on electronic networks. Unpublished manuscript, University of Illinois, Urbana. IL

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The Need for Ethics Instruction at the High School LevelPatricia Brown

Robert Morris College

Introduction

According to a nationwide study by Touche, Rossi& Co. (Nappi, 1990, p. 177), ethics in business is oneof the most serious problems facing corporateAmerica today. In fact, unethical behavior and majorscandals in corporate America prompted the AACSB(American Assembly of Collegiate Schools ofBusiness) to modify its curriculum to include "ethicalconsiderations" within its common body of knowledgerequirements. Colleges and universities are not theonly institutions where ethics education is a concern.Ethical behavior needs to be instilled in the studentprior to college, a case which is supported by Wynd(1989). Nappi (1990,p. 178) further supports thisargument when he suggests, "It is imperative that thestudy of ethics be presented in the context of thestudent's entire academic experienceat every levelof education."

Schools can reinforce moral values and helpstudents with ethical decision-making skills early intheir schooling. These skills should be welldeveloped by the time these students graduate fromhigh school. "Before leaving high school, studentsshould have acquired not only knowledge and skillsto enhance their capacity to perceive and thinkclearly about moral issues, but also the ability to putethical beliefs into practice (Nappi, 1990, p.177).Why Teach Ethics at the High School Level

High school business teachers have aresponsibility to guide sound ethical behavior in theirbusiness classes. The high school businesscurriculum is an excellent vehicle for reinforcing thisbehavior. Some critics feel that ethics cannot betaught and others believe this should be left to thebusiness schools and universities. There are severalreasons for the need for ethics education at the highschool level. They are

Many high school business students may notreceive ''rural business ethics trainingfollowing graduation.some high school graduates may create andmaea3e their own business without furtherformal education

8

For each person acting counter to moralstandards, some stood by and did nothingThose that stood by may well be thoseemployees who never entered college andwho were never exposed to a college ethicscourse.

Some high school graduates may beemployed by a firm that encouragesparticipative management thus playing anactive part in decision-making.

Ethics Can Be Taught at the High School LevelThe primary function of a course in ethics is to

teach ethical analysis. Although ethical analysis maynot lead to a single right or just solution to aparticular managerial dilemma, it can lead todecisions that can be clearly seen to be more right ormore just than other decisions (Hosmer, 1988). Thepurpose of ethics instruction then is to help thestudent learn to make wiser decisions.Model Marking the Association of Elements ofEthical Decision-Making

Based on a synthesis of the research relating toethical decision-making, a design was developed toexplain how a businessperson arrives at his or herethical/unethical behavior using ethical analysis.This design could be used as an introduction toethics and may help the high school student see thesignificance of ethics instruction. A writtenexplanatior. of the model is as follows:

Ethical decision-making begins with values,values that have formed through culture,education, experience, and principles. Thesevalues are a basis for the formation of ethicalstandards.

An ethical dilemma arises where we have to callon our ethical standards for assistance. Thisethical dilemma very often falls in that grey areaof decision-making, where there is no right orwrong answer.

At this. time, a moral judgment about this dilemmamust be made based on our ethical standards. Theresult is a behavior which is either ethical orunethical.

Seven-Step Ethical Reasoning Process.Ethical dilemmas, which should be usedextensively in teaching ethical awarenet could be

16

examined by using the seven-step processdeveloped by Arthur Anderson & Co. to assist busi-ness students in understanding and practicing themoral reasoning skills necessary to be successfuland effective in today's business environment.

SEVEN-STEP ETHICAL REASONING PROCESS

Arthur Anderson & Co., SCWhen facing an ethical dilemma, ask yourself thefollowing questions:

What are the facts?

What are the ethical issues?Who are the stakeholders?

What are the alternatives?

What are the consequences for eachalternative, and how are stakeholdersaffected?

Are there any practical constraints to beconsidered?

What action should be taken?

The Need to Teach High School Ethics

Does the high school business curriculum todayinclude ethics education, and are the high schoolBusiness Teachers effectively instructing the

students in ethical awareness? This is somethingthat Business Educators, need to research. A studywas recently completed comparing the ethicalstandards of Business Education students andbusiness administration students at seven stateuniversities in Kentucky (Brown. 1994). One of thequestions that was included in the survey concernedthe extent to which students reported receiving highschool ethics instruction. The table be,ow presentsthe responses to this question.

Seventy-two of the 75 potential business teachersresponded to this item, and 150 of the 153 potentialbusinesspersons responded. Noteworthy ofreporting is the large percentage of students whoreported that they did not receive any ethicsinstruction in high school (over 40 percent).Conclusion

High school ethics instruction is crucial todeveloping good ethical decision making skills. Wnoshould provide ethics instruction? Businesseducation teachers provide education for businessand education about business Ethics education isabout business, therefore, tile ideal choice forproviding ethics instruction is Business Educationteachers.

1Table

EXTENT OF HIGH SCHOOL ETHICS INSTRUCTIONDegree Business Education Students Business Administration

StudentsExtensive 5 6

(6.9%) (4.0%)Some 38 80

(52.8%) (53.3%)None 29 64

(40.3%) (42.7%)References

Brown, P. (1994). Ethical standards of potential business teachers and potential businesspersons onselected business practices. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Hosmer, L. T. (1988, July-August). Adding ethics to the business curriculum. BUSINESS HORIZONS, 9-15.

Nappi, A. T. (1990, January). Teaching business ethicsa conceptual approach. JOURNAL OFEDUCATION FOR BUSINESS, 177-180

Wynd, W. R. & Mager, J. (1989). The business and society_course: does it change student attitudes?JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS, 8, 487-491.

91r

Incorporating Industry-Based Skill Standards into High SchoolSecretarial ProgramsPhyllis BunnVirginia Tech

Over the past ten years, concern hasueveloped for the condition of the Americaneconomy, which has moved business andeducation leaders in the United States toacknowledge the interdependence betweeneducation and the economy. A major outcome ofthis concern has been the development andimplementation of standards including certificationof occupational skills and competencies (Warnat,1992) for workforce preparation. For example,one outcome of this concern about education wasthe SCANS report which defined skills needed foremployment. Consequently, business andindustry, education, and government haverecognized the need to provide worker preparationthat addresses current and anticipatedoccupational workforce needs. Under the Carl D.Perkins Vocational and Applied TechnologyEducation Act of 1990 (U. S. Congress, 1990)matching grant funds have been mandated forimplementing voluntary industry-based skillstandards. These matching grants haveimplications for greater accountability in businessand other vocational education programs. Skillstandards are also related integrally to the Goals2000: Educate America Act (U. S. Congress,1994) which incorporates policy requirements forthe ensuring success of voluntary industry-basedskill standards.

Labor Secretary Robert Reich argues that skillsstandards can aid communication amongemployers, educators, trainers, and workersregarding specific skill level and needs. He said,"There is a disconnect between the skills peoplehave and the skills the economy requires" (U. S.Department of Labor, 1993). Skill standardsidentify the knowledge, skill, and level of ability anindividual needs to perform successfully in theworkplace. Thus, skill standards ensure acommon, standardized system for classifying anddescribing the skills needed for particularoccupations and the skills possessed by individualworkers (U. S. Department of Labor, 1993).

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Business Occupation Skills Standards BeingDeveloped

Twenty-two national trade associations havereceived matching grants from the U. SDepartments of Labor and Education to developand implement national voluntary skill standardsand certification in their trade or industry. TheAmerican Electronics Association (AEA) (AEA,1994) accepted matching funds and hasdeveloped such competencies in three areas.AEA posits that "skill standards provide concreteexamples of the skills needed in today's workplaceand give employers, workers, educators, andtrainers a common language so they cancommunicate better with each other." Standardscan help educators know how and what to teachand give noncollege bound young people realistic,but challenging goats, to work toward. When AEAdeveloped secretarial and administrative/information support services skill standards andcompetencies, AEA sought to determine what kindof skills these workers need to be the best at theirjobs. A key purpose was to provide administrativeand organizational assistance to internal andexternal customers. AEA also identified thefollowing six competencies as important forsecretarial and administrative/information supportservice workers: (a) identify internal and externalcustomer needs and plan work activities, (b)manage and schedule activities to achieveobjectives. (c) manage resources, (d) develop.implement, and evaluate work processes andprocedures, (e) generate and maintain documents

and information, and (f) initiate and facilitatecommunication.

Professional Secretaries International (PSI) andthe Vocational Technical Education Consortium ofStates (VTECS) are also working together toestablish national skill standards for administrativeand executive support professionals Theirpurpose is to identify the skills and knowledgenecessary to establish the standard ofperformance for administrative and executivesupport professionals such as secretaries,executive assistants, medical secretaries, andinformation specialists. Their objective is to (a)develop a set of core skill standards that apply to

15

workers in all administrative support occupations;(b) develop standards for specific skills performedby legal, medical and executive secretaries; (c)identify academic and workplace behavior skillsthat are critical to the performance of secretaries;and (d) design and provide an assessmentprogram that can be used to validate theperformance of trained secretaries foremployment. A national survey will be developedand sent to 500 experienced secretaries who aremembers of PSI. The survey will be analyzed by aTechnical Advisory Committee which consists ofsecretaries, supervisors and employers ofsecretaries, educational representatives, and PSIrepresentatives.Implications for Implementing NationalBusiness Education and Skills Standards

Development of national business andeducation industry-based skills standards in officeoccupations has a number of implications forbusiness education. Moneys provided through thematching Federal grant program could helpindustry leaders and Bust ass Educatorscollaborate in training people to work in officeoccupations of the future. Accepting the matchingFederal grants with the challenge to createentry-level office standards, invokes opportunitiesfor industry and Business Educators to work

References

together to close the gaps as to what constitutesacceptable on-the-job standards. These gaps arecharacteristic of the U. S. economy and result fromfragmentation that has existed between educationand employment. Both industry and education canuse these skill standards to update education andtraining programs and continuously evaluatecurriculum standards to make sure criteriaproposed by industry-based skills standards arebeing met. Ongoing evaluation of businesseducation programs is important in defining thequality of programs and in identifying andstrengthening deficiencies in these programsSuch standards also help establish greateraccountability for students, teachers. businessprograms, and schools.Conclusion

Developing industry-based skills standards andincorporating these into business educationprograms assures business education graduatesof being competitive as they seek administrativesupport positions. Also anticipated would behigher wages and enhanced job security for thosecompleting business education programs. Further,business education graduates will have portablecredentials that are important in today'sinformation-oriented and highly mobile society.

AMERICAN ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION (1994). Setting the standard: A handbook on skillstandards for the high-tech industry. Santa Clara, CA: Author.

Professional Secretaries International and Vocational Education Consortium of States. (1994). Nationalskill standards for administrative and executive support professionals. Kansas City, MO:Author.

U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Information. (1993, July). Labor Secretary Reich supportsnational, voluntary skill standards system. VOCATIONAL TRAINING NEWS. Washington, DC:Author.

U. S. Congress. (1990). The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of1990 (Public Law 101-392). Washington, DC Act.

U. S. Congress. (1994). Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Public Law (H. R. 1804). Washington,DC: Act.

Warnat, W. I. (1992, October). Assessment, certification and recognition of occupational skills andcompetencies: The United States experience. U. S. Department of Education. Unpublishedmanuscript.

I I

19

School-To-Work Integration: Developing the Future WorkforceMary M. Cauley

East Carolina University

Today, Americans must prepare for the future.Americans are living in a technological revolution,where the world is changing rapidly; and nowhereis this change more obvious than in the job market.Within the next few years, many of our graduateswill be filling jobs that cannot be identified or evenimagined today. Jobs will be available for thosewho are prepared. Our challenge as educators isto prepare our students to meet the challenges ofthe future. Education does not have the resourcesto do this job alone. To make schools partners intechnology, to move schools "from blackboards tocomputer chips," it is estimated that the cost toupgrade American schools technologically wouldbe close to $12 billion. Therefore, Americaneducators must foster more and strongerpartnerships with businesses, schools, community-based organizations, and state and localgovernments.

Over the last several years, a number ofeducation/business partnership initiatives haveevolved. Among these are the School-to-WorkOpportunities Act, Goals 2000 (Educate AmericaAct), Tech Prep, Career Academies, and YouthApprenticeships. Other time-honored programsthat serve a similar need and continue tostrengthen the workforce are CooperativeEducation, internship programs. and other types ofexperiential learning opportunities. Such school-to-work transition programs prepare students forgood-paying jobs. In so doing, these school-to-work transition programs help to (1) raise theeducational standards for all students, (2) ensurethat students build a stronger academic base, and(3) to ensure that students are better prepared forlearning throughout life. Such programs prepareour country to compete in a global economy.

The most recent efforts to meet the workforcepreparedness challenge is the School-to-WorkOpportunities Act (H.R. 2884, signed by thePresident on May 4, 1994). HR 2884 is aninnovative new bill passed by Congress last year tohelp our students experience an orderly transitionbetween high school and work. The Actestablishes a national framework to broaden the

12

educational, career, and economic opport-unitiesfor all youth through partnerships betweenbusinesses, schools, community-based organ-izations, and state and local governments. Thefocus of this bill is to encourage local schools andbusinesses to develop partnerships that willprovide work experiences fo: students and willexpose them to career opportui .ities. This is onemeans of helping students to develop theknowledge, values, expertise, and work ethics theyneed to be prepared for the future workforce.

Benefits from work-based learning partnershipsaccrue not only to students, but employers alsoreceive many advantages by working with studentsin their personal and professional development.Partnerships are cost effective for employers interms of recruitment, advertising, and relatedcosts. Partnerships result in increasedproductivity, the early identification and training ofpotential future employees, and better employeeretention. Employers build good will in theircommunities, fulfill their social responsibility andshare responsibility for the education and trainingof their future employees.

Cooperative education or Co-op is probably thebest known of any of these education/businesspartnership programs. Co-op has been around atleast since 1906 as a formal, structured program inthe United States. Co-op is a three-waypartnership, which includes the student, theemployer, and the school that links these elementstogether. Co-op enables students to gain practical,career-related work experience while they areattending school.

Work-based learning programs, such as Co-op,help prepare students for the complexities anddemands of the world of work. Workplacecompetencies provide students with the ability tomanage resources, work productively with others,acquire and use information, understand andmaster systems, and to work with technologies.The integration of school-based and work-basedlearning transition services provides support forcareer development. Through these connectingactivities between school and work, studentsshould be provided with career counseling andreceive labor market information to help them with

career decision making. Community service the integration of academic and vocational learningpartnerships help prepare students for citizenship and the involvement of employers in the designroles as well. For a future workforce that is fully and delivery of our students' education.prepared, educators must continue to strengthen

Reference?;

U. S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor. (1994). Fact sheets of the School-to-Work Opportunities Center, Washington, DC: Author

Bulletin of the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education. (1993, July). College Park.MD: Author.

13 -;

Preparing a Business Plan: Entrepreneur Teaching StrategyRichard ClodfelterUniversity of South Carolina

Introduction

Evidence exists for the need to integratehigher-order thinking skills into the secondarycurriculum. Higher-order skills include the abilitiesto reason and think critically, to solve problemsand make effective decisions, and to utilize one'screativity and imagination in work settings. Boyer(1984) has recommended that all high schoolgraduates should have the ability to bring togetherinformation, organize their thoughts, reachconclusions, and use knowledge wisely. Further,Boyer has contended that a top priority ofsecondary education must be to develop thecapacity to think critically. Pratzner and Russell(1984) found that to function effectively in worksettings, both workers and managers needproblem-solving skills. And, the SCANS (1991)report, published by the U.S. Department of Labor,calls for students to be able to analyze, synthesize,and evaluate new and unfamiliar problems.Marketing Educator's InvolvementHow can marketing educators develop higherorder thinking skills in students? One of the bestways is to develop those skills in the context of thesubject matter that students are studying.Students must be provided with instruction whichregularly challenges them to practice and

demonstrate higher-order thinking requiring themto apply, synthesize, or evaluate information.Higher-order thinking occu-s when students areable to use what they learn io deal with real-worldproblems and situations. Generating higher-orderthinking activities require several steps. Theyinclude:

Developing objectives that reflect higher orderthinking.

Designing assignments to address objectiveswhich encourage higher-order thinking. Suchassignments are more difficult to design, buttypical recall assignments do little to causestudents to learn information so they can putknowledge to work.

Testing students at higher levels of cognition.Assessments must cia...:ge students' ability tosolve problems. tl tmk creatively, reason. andmake decisions.

Students n Entrepreneurship courses partic-ularly will need to acquire higher-order thinkingskills. As potential business owners, these stu-dents will need to do more than list, identify, anddescribe informationthey must be able to apply,analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.Developing attitudes and skills that allow studentsto apply knowledge in real-world situations willbuild future entrepreneurs. Students should beable to learn through a variety of activities such assimulations, on-the-job experiences, team activ-ities, and other projects in which they are provideda set of facts, events, or issues related to aproblem. By thinking logically and creatively, eitherindependently or with others, students are requiredto identify suitable alternatives and reach viablesolutions. What students practice will remain withthem longer than what they only hear or read.The Business Plan

14

Developing a business plan is probably themost crucial concept that potential entrepreneurswill need. In a nationwide survey ofEntrepreneurship courses (Wilson, 1991), thebusiness plan was listed by teachers as one of themost important concepts taught. These teachersalso indicated that they devoted more time to thisconcept than to any other single topic. Whenteaching students to develop a business plan,learning experiences must be structured to providethem with opportunities to acquire needed skillsbefore starting their plans. Data suggest (Fritz,1993) that some students may lack thedevelopmental readiness to immediately beginlearning at higher levels. Guided practice will becrucial for these students. All high school studentswill probably need continual guidance on how towrite a business plan, .what to include in the plan,and where to obtain necessary data.Preparing students to develop a business planshould not present "one" way of solving problems.Students need to be involved in activities wherethey are allowed to choose alternative strategiesand analyze the consequences of those decisionsInstruction must encourage creativity, one of the

;4 4.

most significant traits of successful entrepreneurs.More than classroom lectures must be provided;Entrepreneurship cannot simply be taught byassigning readings and questions in a textbook.Course work must be challenging and relevant,and students must see how their lessons areconnected to the real world. By integratingactivities which develop higher-order thinking skillsinto the Entrepreneurship curriculum, the quality ofinstruction will be greatly enhanced.

References

Conclusion

The acquisition of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities and the development of creativity isnot possible through memorization and informationrecall. Teachers cannot simply provide studentswith directions in making effective decisions, givethem routine exercises to complete, and expectthese skills to be acquired. Therefore. theselection of appropriate instructional methods iscrucial in developing students' higher-orderthinking skills.

Boyer, E. L. (1984, June). Clarifying the mission of the American high school. EDUCATIONALLEADERSHIP, 20-22.

Clodfelter, R. (1990, April). Preparing potential entrepreneurs for tomorrow's world. BUSINESSEDUCATION FORUM, 30-31.

Clodfelter, R (1992, February). Developing entrepreneurship courses. VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONJOURNAL 39.

Fritz, R.L. (1993). Problem solving aptitude among secondary marketing education students.MARKETING EDUCATORS' JOURNAL 45-59.

Pratzner, F.C. & Russell, J. F. (1984, January). Implications of quality of work-life developments forvocational education. JOURNAL OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION RESEARCH 24-45.

US Department of Labor. (1991, June). SCANS What work requires of schools. Washington, DC:Author.

Schoettinger, N.L. (1985, Fall). A perspective: Upgrading the marketing curriculumTheintegration of higher order skills. MARKETING EDUCATORS' JOURNAL, 52-58.

Smith, M. & Steward, J.F. (1990, April). The business plan: Key to realism in teachingentrepreneurship. BUSINESS EDUCATION FORUM, 25-27.

Wilson, B. (1991). Model entrepreneurship education offerings in the public secondary schoolsMARKETING EDUCATORS' JOURNAL, 52-70.

15 23

DECA: An Effective Tool for Overcoming Today's Classroom Cr,lallengesJeff Collins

National DECA

Marketing Education coordinators/DECAadvisors face many challenges every day in theclassroom as they prepare students for success.For many years, there have been challenges toteaching and training young people, whether it besize of the class, student apathy, or even thatannoying announcement in the middle of class.Classroom teachers today know that these aretrivial challenges when compared to today's schoolenvironment.

What is so different now, or what is at leastmore prevalent versus a short time ago? Students--who may not be getting enough food at home;may not see their parents/guardians for days at atime; are getting pregnant; are already drugaddicts or alcoholics; are expected to go to schooland perform when they have to take care ofyounger brothers and sistersare realisticexamples of today's environment. Perhaps mostalarming, did you think ten years ago that youngchildren would be shot for a pair of tennis shoes?

For many of us, this has been reality! ShouldMarketing Educators give up and quit?ABSOLUTELY NOT! Is there anything that canhelp us? ABSOLUTELY! While teachers cannotcontrol everything that goes on in and outside ofschool, teachers can control most of what happensin their classroom. DECA, along with caring andsupport for young people, can make animmeasurable difference in the lives of students.DECA activities can make a major difference in thequality of teaching, and in the quality of the workenvironment.

Now the question is...How does DECA helpimprove student learning, teacher workingconditions. and the overall classroomenvironment? Why is DECA a necessary part of aMarketing Education program? Without stealingthe thunder of my presentation, here is how DECAcan affect your classroom.

Who Were the Students:

On average, only about 15% of the studentsare from a "traditional" family environment.

Individual situations included various types ofabuse, drug and alcohol Iroblems. teenagepregnancy, runaways, and unclean livingenvironments.

Personal Teaching Approach

Extending from my basic teaching philosophy ofhelping young people, a fundamental decision wasto open myself and my time to the personal lives ofstudents. After visiting with students in their home,students became aware that they could talk to meabout anything. By my understanding what thestudents left when coming to school and whatenvironment the students returned to after the bellrang, was time and energy well spent.DECA As An Instructional Tool

A fundamental understanding is that DECA isnot a program, but rather an instructional tool thatcan help you implement your program curriculum.DECA should complement, not control, yourinstruction. After determining what to teach, yourbasic challenge as a teacher is to (1) find the mosteffective way to gain the interest of studentsdespite their personal concerns, (2) deliver theimportant information with consideration forretention, (3) provide an outside avenue forteacher and self-evaluation, and (4) offer real-world experiences that are interesting and relativeto their career interests.

DECA's Leadership Opportunities (local,state, national)...provide motivation throughincreased self-esteem; encourage respon-sible behavior through the assignment ofspecific duties

DECA's Competitive Events Program...motivates students through a friendlycompetitive environment and rewards oftravel, scholarships, trophies, etc.; offersteacher and self-evaluation; provides in-dass ;ndividual and team projects;encourages students to explore careeropportunities; offers unique social settings,recognizes student achievement.DECA Related Materials...providesinstructional materials targeted towardleadership. general marketing, and specific

16

2 :I

career activities; allows for and encouragesstudent initiative toward learning.

Ask Yourself a Few Questions?

Will students be motivated by opportunitiesto travel, meet other students, and receivetrophies, scholarships, and other awards?Will students be motivated by an increasedself-esteem?

Will students be motivated by classroomprojects and team activities that THEYchoose in relation to their career interests?

Will more motivated students lead to morelearning, a better teaching situation for me,and an improv,i classroom environment?

Will an extra resource for instructionalmaterials help keep my teaching up-to-dateand interesting for both me and mystudents?Will demonstrations and recognition ofstudent success lead to a more secureposition for me in my school system?

If you answered YES to any of these. thenDECA is a must-use tool for you. Let up preytogether that DECA is an effective tool fog

overcoming today's classroom challenges.

17

International Telecommunications: The Key to the Future in Businessand Marketing EducationJoyce J. Cotten

Lee County Senior High School

As a new millennium approaches, educationfinds itself in the midst of a fast changing world.With new transportation and communicationtechnologies: our students, who are the workforceof the future, will face the challenge of competingin a global economy. To meet this challenge, theBusiness and Marketing classroom, at all levels,must take on a global perspective. Theseclassrooms cannot limit the teaching of Businessand Marketing courses solely to Americanbusiness ideas, geography, and lifestyles.Education for and about business must be presentfrom a global perspective. Thus, our Business andMarketing Education programs must realign theircurricula to prepare workers and consumers forthe world beyond our nation's borders. Knowledgeof how other countries activities and actions affectus and how American activities and actions affectthe rest of the world is needed. The challenge is tointegrate international business concepts andprocedures into curricula so that students areprepared for the global society in which they willwork and live.

Impact on Business and Marketing EducationBusiness and Marketing Education studentsneed to know about three underlying factors todeal with this globalization. The factors are: (1) torecognize cultural differences, (2) to adapt to

working with people of other cultures, and (3) toexpand our sills and knowledge on an inter-national level. What better place to discuss thischallenge than the Business and Marketing Edu-cation classroom. Business and MarketingEducation is (1) education for business, (2) educ-ation about business, and (3) education for the

workplace. Therefore, in order to be able to workeffectively in a global economy, Business andMarketing Educators must provide instructionalactivities that teach students about internalperspectives that affect social, political, andcultural, and economic relations.

18

Telecommunication

Many of these underlying principles can beaccomplished through telecommunications. Mostof the equipment needed is already available in theBusiness and Marketing classroom, but the key isinnovation.

Telecommunication, an innovation vehicle. isthe process of transmitting information overdistance by electrical or electromagnetic means.There are four principle types of telecommu-nications systems available today: voice, data,message, and image. The Business and Market-ing classroom can use one or all of these systems,depending upon the availability of the equipment,to globalize their classroom. A computer, commu-nication software, modem, telephone line, and ahost computer are needed to do telecom-munications. In addition to the equipment, a littlecomputer savvy and willingness to try somethingnew is necessary.

Making the Connection

To accomplish the globalization of theclassroom, making the connection is critical. Avast array of information services are available--one must do some research to learn what is bestfor his/her school situation. There is, however, agreat deal of published information available tomake the task easier. The major computermagazines consistently run feature articles on allfacets of telecommunications.

For example, theMarch 15. 1994 issue of PC Magazine, containsan excellent description of the major on-lineservices and a special feature on the Internet.Further, a visit to the bookstore will provide quitean exhibit of books on the topic oftelecommunications. Many of the major publishingcompanies provide textbooks on the topic, anddaily newspapers consistently have articles on theInformation Highway.

Projects for the Information HighwayProjects that can be completed via

telecommunications are virtually unlimited.

nu

Telecommunication related learning activities canbe easily incorporated into any subject in theBusiness and Marketing curriculum. Listed beloware some ideas that could be expanded. Some ofthese ideas lend themselves to individualizedprojects while others could be an entire unitdepending upon the class such as subject, classsize, or composition of learning abilitiesdemonstrated by students.

Current eventsuse on-line database forinternational news.

Free enterpriseresearch and discusstopics about creating a business.

Travel brochure--assemble a localbrochure and exchange with others.

Local historycompile a local history andexchange.

Issueswrite papers on issues of concernto young people and let students in othercountries critique them.

Create resumes and exchangestudentscritique the resumes.

Create a business letter requestingproducts or services available locally,students in other areas serve as serviceagents and respond.

Environmental issuesdiscuss environ-mental issues of concern and exchangewith students in other parts of the worldfor comparison.

News articles--write a news article ofinterest or concern and exchange withstudents in a foreign country. Students incomputer classes could do a newsletterwith articles received.

Technology and Society--include topicson the use of computer, telecom-munication, telecomuting, telelearning,etc.

Famous people--compile a list of peoplethey consider to be famous and why, and

19

exchange the list with others to compareor contrast the differences in the list.

World citizensstudents discuss issues ofglobal concern and suggest solutions.

School Lunchanalysis of school lunchesand exchange data with other schools.

Job Searchresearch employment oppor-tunities in their area and exchange withstudents around the world.

Conclusion

To prepare students for the global marketplace.students must be taught about world culture.economics, and an entrepreneurial spirit ofunderstanding and cooperation. Students have attheir fingertips the ability to talk in real-time withsomeone in Japan, send a short story to a group ofpeople who will critique it for the sheer pleasure ofdoing so, see if a computer is turned on inSingapore, and find out if someone happens to besitting in front of their computer in Australia, allwithin thirty minutes.

The greatest strength of telecommunicationslies in its ability to bring people together regardlessof their geographic locations. Across internationalboundaries, people are sharing information andideas with others. What better way to learn aboutother cultural and how people think and feel thanto actually communicate with them. With this kindof global cooperation and communications, ourstudents can expand their skills and knowledge onan international level.

If you are not teaching or using telecommuni-cations in the Business and Marketing Educationclassrooms, whether it be at the high school,community college, or the university level, you aredepriving yourself and your students. A wonderfulopportunity to prepare students for the newmillennium and a global economy await. Yourchallenge, if you choose to accept, is toincorporate the technology into your classroom toprepare your students to compete in a globaleconomy.

If You Could See What I See: Marketing Videophone TechnologyRandolph Scott FoumierUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore

Herbert F. Brown lllVirginia Tech

Introduction

New technical developments in telecommuni-cations such as facsimile machines, electronicmail, teleconferencing, voice mail, voice recog-nition systems, video conferencing, and (morerecently), the videophone, have resulted in atechnological revolution. The once intriguingnotion of videophone technology is fast becominga reality. The videophone is now entering wo'dmarkets and is changing the way businessesoperate. According to Curtis J. Crawford, vice-president AT&T Microelectronics (Park, 1993), theimpact that video products will have on businesseswill be seen as more attractive than personalcomputers once did in the 1980s. Crawford (Park,1993) noted that businesses will take the lead increating a new digital video market. As a result,business meetings will become easier to conduct,more cost-efficient, and mars productive. Inaddition to saving money and increasing pro-ductivity, business people will be able to shareinformation with their clients by displaying videoimages over telephone lines for businesspresentations, as opposed to the more traditionalpresentation methods. However, business execu-tives may not be so appreciative of this newtechnology. Fox (1993a, p.29) notes that thebiggest challenge of all is "to convince executivesthat they must stay in a cold winter's office insteadof traveling first class to a hotel with a large golfcourse set in a sunny climate." Additionally,Crawford believes that once video communicationtechnology becomes more commonly used in theworkplace, more consumers will begin to purchasevideophones to be used in their own homes (Park,1993).

So, why are not videophones accepted withopen arms by consumers'? Maybe its because"technical innovations are not always diffused andadopted rapidly, even when the innovation hasobvious and proven advantages" (Rogers, 1983, p.

243. Newton (1994) believes that videophoneproducts sold by telephone companies are anovelty with little practical significance. Addi-tionally, he explains that the reason sales havebeen down is because consumers believe that theintroductory price for videophones is tooexpensive. Other skeptics claim that the video-phone is just another gimmick or only to be usedby "technology junkies." Optimists, however, be-lieve that videophone technology will be perceivedby many businesses as the wave of the future.But, in order for videophone technology to suc-cessfully progress, researchers must overcomesome technological barriers.Shortcomings

There are a number of shortcomingsassociated with videophone technology. Theyinclude: the quality of normal transmission lines,video compression technology, videophonecompatibility, and quality of the videophonedisplay. One shortcoming associated withvideophone technology is the quality oftransmission over normal telephone lines. Whenan image is transmitted over normal lines itproduces a blurred, jumpy imay ). However, asfiber-optic lines become more prevalent and thevideophone technology improves, the quality of theimage will also imprcve (Fox 1993a). Anothershortcoming involves compression technology.Currently most videophones display slow-motionvideo transmission with repeated delays fromframe-to-frame. Yet, as the frame rate increases,compression and image delays become virtuallynonexistent, consumers will begin to find theseproducts more appealing (Park, 1993).

As with the emergence of facsimile machines inthe 1980s, the problem of compatibility betweendifferent facsimile products is also evident with thecurrent videophone systems that are sold on themarket today. In order for videophone systems tooperate effectivel, , the systems must becompatible (Quatn, 1994). Companies such asAT&T and MCI, large North American telephone

20

0ti 0

market suppliers, and British Telecom, a largetelephone market supplier in Europe, have beenresearching videophone technology for years, andeach company has spent millions of dollarsdeveloping its own videophone system. Further,Fox (1993b) notes that the Dutch telecommu-nications authority has tried to negotiate with allparties involved; however, it appears that no partyis willing to change their position and developcompatible machines.

Lastly, all videophones that are currentlyavailable for business and consumer use display ajerky, fuzzy-like picture. If a person makes anymovement in front of the camera, a blurred picturewill result (Fox, 1993a). Moreover, the amount ofdirect sunlight that is projected onto the screenmakes for difficult viewing. While some screenscan be controlled by adjusting the color andcontrast, the quality of the picture can be greatlyimproved by sitting in a well-lighted room at adistance of no more than two feet from thecamera. Also, it is important that the user beaware of their position in relation to the camera onthe videophone when making a call. Today'svideophones generally give the user only twoviewing optiom, close-ups and wide-angles (Colby1991a; Quain, 1994).

Marketing Videophones

When marketing videophone technology, onemust present a clear concept.

1/4. irrently, compa-nies who manufacture videophon products havenot identified distinct markets. As the videophonemarket increases, other markets may suffer asresult of this technology (i.e., the travel industry).Fox (1993a) notes that the benefits of newdevelopments in digital technology are causingbusiness executives to rethink their prioritiesbefore traveling and attending conferences. Thus,videophones will likely contribute to the continuingtrend toward less travel for business executives inthe near future.

Potential Markets

Some potential markets for videophonetechnology include:

The hospitality industry. Videophones arebeing mass marketed in major hotelsaround the world (Fox, 1593a). Look for anincreasing demand for videophone productsin the hotel industry.

References

The younger MTV generation viewersToday's youths are exposed to videotechnology everyday, however, primarily asa form of entertainment. Therefore, largevideophone suppliers must focus theiradvertising on presenting a product that willbe both useful and entertaining.

Grandparents. Grandparents will travel lessin the future. Instead of traveling hundredsof miles to see their mend children, it will bemore convenient for them to see their grandchildren more often simply by callingThe hearing impaired. With the use of avideophone product. people with hearingdisabilities now will be able to communicatethrough sign language using videophones.The medical profession. People in themedical profession will be able to benefitfrom using videophone technology. Forexample, doctors will be able to take x-raysof patients and send the film to hospitals tobe examined immediately via videophone.

Conclusion

Videophone technology is still in its infancyand is not without its problems; however, newinnovations are already taking form in thevideophone industry. For example, researchers atthe University of Edinburgh in Scotland havedeveloped a video camera-on-a-chip with lensesno bigger than a match head. This 8 mm-squarechip will have a significant impact on thevideophone market (Port, 1991). This small chipsees digitally right from the start of thetransmission without having to record a picture inanalog and then digitize it. Not only is the chipextremely small but also inexpensive. Theresearchers believe that this will create a potential$10 million dollar market within five years (Port,1991). The Japanese are currently using video-phones for computer dating services. According toThornton (1993), videophones will be one productthat is expected to be of Japanese demand.

Even though the present videophone market issmall, the potential will become more realized asnew innovations arise and the technologyimproves. Videophones are not a passing trend;expect them to become more prevalent in the nearfuture.

Colby, C. (1991a, March). Build this video telephone (I). RADIO-ELECTRONICS, 45-48.

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4,

Cohy, C. (1991b, April). Build this video telephone (II). RADIO-ELECTRONICS, 33-42.Coy, P., Levine, J., Gross, N., & Schares, G. (1991. October). Superphones: Video hookups, satellitelinks, laser switcheshigh tech miracles are in the making. BUSINESS WEEK, 138-143.Fox, B. (1993a, March). Watch out for videophones. NEW SCIENTIST, 25-29.Fox, B. (1993b, April). Don't videophone us, we'll videophone you. NEW SCIENTIST. 19Hamm, S. (1994, June). Speech therapy. PC WEEK, A5.Park, W. T. (1993, August). Video in the 1990s: AT&T VP banks on visual products. DIGITALMEDIA, 21.

Port, 0. (1991, February). Coming to a wrist near you: A two-way videophone. BUSINESS WEEK.137.

Quain, J. R. (1994, May). Video System 200: Pictures worth a thousand words. PC MAGAZINE,13(9), 40.

Newton, Harry. (1994, May). MCI's charity. TELECONNECT, 102-113.Thornton. E. (1993. January). The curtain rises in Japan. FORTUNE, 27

'1:01

How Non-School Experiences Prepare Students for High PerformanceEducation and Work TasksRobert. L. Fritz

The University of Georgia

School-to-work transition, TECH PREP, youthapprenticeship, and other educational reforms arelikely to be effective more by chance than designuntil they are based on sound learning theory. Sofar, this component is sadly missing. Tne need touse learning theory is important because risingeducational standards and high performance tasksdemand specialized psychological and emotionalresources. Students who have these resourcescan meet task demands; those who do not arecandidates for non-performance. Unfortunately,schools often have little influence on the .formationor development of these psychological andemotional resources. Few question that thissituation needs to change.

This message is important for business andmarketing educators because a large share offuture employment in high performance jobs will bein these categories. However, unless the influenceof everyday life outside the school is taken intoaccount, the educational impact of these programscould be difficult to document. In the future,educators will be expected to fill gaps in students'lives that affect their educational performance.The most important gap may be informationprocessing skills.

In the past, educators often associated goodperformance with taking a particular class orsubject. A different story emerges, though, whenperformance is divided into two partsprocessskill and content skill. Process skill indicates howstudents meet a task demand. Until learning isadvanced, this skill is not tested. Teaching andlearning that focuses on the memorization ofisolated knowledge, for example. does not put ademand on a student's information processingskills.

An example that involves higher-order problemsolving skill illustrates this point. These tasksrequire students to use restructuring skill in theirthinking. This skill allows people to gain a differentperspective or insight on an idea withoutassistance and is important to the transfer ofknowledge. Up to 75% of secondary students donot have this skill. Only 10-15% can use

23

restructuring skill as intendedwithout teachersupport. Students who do not use restructuringskill do not actually meet a key task demand inadvanced problem solving.

Restructuring skill is a personality trait thatgradually develops outside the school. It is not anisolated ability. It is part of a finely woven networkof values, skills, and interests. Those who do nothave it may use a chain-link reasoning styleStudents who use restructuring skill are likely to beactive and participative learners. Those who use achain-link style have a more passive learning style.

To become good candidates for highperformance tasks and careers, though, studentswho lack good restructuring skill may also need itsrelated attributes. Some must learn tc valuecomplex mental tasks, to think for themselves, topersist against frustration, and to meet highperformance standards. The presence or non-presence of these attitudes reveals a student'snon-school developmental experiences.

By the time they are approximately 16 yearsold, students have stable personality traits thathave an impact on their thinking and learningbehavior. These patterns are strong and difficult tomodify. Consequently, the impact of poverty,latch-key status, and gender bias can causestudents to be ill-prepared for a high performanceworkplace. More than ever, vocational educatorsneed to know how to use teaching methods andinstructional supports to fill gaps created bydevelopmental experience. Indeed, vocationalteaching may be the best avenue for somestudents to qualify for a high performance career.

The challenge to business and marketingeducation is to have an impact on learning andworkplace preparation that is not predicted by suchnon-school factors as gender and socio-economicstatus. So far, little progress has been made inthis area. To reverse this trend, the starting pointis to understand how non-school experiences moldthe learning behavior of each student and developuseful strategies to prepare business andmarketing students for high performance careers.

TQM and TQE: It's an Attitude!John Gerken

Aurora High School

Don HildebrandtTexasguif, Inc.

What is Total Quality Management (TOM)?Remember when you asked your parents why youhad to finish your homework before you went toyour friend's house? Did they say, "because I toldyou so!"? Remember in the movies when theprivate in the Army questioned his commandingofficer about a decision only to hear the words,"that is an order, private!"? TQM, and mostrecently Total Quality Education (TQE), is a wayfor everybody to have a say is decision making.

Employees giving their input into themanagement decisions of a company have beentaboo for decades and decades. This trend seemsto be changing, though. Through the work ofWilliam Edwards Deming and the total qualitymanagement concept, employee morale and mostimportantly, quality has improved (Kolberg andSmith, 1992). TOM allows all workers involved inproduction to have a say in daily functions of thebusiness.

OLD PARADIGMSuccess is artificially limited to a few winners. Allothers are considered mediocre.

Competition-based lessons are linear, consec-utive segments of one communication.

School work is a task, not intended to 0.ing joy tothe worker.

Teachers are isolated from each other by timeand space.

Teachers give information; students memorize it,then forget most of it.

Management does not always have the rightanc.vers, sometimes the people who are actuallydoing the work have the best answerswhy notask them?

With this new wave of TQM comes a verysimilar term called TOE. TOE means involving allparticipants in the educational process, includingstudents. It is time for education not to be so top-downyou do what I tell you to do or else!Education nerds to be a total commitment by allpersons involved in the education process. Thisincludes teachers, parents, administrators,business leaders, and most importantlystudents(Bostingl, 1992).

With TOE movement comes a shift in para-digms from teaching and testing to continuouslearning and improvement. The following tablelists some of these shifts from old paradigms tonew paradigms.

NEW PARADIGMUnlimited, continuous improvement and success are theobjectives of schooling.

Cooperation-based learning is like a spiral with energydirected toward continuous improve-ment.

School work should be challenging, meaningful, andinvigorating.

Teachers work together on school time to build successwith each other and with a man-ageable number ofstudents in a cohort group.

Students learn from teachers, other students, communityand other sources, and incorporate those !earnings intotheir lives, applying their insights as appropriate to real-lifechallenges.

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OLD PARADIGMParents as outsiders, often made to feelunwelcome, even if unintentionally.

NEW PARADIGMParents as partners, suppliers, and customers. They arean integral part of the student's progress from the verybeginning through the end of the schooling process.

Business sometimes welcomed to adopt a Businesses invited to become partners (secondaryschool; kept as arm's length. suppliers and customers) in the students' continuous

progress, not for direct commercial gain.

Ultimate goal: Students as products of the Ultimate goal: Students as their own products.school. continuously improving, getting better and better. and

helping others to do the same.

Summary

TOE means total involvement. A TQE environ-ment means that all persons should be consultedbefore decisions are mace. Teachers, admin-istrators, parents, industry leaders, and students

References

should work together to achieve the goal of TQE --continuous improvement. With TQE, there is nolight at the end of the tunnel, because the tunnelnever ends.

Aguayo, R. (1990). Dr. Deming: The American who taught the Japanese about quality. New York,NY: Fireside Publishing.

Bonstingl, J. J. (1992). Schools of Quality: An Introduction to Total Quality Management inEducation. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Kolberg, W.H. & Smith, F.C. (1992). Rebuilding America's Workforce. Homewood, IL: Business OneIrwin.

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Work-Based Curriculum: The Future for Business and MarketingEducationEugene GiovanniniIndiana Vocational Technical College

Work-Based Learning?

The concept of work-based learning has becomecommon place. Federal government agencies oftenuse the term in policy adoptions and proposedlegislation. Such policy and legislation indicate howall students should have work-based experiences.Included also is verbiage on the importance ofintegrated classroom-based learning with work-basedlearning. However, the concept of work-basedlearning does not have one well understoodmeaning. At least two different meanings can beargued. The definitions are:

Work-based Learning (definition one): Learn-ing experiences based in a work setting orsimulated environment including apprenticeship,co-op, technical labs, OJT, etc. This is likely themore well-understood definition as it relates tomaking learning experiences similar to theactual work setting.

Work-based Learning (definition two): Learn-ing acquired from the beginning of one'sschooling which reveals that people work inorder to live. It is this second definition thatrallies a call for a new mission in education.

Work-Based Learning and Business andMarketing Education?

Business and Marketing Education must supportwork-based learning for students to lead productivelives following school. Business and Marketingeducators need to adopt a mission that prepares allstudents for further learning, citizenship, andproductive employment. Business and Marketingstudents need to be prepared in all three of theseareas because they are being prepared to enter awork-oriented society whose future is contingentupon employees with life-long learning skills.

Whether Business and Marketing Educationeducators believe their job includes preparingeveryone for productive employment is debatable,but Business and Marketing teacher educationinstitutions are the creators of educators who prepareteachers, counselors, and administrators to meet thischallenge. Japan and many European countries

have developed systems and national workforcepreparations policies to prepare Business andMarketing students for productive employmentThus, Business and Marketing educators mustbecome involved in work-based learning.Paradigm Shifts Towa ,d Work-Based Learning

The conversion to work-based learningnecessitates that Business and Marketing educatorsmake several paradigm shifts in how they view therole of Business and Marketing education and itsrelation to today's society. Work-based learning hasa central focus of linking education and work into oneworld. Education and work are not two separateworldsthey combine to establish one world-life(Wirth, 1992). Business and Marketing educatorsmust embrace this concept and dismiss the myth thattwo worlds still exist. Building partnerships withbusiness, industry, labor, and government whereverpossible will help Business and Marketing educatorsmake this shift to thinking of one world.

One problem which may foster this two world-lives is that for too long; the term, human resourcedevelopment, has been viewed as foreign and notapplicable to education or educators. Business andMarketing educators must change how they viewtheir role as human resource developers instead ofdisseminators of knowledge. Students would beviewed as "customers" if educators took on the roleof human resource developers. And, this approach tostudents would transform the classroom into work-based learning integrated into the Business andMarketing education curriculum After all, Businessand Marketing educators do not produce things on aline or sell a service--Business and Marketingeducators develop human resources.

Another factor associated with the two world-lifeis that most educators continue to espouse that abaccalaureate degree is the only route to success.The emphasis on 4-year college degrees is likely adirect result of educators traveling the universityroute themselves and not being acquainted withnon-university career pathways. Business andMarketing educators should combat perpetuating thecontinued advocation that all students should pursuea baccalaureate degree and that any other form ofpostsecondary education attainment is somethingless. It is well known that at least 70% of the jobs by

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the year 2000 will not require a 4-year college degree(Wirth, 1992).

The last paradigm shift will require an educationalsystem that impartially prepares ell students forproductive lives regardless of their career directions.The dual-purpose system of preparing students forwork or for college must end. Business andMarketing educators are in an excellent position toassist in terminating such dual tracking as vocationalor academic; TECH PREP or college prep; andcareer bound or college bound. Business andMarketing educators can foster the idea of preparingstudents for the world of work.

Applying Work-Based Learning

Business and Marketing educators must initiateapplied work-based learning strategies throughouttheir curricula. Shifting from a content -basedcurricula to applied work-based curricula will requirea complete reversal in how Business and Marketingeducators see their role as educators. When asked,most Business and Marketing educators would saythat they teach accounting. keyboarding, selling, etc.Not many would say children, students or people.That mind set needs to be reversed.

In challenging Business and Marketing educatorsto prepare for such a role reversal, many will first askWhy applied work-based learning? There is nobetter response than well-documented, replicatedresearch that consistently reveals people learn theleast from hearing, the next to least by seeing, and alittle more when combining seeing and hearing. But80% of learning comes from experiencing and doing.A number of studies including America's Choiceand the SCANS Report strongly support theconclusion that the lack of a connection betweeneducation and employment opportunities is the mosthampering aspect of our education system. And, thestudies further support work-based learningstrategies by indicating that students should leavetheir educational experiences with the knowledge tomake their way in the world.

Business and Marketing educators must teachwith work in mind. The most effective way of learningis by placing learning objectives within a realReferences

environment rather than insisting that students firstlearn in the abstract what they will be expected toapply. Many studies as well as federal and stateeducation initiatives emphasize how appliedwork-based modes of learning that connect schoolsand work. Business and Marketing educators canincorporate these ideas into their instructionalprogram to prepare their students for the world ofwork.

Every possible effort must be provided forBusiness and Marketing classroom teachers tochange and recognize the need for workplacelearning. Business and Marketing educators must beprovided with opportunities to be exposed to workenvironments in which students will enter andfunction. Many work-based staff developmentstrategies may be: (1) university independent studiesto encourage self study of business/industryenvironments, (2) internships in industry. (3)business/industry work experiences on rotationalbasis or in the summer and off time, (4)business/academic educator integrated curriculumprojects, (5) business/industry mentors for classroomteachers, and (6) business/industry field trips.Conclusion

The move to work-based learning will requireextensive and revolutionary staff development.Business and Marketing educators must re-examinethe role education plays in society. First, Businessand Marketing educators must become familiar andinternalize the concepts presented in suchdocuments as SCANS, America's Choice, Work-place Basics, and others to become activeparticipants in discussions and realize implications ofsuch research. Unfortunately, the majority ofBusiness and Marketing educators have spent littletime in a work environment outside of education. Yet,educators are charged with preparing students forsuch environments. This is likely the biggest problemwith today's educational system, but Business andMarketing educators can lead the initiative to preparestudents for the future.

Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. (1990). America's choice: High skills or lowwages. Rochester, NY.

US. Department of Labor (1991, June). Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills.What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for America 2000. Washington, DC.: Author

Wirth, A. G (1992). Education and work for the year 2000: Choices we face. San Francisco, CA.Jossey Bass.

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How Do We Keep Counselors informed About Marketing Education?

Keith Goins

East Carolina University

Counselors must be informed about what ishappening in Marketing Education. Are programenrollments increasing or decreasing? Are schoolcounselors aware of and knowledgeable about thecontent of your Marketing Education program? Allof these questions must be answered before aMarketing Education Coordinator can begin todevelop and implement an informational plan forschool counselors. Real recruitment efforts beginthrough school counselors, who have directcontact with students and who are highly influentialin directing students toward Marketing Education(McLelland, 1990).

Assuming the questions mentioned aboveshould be answered, how can counselors be keptcurrent with what is happening in Marketing Edu-cation? There are three steps that should be donebefore an informational plan is created. Step Oneis to list all the activities and developments thathave taken place or will take place within thecoming year that will affect the Marketing Edu-cation program. Step Two is to list all of theinstances in which contact can be made withschool counselors. Step Three is to evaluate thetwo previously developed lists and to ascertainwhere the counselors can be more involved.Ways to Inform Counselors

Do not be afraid to use marketing promotionalskills to involve counselors in Marketing Educationprograms. A variety of things can be done toinform counselors about Marketing Education.Some are:

Invite counselors to breakfast or lunch Havea packet of information available thatexplains: courses, DECA activities andobjectives, requirements for student enrol-lment, potential college degrees needed topursue a career in a particular area, and a listof colleges offering degrees in MarketingEducation. During the meal or afterwards,direct students to present a programreviewing the program's effectiveness, past

28

history, and accomplishments. Include pastactivities, local, state, and national panic-pation in DECA competitive events. and anysuccess stories from past graduates. Alsoprovide statistics describing the number ofstudents who are employed in marketingrelated positions.

Create an informational brochure for coun-selors to use in advising students. Thisbrochure could include: courses and coursesequences, typical daily student schedules.entrance requirements, DECA deadlines, andcooperative education opportunities.Create another brochure for counselors todistribute to students. In this brochure, includepictures from DECA activities, coursedescriptions and sequences, possible benefitsof enrolling in Marketing Education, and theMarketing Education Coordinator's name,address, and office phone number.Invite counselors to the Marketing Educationclassroom during special events. Let thecounselors see, first hand, what occurs in aMarketing Education classroom.Solicit counselors to serve as judges for local.district and state DECA competitive events.Counselors will see Marketing Education stu-dents demonstrating competence as a resultbeing a Marketing Education studentDirect students in an advanced MarketingEducation class to prepare a MarketingEducation video for use as a recruitment tool.Invite school counselors for a premiershowing of the tape and ask the counselors toevaluate the tape's effectiveness in promotingMarketing Education.Sponsor a Counselors' Appreciation DayInvite the counselors to your classroom forrefreshments and distribute gifts for eachcounselor that are donated by localbusinesses. Throughout the community,honor counselors' importance and perform-ance by posting counselors' pictures inselected businesses

3

Ask counselors to serve as advisors andeditors on various DECA written-eventsprojects. Not only will this inform counselorsof the in-depth research required to completethe projects, but counselors will see first handthe academic vigor of the Marketing Edu-cation program.

Photocopy various artic'es from current mar-keting periodicals to inform counselors aboutchanges in the Marketing Education program.

Build relationships. As a Marketing EducationCoordinator, get to know each of the coun-selors. Make a point to say hello when youpass their offices. Meet at least twice a yearto learn counselors' perceptions of theMarketing Education program.

Help school counselors during crunch periodsand special activities. Participate in careerdays or college senior days. Be a resource forthe counselors just as counselors are aresource for Marketing Education.

References

Work as a team in getting involved in TECHPREP. Work together to create an effectiveagreement that will enable MarketingEducation students to be articulated uponenrollment at a postsecondary institution.

All of thesJ techniques are only suggestions.However, the main objective is to develop andimplement a plan that informs counselors aboutMarketing Education. Poets in the past have toldus that beauty is in the eyes of the beholderMarketing Education Coordinators are the key toconveying the strength and success of MarketingEducation. Unfortunately, many misconceptionsabout Marketing Education are not consistent withreality; these perceived misconceptions hide thebeauty or strengths of Marketing Education (Stone,1992). If counselors' opinions toward MarketingEducation are to change, counselors must beinformed about Marketing Education. Thus,Marketing Education Coordinators must spread theword and tell counselors about MarketingEducation.

McLelland, D. (1990, November/December). Solving the enrollment crisis, VOCATIONALEDUCATION JOURNAL, 65(7), 32-33.

Stone, J. (1992, March). Myths and realities: The untold story of vocational and marketingeducation. PERSPECTIVES ON MARKETING, 7(4), 5-6.

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Communicating with More Than WordsJean S. Gordon

First Colonial High School1995-1996 SBEA President

I know you believe that you understand whatyou think I said, but I am not sure that you realizethat what you heard is not what I meant.

The secret of being heardhow to really talk toanother personis for the most part simply tolisten!

1. Understand nonverbal communications.2. Listening skills.

A. Listen to the sounds of the voices asmuch as the words.

B. Look at how people talk both with theirfaces and bodies.

C. Sometimes we hear more with our eyesthan with our ears and hear more fromtones than from words..

3. Nonverbal communications come in manyfashions.

A. Self-image conveys much with non-verbal communications.

B. Enthusiasm/pride in work.C. Grooming and appropriate dress.

To become a better listener, the skill oflistening requires the following nonverbal skills:

1. Listen with an inner ear--to hear whatactually is meant, rather than what is saidwith words. Only by listening carefully anddeeply to others and observing their actionsas well as their words can we trulycommunicate.

2. Listen to the concerns of othersif othersbelieve you are taking them seriously, theywill take you seriously in return.

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3. Know when JUST to listen. Sometimeswords feelcoldness replaces warmth.silences seem threatening. If there is evera time to listen, this is it. Sometimes bysimply listening you say more about howyou feel than any words can say Tryalways to listen with a clear head and anopen mind.

4. Assume nothingappearances are decep-tive. Misleading signs of human behaviorcan have serious consequences.

5. Say what you mean.6. Understand what must be communicated.

Before speaking, always ask yourself:What is the message that is needed?

7. Communication is in the present. I shouldhave- -will not suffice.

Major nonverbal messages are conveyed by:

1. Body movement, facial expressions, pos-ture, and gestures

2. Eye movementtype, amount, and blinking3. Vocal factors such as variety, clarity, tone,

nonverbal utterances, and silence4. Touch--handshakes, hugs, and back pat-

ting5. Objects--dress, decor, address, and status

symbols.6. Space and distance--how persons react

when others enter their personal space.

To learn to read the nonverbal portion ofcommunication is to better understand ourstudents, our peers, and our organizations. Ifeducators better understand themselves; then theirverbal and nonverbal communication skills willimprove.

3

Is Business and Marketing Education's Curriculum Ready for Life-CopingSkills?Lillian GreathouseEastern Illinois University

In the past five years, Business and Marketingteachers have put a great deal of emphasis onassisting students develop the ability to makedecisions and relate to others. One related topicthat is considered important by employers but hasnot received much classroom attention is thedevelopment of life-coping skills related totransitions which require change, according to asurvey of Illinois trainers and secondary BusinessEducation teachers.

Life-coping skills include job related activitiessuch as job loss or change and personal activitiessuch as divorce or family/friend death. Trainersconsider each of the following change transitionskills important for employees to possess;however, secondary Business Education teachersdo not include them as classroom objectives.

Identify changes that have taken place.

Assess the amount of stress which thechange is going to cause in his/her life.

Identify changes in assumptions about self asa result of the transition.

Identify changes in assumptions about othersas a result of the transition.

Identify a variety of support systemsindividuals. groups, institutions, and agencieswhich will be helpful in coping with atransition.

Identify coping responseshelpful in managing transition

Identify support alternativestransitions such as exercise,biofeedback.

Utilize a problem solving model to increaseawareness of options for managing transi-tions.

Identify possible outcomes of a transition andassess the payoff of outcomes

Take action on decisions made about how tocope with a transition.

Identify !earnings about self from thetransition.

which will be

for coping withmeditation, and

dentify leamings about others from thetransition.

Evaluate the appropriateness of a chosenplan of action.

Transfer awareness to future transactions.i.e., utilize the understanding of the transitionprocess to better manage future transitions.

Teachers should remember that change andchange transitions can be caused by some actionsthat can be controlled by the student/er )loyee;other actions cannot be controlled. StudE.;,ts needto take inventory of themselves as they relate toseveral topics. These topics include:

Maintaining a professional attitude:

Use a sense of humor in a positive way,frequently avoiding conflicts.

Take the initiative to develop the skillsrequired to handle a situation.

Dress to fit the job.

Understanding human relations:

Understand the role of office/companypolitics.

Recognize the need others have for beingpraised and recognized.

Communicate in En effective manner.Develop the ability to work with difficultpeople.

Work as a team member with people ofdiverse backgrounds.

Balancing the job and personal life:

Assume the responsibilities required of thejob and going beyond the minimum.

Recognize that lifelong learning is a part oftoday's worklife.

Experience satisfaction in performing a jobwell.

Recognize the physical and emotional effectsundue stress plays upon one's health

Recognize the effects of job burnout and theresulting loss of job satisfaction.

31 000 n

Develop time management skills in order tobalance multiple roles, such as spouse,parent, student, and worker.Recognizing trends that affect one's work:Be able to change procedures in performingwork.

Recognize that time schedules can be usedto one's advantage.

Recognize that more work is being completedin locations other than the office.Understand significance of work laws, suchas sexual harassment and smoking.

There are techniques Business and Marketingteachers can use to assist students in recognizingsituations in which they will have to use copingskills. A review of the techniques will indicate tothe reader that special topics do not have to beplanned for the classroom to accomplish thisobjective. Many techniques can be used in theday-to-day classroom setting. Some techniquesteachers can use include:

Helping students understand the importanceof lifelong learningespecially technologytraining. Workers must take responsibility fortheir own learning.

Assisting the student in the development ofdaily communication skills so the student canbe assertive yet resolve conflict.

Brainstorming a list of support ystemsavailable for a variety of changes that couldoccur in a person's work and personal life.Placing students in positions where they haveto set goals and develop procedures that willhelp them meet the goals. Group settings areimportant, and all students need to be awareof who is responsible for each goal andprocedure spec.fled.Helping students extrapolate informationneeded when they are in informationoverload.

incorporating participative managementtechniques in the classroom wheneverpossible.

Exhibiting a sense of humor and helpingstudents understand its importance ineveryday life. Help them understand thatoffensive jokes, especially racial and sexistjokes, are inappropriate. Post cartoons onbulletin boards or on E-mail periodically.Using cases showing how people have copedwith stress resulting from a variety of lifesituations.

Teachers must recognize that students canonly be made aware of possible life situations andmethods of coping with them; they cannot assurestudents that an easy transition will be made whenfaced with change and the resulting transition

32 '1(1

Back to the Future in Workforce EducationShirley L. Hall

Cherri P. Hicks

Southern Illinois University-Carbondaleat Travis Air Force Base, California

Not since the Great Depression has Americastood on the brink of such dramatic economic andsocial changes. History may view the 1990s as adistortion of time where the future was the present.Technical innovation is rapidly occurring; old politicalorders are now upside down (nationally andinternationally); global competition is a, high priority;vast demographic changes are occurring; andeducational reform is now into its second decade.This paper will compare and contrast what was, whatis, and what will be in socio-economic spheres thataffect workforce education.

Education

The country or countries that make the necessarycl ranges in business and economic strategy will leadthe world in economic power and set the pace for thenext century. Those changes will have a greatimpact on education, employment and economicstability for the United States. Without including theconcepts of a global economy, European CommonMarket and the effects of GATT (General Agreementon Tariffs and Trade), any discussion of theemployment outlook for the future and the role ofvocational education would be incomplete.

It is widely believed that the dual labor market inthe United States is becoming more and moreprevalent and will continue to divide the skilled higherpaying jobs from the secondary market jobs of theunskilled. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich outlinedhis analysis of how job skills are affecting the socialstructure of the United States. (Hudelson, 1994).Reich believes the old middle class that hasdominated the economic scene in America sinceWorld War II has splintered into an underclass, anoverclass and an anxious class. Reich furthertheorizes that the underclass is increasingly isolatedfrom the core economy; the overclass is well-positioned to move forward, capitalizing onmarketplace changes.

What Was?

33

In comparing the past with the present: in 1950.60% of the labor force's jobs were unskilled: 20%were skilled; and 20% were professional. By 1991.the professional category remained at 20%. butunskilled had decreased to 35 %: and skilled hadincreased to 45%. By 2000, the professional will stillbe 20%; unskilled will be 15 %; and skilled will be 65%(Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What Will Be?

Leftwich (1994) indicates that by the year 2005there will be 12% growth in employment in the U.S.An additional 26.4 million more jobs will be added tothe economy by then. By that time service workersand administrative support workers will comprisemore than a third of the workforce.

What are the effects of these changing trends ineducation? Entry of the baby boomlet generationsinto school will increase the need for preschool,elementary and secondary teachers. During the nextdecade, the teen population will grow at twice therate of the overall population. By the time this bulgepeaks in 2010, it will top the Baby Boom of the 60sand 70s.

Sociological

What will be the sociological difference from thepast generation of Baby Boom and Baby Bust? (I)Change in the number of two-income householdsfrom half of all families to about three-fourths, (2)PC's, CD players, portable phones, video games andmicrowave ovens have become standard operatingequipment of the middle class, (3) Multiculturalism isan established part of teens' environment.

Negative factors include (I) Being exposed toadult problems such as Aids, homelessness, andpoverty, (2) Being raised by a single parent (whichnecessitates teenagers being asked to take on rioeadult tasks such as shopping for themselves, winglaundry and cooking for themselves and others in thefamily) (Business Week, 1994, p. 66-77). By theyear 2010, there will be 30.81 million teenagers.Those students will become the highly educated

work force needed in the technology-based globalmarketplace of the future.

Approximately 90% of the current workforce willstill be on the job in the year 2000. About one-thirdof the labor force, approximately 37 million adults,receive some type of formal training in business andindustry each year. Approximately, 1.3 billion hoursare spent annually in cooperate classrooms (Leach,1993). This bodes well fur qualified training anddevelopment personnel and presents an opportunityfor educators.

Legislation

Looking at vocational education from a historicalperspective, federal legislation came about as part ofthe overall defense strategy during World War II.The Smith-Hughes Act had several elements thatcontributed to isolation of vocational education fromthe academics. Later, educational reform argued forthe establishment of comprehensive high schools inwhich students would learn both theory and practice.However, comprehensive high schools becamecomprehensive in name only. The dual systemevolvedone preparing students for postsecondaryeducation and the other preparing students for work(Hayward & Benson, 1993).

More recently, the Carl D. Perkins Act (Perkins II )of 1990 represented the most significant policy shiftin the history of federal funding for vocationaleducation. For the first time, emphasis was placedon academics as well as occupational skills. The Actwas directed toward all segments of the population.It was a three-pronged approach to preparing askilled and educated work force. Perkins IIemphasizes:

References

Integration cf academic and vocational educationArticulation between segments of educationengaged in workforce education as evidenced byTECH PREP

Closer linkages between school and workBoth the Smith-Hughes Act and the Perkins II

were enacted because of national interests (nationaldefense interests for Smith-Hughes Act and globalcompetition for Perkins II): the first separatedacademic and vocational education, while the secondbrought the two together again. Americans are nowalmost back to the future in bringing academics andvocational education together again. One differenceis the programs are now being integratednot justthe physical facilities. However, in attempting tointegrate vocational and academic instruction, themind-set of vocational teachers is a concern. Forty-two percent of all vocational teachers ratedcoordinating vocational and academic instruction asa serious problem (Data, 1995).Conclusion

Educated workers who are thinkers, problem-solvers, communicators, and decision makers will bein demand. Employees who know how to apply theirvocational skills and knowledge in unpredictablecircumstances will fare better. The trends inemployment which are subsequent to the economicchanges are an open door of opportunity ifeducational institutions and private businesses, whoneed highly skilled productive workers, seek tocooperate and integrate classroom learning with jobtraining to create a workforce capable of meeting thenew demands of the twenty-first century.

Data file: Teachers on vocational education. (1995). VOCATIONAL EDUCATION JOURNAL 70(1).Hayward, G.C., & Benson, C.S. (1993). The changing role of vocational and technical education.CENTERWORK 4(2). Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research in Vocational EdJcationLeftwich, K. (1994, October). Job outlook 2005: Where to find the good jobs. VOCATIONALEDUCATION JOURNAL 27-99.Leach, J.A. (1993). Preparing tomorrow's business and industry trainers: Appropriateness of thecontent of vocational teacher education programs. JOURNAL OF

VOCATIONAL-TECHNICALEDUCATION 9(2), 4-15.Teenshere comes the biggest wave yet (April 11, 1994).

BUSINESS WEEK, 76-77.

34

Ice Breakers for Your Interactive Business ClassesJack Henson

Morehead State University

Introduction

To assist teachers in their teaching, essentialtraits of communicating such as first impressions,likes and dislikes, trust, and synergism should beincorporated into the Business Education classroomby encouraging new students to interact. This willshow how communication can and will flow easieramong students who get to know each other better.Interactive exercises are described as examples ofinteractive ice breakers.

Importance of Communication and Being a TeamMember

As a Business Educator, one knows that in theworld of business; communication skills are essentialand that being a team player is a must. In Kentucky,teachers are working to implement the mandatedKentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). One ofKERA's new teacher-standards states: The teacherintroduces/implements/man -ages instruction thatdevelops student abilities to use communicationskills, apply core concepts, become self-sufficientindividuals, become respon-sible team members,think and solve problems, and integrate knowledge.One of KERA's goals is to overcome the difficultiesthat young students have--their fear of being wrong intheir thinking or perceptions of issues or people.Students do not trust their own judgment and maynot trust the judgment of people they do not knowwell. To address the issues of improvingcommunications skill and becoming responsible teammembers, Business Educators can incorporateinteractive exercises as a part of their instructionstrategy.

Perception Exercise

The first ice breaker is designed to showparticipants that everyone has first impressions, hasperceptions, and has biases The first ice breakerdeals with these perceptions by requiring thatstudents form small groups with individuals they donot currently know. Students will then complete thefollowing:

Record their own perception of themselves

35

Record their perception of each groupmember

Share these perceptions

Reconcile the differences in perceptionTake a self-assessment evaluation

Complete an intuition form on a partner theydo not know

Share their responses with each other

Answer a list of personal body biases

Share openly their biases

Discuss questions for thought as to how thisaffects their communication

The concept that people will open lines ofcommunication and develop trust with people theyknow is the objective of this activity (The JohariWindow Concept).

Synergism

An introduction to synergism will be discussedon how interactive groups are usually able toaccomplish more than individuals. The objective ofthis activity is to provide an opportunity to experiencesynergy.

Fun Test

Demonstrating the effectiveness of groupparticipation versus individual participation allowsparticipants to either participate as an individual or asa group member. A short fun test that involves recalland imagination accomplishes this objective. Thetest is very limited on time and the conclusion or endresult is usually quite clear.

Conclusion

Today's business environment mandateseffective communication skills. To foster thedevelopment of these skills, Business Educators canno longer depend solely upon the traditional teachingmethods to provide these skills. Business Educatorsmust adapt their teaching strategies to include thedevelopment of interactive skills The time is now forinteractive learning strategies.

4

Back to the One-Room School: Teaching Special Populations in RegularClassroomsLilla G. Holsey

East Carolina University

Introduction

In recent years, educators have seen a widerange of innovative efforts in education emergeefforts designed to improve the quality of schoolingfor all young people. Vocational educationteachers and others are being pressured toimprove existing programs and develop newprograms that will enable special needs studentsto profit from vocational education. The goal ofnew and improved vocational programs is toincrease enrollment in and completion ofvocational programs by special needs students.Legislation such as Individual's with DisabilitiesEducation Act and Carl Perkins have much to sayabout programming for students with disabilities.The implication of these laws is that students withdisabilities are to be educated with students whoare not disabled.

Educating special needs students bymainstreaming them into the regular classroom isnot a new idea. Remember the one-room schoolsof the past- where teachers taught multi-aged andability children in the same classes; whereteachers were required to function not only asteacher, but as psychologist, counselor, andsubstitute parent; and where each child wasallowed to develop to the maximum extentappropriate to the needs of that individual? Thecall to the future *demands that educators revisitthese schools of the past. There, educators mightfind insight into providing education to the diversepopulation of students that exists in vocationalclassrooms today.The Demise of Homogeneous Grouping

Educators have had the era of so-calledhomogeneous grouping in which children weredivided into several groups for instruction. Thegroups were given such fanciful names asredbirds, bluebird and wrens, or more recently,astronauts. pilots, and scientists; however, thechildren were not fooled. Students had theirownblunt names for the bright kids, average kids,

36

and dumbbells. All children with learning problemswere placed into a slow class--regardless ofwhether the problem was visual impairment.aptitude, nutrition, or simply low esteem. Theseoften became the dropout classes and graduallydwindled to nothing shortly before or afterthestudents reached the age of sixteen. Becausestudents with discipline problems were placed intothe same groups, these classes often became abreeding ground for behavior problems. Goodteachers dodged these classes with a passion;and membership in such classes carried a stigmafor the children as well as their parents. Even withits idealistic and altruistic motives, the practice ofhomogeneous grouping, soon became a devilishsystem in which the top group flourished and thebottom group became the outcasts. The commonsense of good teachers caused them to see thehopelessness of this practice and encouragedthem to start looking for ways to change it. Thus,the one-room school reeneters as the inclusiveclassroom approach (Gaddis, 1971).

Many classro, n teachers become irate whenthey hear talk of diverse classes, heterogeneousgrouping, mainstreaming, or inclusion. No wonder!Teaching mixed classes is difficult! Almost anyteacher can do a great job when given smallclasses of above average students. The problemcomes when teachers are asked to teach specialneeds students in regular classrooms. Considerthe mix often found in regular classrooms- -highachievers and lower achievers, poor and affluent,parenting and nonparenting, English speaking andnon-English speaking, male and female, emotion-ally disturbed, hearing or speech impaired, andorthopedically limited.

In any discussion of teaching special needsstudents in regular classrooms, vocational edu-cators tend to bemoan our mutual plight of beingstuck with a disproportionate number of thosechildren in our classes. However, two legitimateconcerns commonly expressed by vocationalinstructors when faced with teaching special needsstudents are: (1) The feeling that the teachers donot have adequate background for working withthese students, and (2) The worry that the

teachers cannot devote enough time to the specialneeds student without neglecting the rest of theirclass.

The inclusive Classroom

All children can learn and should be included inour regular vocational classes. Even those childrenthat have been categorized as stow learners,disabled, and EMH should be included invocational education courses. Most students canbe taught reading, communication, mathematics,social responsibility, and work skills as well ashigher-level thinking skills at some level (Bottoms,1993). You see, I believe, in the uniqueness andworth of the individual. This is not merely aphilosophical concept I choose to believe: it issomething that my experience forces me tobelieve.

In the schools, educators affirm that each childis different. Yet, on the basis of our record, itwould seem that educators do not always reflectthis belief in our actions. If educators really didbelieve it, educators would long ago have brokenthe rigidity in many educational programs. If thewhole teaching profession would discard the ideathat all learners will come through the educativeprocess learning the same things in the sameways, what a blessing it would be to our society.Not only would special populations benefit, but sowould every student in our classes.

Curricular efforts tnat are responsive to theneeds of students being taught in diverseclassrooms reflect the reality that these learners allhave special needs, aptitudes, and interestsRather than expecting all learners to fit uniformlyinto a given curricular mold, educators shouldprovide responsive curricular experiences thatrecognize strengths and weaknesses, providemeaningful curricular experiences, and preparestudents for the challenges of living successfully(Manning, 1995).

References

The past and the future call for inclusiveschooling, where all students learn together inintegrated regular classrooms. In order forvocational educators to be able to meet theirfuture, they will need support in:

Identifying the true special needs studentthemost obvious first step in diagnosis andremediation.

Determining effective teaching andorganizational practices that have been andare being used in schools in an effort toaccommodate special needs students in theclassroom.

Developing a climate in the classroom and aworking relationship between the teacher andthe special needs students that will result ingreater progress.

Justifying in their own minds the necessity forthe extra effort and time needed to help thespecial needs students, and in giving teachersmore confidence in their ability to make a realcontribution to the child's education.

Identifying materials that have proved to be ofvalue when used in the classroom with specialneeds students (Gaddis, 1971).

ConclusionIf vocational and technical educators are still

asking, Why should all children learn together inregular education classrooms?, then vocationaleducators are asking the wrong question. It is aquestion that forces us only to look back to thepast. The only question that vocational educatorsshould be asking now and in the future is: Whatwill it take to have this child be successful in aregular classroom? This question allows us tofocus our attention and efforts on what is mostimportant--how to support all students in a fullyinclusive classroom. It is hoped and desired thatas educators approach the year 2000, allclassrooms will have an array of diverse students,and all teachers will be prepared to teach them'

Bottoms, G. (1993) Redesigning and refocusing high school vocational studies. Atlanta, GA.Southern Regional Education Board

Cohen, L.G. (1992). Children with exceptional needs in the regular classrooms. Washington, DC.NEA.

Gaddis, E. (1971). Teaching the slow learner in the regular classroom. Belmont, CA- FearonPublishers.

Manning, M. & Baruth, L.G. (1995). Students-at-risk. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

37

4'

Teaching Beyond the SoftwareJ. Howard Jackson

Virginia Commonwealth University

In 1959, THE AMERICAN BUSINESSEDUCATION YEARBOOK began with thispassage: "Business Educators have longrecognized that there are two basic kinds ofsecondary school education for officeemploymentclerical and stenographic." A quickreview of the table of contents reveals numerousreferences to clerical programs, stenographicskills, and employment op, Unities in office work.Chapter 8 refers to UNIVAC and in predicting theschool's role in providing training for the electronicoffice, the following statement appears:

It is doubtful whether the schools will be able toprovide the technical training necessary toprepare students to operate automated officeequipment. Many teachers see the need totrain students on the keypunch, but there arefew instances where the schools have beenable to afford them. The cost is prohibitive butthe following changes are anticipated: Moreelectric typewriters, more machine transcriptiontraining, less emphasis on shorthand as avocational skill and more use as a personal-useskill. The teaching of integrated dataprocessing machines in retailing will increase.Thirty-five years have passed since these

predictions were made. The typewriter is fastbecoming a relic, their predictions for shorthandwere on target, and the keypunch machine hasbeen resigned to the musty bookshelves ofmemory. Today, these editors would be amazedat what Business and Marketing educators teachin the classroom, the amazing array of softwareand hardware tnat Business and Marketingducators use in teaching, and the changing rolesof those who leave our programs for the world ofwork. Throughout this 1959 book, Business andMarketing educators are cautioned to instill instudents certain basic personal traits and abilitiesand not to ignore the fundamental skills essentialfor work in the office.

Software packages today provide functions forabout every skill taught when this book waswrittenspell checkers check our spelling withapproximately 85% accuracy. spreadsheets canfigure discounts, payrolls, and extensions in an

38

instant, charts and tables can be producedbeautifully on a graphics package, and desktoppublishing software permits the classroom tocompete effectively with commercial printersThus, Business and Marketing educators havebecome dependent upon automated equipment tosubstitute for the basic knowledge that once wastaught in shorthand transcription, basic businessmath, business English, and typewriting. Thereare also packages available that will check writingfor errors such as too much passive voicebutmost of them fall short of showing the operatorwhat to do about it. Business and Marketingeducators MUST TEACH BEYOND THE SOFT-WARE by recognizing that there are four majorsteps in the learning process for students whowould master the computer and enter the office assuccessful employees. These stages are shown inthe following model.

Supervision and Management

Principles of supervisionPlanning

Organizing

Controlling

Specialize Knowledge and Skills

Spreadsheet software

Desktop PublishingDatabaseGraphicsFax

E-mail

Voice Mail

Systems Procedures and Methods

Records systems

Workplace OrganizationTime ManagementNetworking

Telecommunications

Fundamental Skills

Keyboarding

4

Word Processing to include

grammarspelling

punctuation

vocabularyhandling numbers

capitalization

abbreviations and acronymsdocument formatting

Communication skills

Oral

Written

Group work

It is important to focus on the fundamental skillsarea of this model necessary to prepare studentsfor the world of work and to help them to use theirsoftware packages efficiently and effectively byrecognizing the limitations of these packages andknowing the basic rules of language. Teachingbeyond the software will lead Business andMarketing Education Back to the Future

39

"Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore"J. Howard Jackson

Virginia Commonwealth University

In the wonderful story THE WIZARD OF OZ,Dorothy is swept suddenly into the mystical land ofOz. As she views the Emerald Palace in the mistand starts up the yellow brick road, she picks upher little dog, Toto, and she says, "Toto, I don'tthink we are in Kansas anymore."

As I look at our profession as educators, Isometimes feel like DorothyI am confused by asense of adventure that says the future holdsuntold miracles brought on by the changes in officetechnology and the sense of homesickness for thedays back in Kansas when the transcriptionteacher taught students proper grammar, whenshorthand was a marketable skill, and when wecould pick up the telephone and talk to a personinstead of a machine.

The computer has changed every facet of ourlives. It has also changed what we teach, how weteach, and who we teach. Some of us are stillback in Kansas, and we are sayingno need forme to learn this stuff. I will soon retire. Yetcomputer literacy is a must in the workplace. Ithas professionalized the clerical force, andclericalized the professional force. The role ofthose who are educated in office technology hasbroadened. Change is the name of the game.

Just as we consider Dorothy's trip up the yellowbrick road, we must consider our trip up theinformation highway. As you make your journey upthe information highway, here are the questionsyou should ask of the Wizard when you get to theEmerald Palace.

Ask the Wizard for a magic potion that willmake every teacher across the curriculumrealize that he or she is first of all a vocationalteacher. All of us should be working to givestudents a marketable skill no matter what weteach.

Ask the Wizard to cast .a spell on guidancecounselors at all levels that will make them seethat what we do is important. A spell that willmake them see that of the 4 million studentswho should have graduated from high school

40

this year, 1 million dropped out beforegraduation and that we in Business andMarketing Education have what they need tofind gainful employment beyond McDonald'sand the other fast food establishments. Helpthem also to see that of the 1.5 million whostart a community college or universityeducation, only half of that number willcomplete it.

Ask the Wizard to wave his magic wand andobliterate much of the red tape and paperworkthat take time away from your instruction.Ask the Wizard for a school administrator whowill back you in a crisis, who trusts yourjudgment, who is interested in your program,and who respects what you do. Ask theWizard for a magic formula that will preserveyour programs instead of so many projectsand educational gimmicks, GRANT US SOMEFOCUS.

Ask the Wizard to cast a spell on parents,clergy, and businessmen that will enable youto enlist their support in keeping students inschoolabsenteeism is an enormous burdenon the teacher and an enormous loss to thestudent. As a teacher, it is discouraging whenyou have labored to bring something inter-esting and productive to the class and only halfshow.

Ask the Wizard for a formula that will enableyou to get students to transfer what they learnin your class to other classes.Ask the Wizard for advice on how to deal withdiverse classroom population that representsour global community.

Ask the Wizard to bestow on every teacher thepatience and the skills to remediate in thoseareas where students are weak. We need totake students from where they are and preparea finished product that can compete in a globalmarket environment

Ask the Wizard for more planning time so thatyou can have a life outside the schoolAsk the Wizard for fewer educationalgimmicksas teachers who left Kansas in the70s for the land of competency-based

48

education, who have ventured along the yellowbrick road through COE, VOT, blockprograms, programmed learning, TECHPREP, and outcomes-based education. Thebuzz words now in education are Total QualityManagement in the classroom. Who knowswhat is next? Ask the Wizard to help you tocope with these demands while trying to givestudents what they need in the way ofworkplace basics. Ask for the courage toteach such basic things as vocabularyit isthe basis of literacy and closely associatedwith IQ, yet, is considered Mickey Mouse bymany of your colleagues.

Total Quality Management in the classroom isnot a bad concept to follow: Total Quality Manage-ment exists in the classroom when:

Students attend class regularly and on timebecause they feel that the course is importantto their future success, and they cannot affordto miss.

Teachers are competent and well prepared,and every student leaves a class knowingmore than they knew when they entered.

Students feel that the teacher is there to helpthem succeed.

There is mutual respect between student andteacher.

Instruction is balanced between the theoreticalthat challenges the student to think and the

41

practical that enables the student to apply thediscipline.

Every student uses correct oral and wnttenlanguage.

Up-to-date materials and a variety of methodsare used to deliver the instruction. Usetechnology where it helps assault the students'senses and retain what has been taught inorder that it is not dependent upon technologyto the point where they cannot write. read.understand, think. apply. and perform basiccomputation.

A fair grading system that requires good workand is not inflated with charitable orunmeasurable factors.Some evidence of enduring learning thatencourages high self-esteem, knowledge, andinteraction among the multicultured populationthat comprise our student body.

While technology is here to stay. it is not theonly thing that has changed the way we work.Morality, family values, our classroom population,legislation, language, dress codes, curricula.learning environment, and the job market to namea few. Downsizing or rightsizing has poured morework on the support staff but the salary has notkept pace. When students select a businesscurriculum, they are choosing a course of learningthat should lead not only to a job but to a satisfyingcareer and a happy life.

Incorporating Cooperative Learning into Word/Information ProcessingClasses

Dorothy Lavem JonesNorfolk State University

Introduction

Team work...Two heads are better than one...United we stand, divided we fall... Birds of afeather flock together... We are strength innumbers... A chain is only as strong as its weakestlink... No man is an island. Team Work In WordInformation ClassesHow can it be taughteffectively?

One way to effectively teach team work inword/information processing classes is to integratecooperative learning strategies. Cooperativelearning, the instructional use of small groupsworking together to maximize their own and eachother's learning, is an excellent tool for developingintergroup understanding and harmony, educationequity, and relationships among students(Johnson, Johnson, and Smith, 1991). Above all,cooperative learning strategies give studentsempowerment by encouraging them to activelyprobe for knowledge. As a result, studentsbecome less bored, more engaged, and moreeager to learn. As their level of involvement inlearning ameliorates, they think betterandremember more.

Techniques Utilized

Three techniques for incorporating cooperativelearning into word/information processing classesfollow.

Role Identification.

In an effort to provide students enrolled in anintroductory word/information class with empower-ment, four cooperative learning units wereintegrated. The class was divided into groups offour, allowing each member of each group torotate through each of the following roles.

Advocateto make sure that each memberactively participates in all discussions.

42

Chronologistto record all activities of eachwork session, edit the final report beforesubmission, and submit a keyboardedsummary with each activity.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to ensurethe success of the group by keeping track ofhow well each member cooperates andchecking to make sure that each memberunderstands the assignment.

Compilerto ensure that all papers arecompiled in the appropriate manner andsubmitted in a timely manner.

Performance Appraisals.

Since many of the students had worked ingroups before and had misconceived ideas aboutteam work, performance appraisals were done atthe end of each activity. Efforts were made toaddress the following concerns:

Will the students interactwith each other?Will each student in each group consistentlyplay special roles?

Will each student work to hear each other'sopinion?

Will each student work to achieve con-sensus in a decision?Will there be a significant differencebetween the cooperative learning environ-ment and the traditional environment thathad been employed?

Will the teacher's role be different?Will there be a difference in student'sbehavior?Will the students have more of anopportunity to engage in higher-level tasksanalyzing, interpreting, evaluating, creat-ing, problem creating, problem solving?Will student achievement improve?Will the high achievers dominate theirgroups?

Planning.

The effective use of cooperative learningdepends upon the ability of the instructor to planand to make sure that all participants were activelyinvolved. As was learned when the project wasfirst implemented, it was imperative to followJohnson and Johnson's (1987) guidelines beforeimplementing any phase of any cooperativelearning activity.

Structure and Organization. The learningassignments must be structured with clearinstructions and specific requirements thatwill emphasize the learning of material, notthe mere completion of tasks.Group Size. The group size should notexceed six.

Time Frame. The time frame for eachactivity must be determined and put ill

References

writing when assignment is first givenProvide dates for progress reports.Selection Process. Diversity is the key

Conclusion

Students who participated in this projectidentified the cooperative learning activities asthose activities that they enjoyed the most, withone exception. After careful analysis of this oneexception, it appeared that the end-of-thesemester due date was the contributing factor tothe reported dissatisfaction. Overall, most of thesestudents agreed that the activities providedgreater opportunities for exchange of ideas andconflict resolution, helped to increase their supportsystem, and improved their intergroup relationsand achievement.

Cooper, J. & Mueck, R. (1989). Student involvement in learning: Cooperative learning and Collegeinstruction. JOURNAL OF EXCELLENCE IN COLLEGE TEACHING, 1, 68-76.

Davidson, N. & Worsham, T. (1992). ENHANCING THINKING THROUGH COOPERATIVE LEARNING.New York: Teachers College Press.

Jones, D. L. (1992). SOFTWARE/HARDWARE EVALUATION Norfolk: Ambrose Enterprises.Johnson, D. W. & Johnson, R. T. (1987). LEARNING TOGETHER AND ALONE: COOPERATIVE,

COMPETITIVE AND INDIVIDUALISTIC LEARNING. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1987.Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. (1991). INCREASING COLLEGE FACULTY

INSTRUCTIONAL PRODUCTIVITY. (ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 4.), Washington,DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.

Slavin, R., Sharon, S., Kagan, S., et. al. (1985). LEARNING TO COOPERATE, COOPERATING TOLEARN. New York, New York: Plenum Press.

Faculty Attitudes Towards E-mail: Implication for Secondary TeachersJerry Kandies

Delta State University

A recent estimate by the Electronic MessagingAssociation, which represents 400 leading vendorsof E-mail technology, says between 30 and 50million people use E-mail with 16 million of thoseusers in the North American business sector alone(Leslie, 1994). These millions of E-mail users aretaking advantage of a wide variety of applicationsranging from the informal social note sent to theoffice on the next floor to the journal article writtencollaboratively by scientists residing on differentcontinents. Not only is the use of electronicnetworking growing exponentially in business andindustry, but also school children are becomingfrequent users of electronic communication. In justa few years, the number of K-12 students involvedin networking has grown close to one million with arate of increase of over 10% per year (ltzkan,1992). According to Flat ley (1992), it is becomingmore important that today's business studentslearn the concepts and appropriate applications ofE-mail technology than merely the keystrokes andprocedures of E-mail software.

For those in the business of teachingcommunication skills, the implications of thesenumbers and the diversity of electroniccommunications are important. For, different oradditional communication skills are necessary foreffective use of this technology, those functioningin electronic environments without appropriatetraining or lacing self-efficacy are working at adisadvantage. In addition to the traditional com-munication skills such as mastery of grammar.composition, and proofreading ang editing skills, aperson should be proficient in such areas asaccessing databases during document preparationand synthesizing data and reports in ar, electronicmedia.

Purpose of Study

To observe E-mail use in a setting where thetechnology has been in place for some time andwhere the users are expert enough to provide amodel for effective use would be especiallybeneficial for yielding implications for instruction.University faculty, who have used E-mail for aslong as, and as productively as, any group wouldbe a useful population to study. For prospective

teachers, faculty wry) use E-mail productivelywould serve as a compelling model.

This study was designed to investigate andassess communication in an electronicenvironment within a specific professional worksetting. First, the functional use of computer-mediated communication (E-mail) by universityfaculty was studied. What are the different patternsof E-mail use in a university setting and for whatindividual purposes are educators using E-mail?Second, the relationship of E-mail use withattitudes toward E-mail technology was examined.Respondents were askew to agree or disagree with15 items concerning their attitudes of comfort withusing E-mail as well as their attitudes toward E-mail's usefulness.

Methodology

A survey instrument which asked respondentsto (1) indicate for what specific purposes they usedE-mail, and (2) rate themselves on a number ofpositive and negative attitudes was used to collectdata for this study. The survey was sent bycampus mail to 500 faculty at Virginia Tech whowere randomly selected from a total population of1.400 faculty with published E-mail addresses. Atotal of 231 surveys were returned. Four weekslater, the survey was sent again to the 269individuals who had not responded to the firstmailing. A total of 70 surveys were returned by thisgroup, for a total of 301 responses. Of the 301responses, 262 were usable. Thus, usableresponses were received from 52.4% of thesample group.

Factor analysis was performed on both theattitude items and the patterns of use items of thesurvey for two purposes' (1) to determine if thefactors would load similarly to the factor loading onthe instrument from which the scales wereadapted, and (2) to identify a smaller number offactors to facilitate multiple regression procedures.Findings

Attitude toward E-mail ;terns clustered into twofactors, Usefulness which encompassed nine ofthe attitude items, and Comfort/Anxtety whichencompassed six of the attitude items. E-mail useitems clustered into two factors, Task Use which

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encompassed eight items, and Social Use whichencompassed four items.

Using multiple regression, the relationshipsamong attitudes, use, and demographics wereestablished. Below is a summary of the variableswith significant contributions in the venous models:

Years E-mail Has Been Used

The regression analyses for both task use andsocial use of E-mail revealed that the number ofyears an individual has used E-mail contributedsignificantly to prediction of how often an individualuses the technology for both tasks. The number ofyears an individual has used E-mail did not, however,contribute significantly to information in the predictionof attitude toward E-mail technology.

Age

The regression analyses for social use of E-mailand for usefulness of E-mail revealed that agecontributed significantly to information in theprediction of social use and a positive attitude ofusefulness. Younger people use E-mail more thanolder people for social purposes and have morepositive usefulness attitudes than do older people.Age was not a significant factor in the analyses fortask use or attitude of comfort with E-mail technology.

Comfort with E-mail

The regression analyses for the usefulness of E-mail technology revealed that comfort contributedsignificant information in the prediction equation.Comfort with E-mail was not significant in any of theother regression models.

Usefulness of E-mail

All of the regressionusefulness was includedrevealed it contributedprediction.

Discussion

analyses for which E-mailas an independent variablesignificant information for

The many practical uses of E-mail range fromspeedy delivery of information to collaborative worksharing, which need to be emphasized to students inorder to increase their motivation to work in anelectronic environment. Since findings of the studysuggest usefulness is the most significant of theattitude variables, teachers should consider givingassignments that rely on E-mail's practicality forsuccessful completion

References

If experience with E-mail is important. theninstruction should involve as much hands-onapplication us possible Conceptually. E-mail is fairlyrudimentary: the difficulties are presented by theunfamiliar communication conventions and the oftenless-than-friendly user interface Successful experi-ence is the best way to

overcome these difficulties. Another recommendationin this area would be to have teachers provide an E-mail address to students and to encourage studentsto communicate with them over this medium

In the present study, gender was not a significantfactor as it was in many prior studies where femaleshad higher levels of anxiety about computers Twoexplanations are offered for this favorable resultFirst, in a university setting, one would not expect tofind gender differences relating to work being doneby faculty. Second, as computers have become morecommonplace at work, women have begun to haveas much experience with computer technology asmen. For teachers, this encouraging finding shouldserve as a reminder against bias of any kind.

Recommendations for Further Research

To confirm the findings of this study. this researchshould be replicated in other similar settings wherean E-mail system has been in place for many yearsand where faculty are fairly experienced users of E-mail. Longitudinal research that tracks the use of E-mail and the other variables over time is alsorecommended.

The study should also be duplicated using highschool teachers or community college teachers asthe sample frame. College faculty have easieraccess to internal and external networks, and thenature of their work, especially in a researchintensive institution, would make their E-mail usemore commonplace, and less typical of the teachingprofession.

Conclusions

E-mail is rapidly becoming an important form ofcommunication in today's technology - orientedsociety. Business and Marketing Educatorsconstantly face the charge to keep aware ofchanging technology; and incorporating the changingtechnology into their curricula. The future is now forE-mail in Business and Marketing classrooms!

Fla ley, ME. (1992). E-rnal: Vital technology to today's businesses. BUSINESS EDUCATION FORUM, 47(2), 21-23.

Itzkan,S.J.(1992). How big is the global classroom? MA1RD( NEWS. 2(10), 1, 7-8

Lesia, J. (1994). ma bonding. WIRED. 2(3), 42-48

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Can Multimedia REALLY Enhance Instruction?Donna L. McAlister-Kizzier

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Since 1987, a research team at the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln has investigated the effectiveuse of technologically-mediated instructionalstrategies (TMIS) within instructional settings. Thepurpose of the ongoing investigation is (1) toidentify variables relevant to the systematic studyof TMIS effectiveness; and (2) to provideinstructional decision-makers with a framework toassist in prudent TMIS selection. The purpose ofthe current paper is to summarize findingssynthesized from over 300 research studies onMultimedia effectiveness and to recommendstrategies for effective Multimedia use.Effectiveness Factors

To discern the effectiveness of a particularTMIS, the media are examined in relation to eachof six relevant variables, holistically andindividually. Each of the effectiveness factors arebriefly described, followed by examples gleanedfrom research relevant to Multimedia.Environment

Factors such as instructional setting, groupdynamics, communication patterns, institutionalgoals and organizational climate can influenceeffective TMIS use. Multimedia has been foundeffective in urban and rural settings, in business,military and school settings, with students ofdiverse academic ability levels and age categories,and in small and large groups. The dominantfactor in successful implementation of TMIS is topadministrative support. The integration of varioussocialization and coaching interventions withMultimedia has striking positive results. Increasedcomfort levels are reported when Multimedia isintroduced with a buddy, especially in isolatedlearning settings. A common finding was higheroverall achievement, productivity, goal orientation,persistence and altruism for those working inteams The use pf human interactive coachingand discussion was found to enhance learningrelevance, attitudes and I ong-term productivity.

Learner

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This factor investigates how the learner'sperformance and/or achievement is affected by theTMIS. Related variables include cognitive style.attitude. personality profile, and various demo-graphic variables. Studies have reported consis-tent success for Multimedia in diverse settings withdisparate learner profiles. A variety of cognitiveand personality styles have been studied, withsuccessful results. No significant differences werereported among personality styles. The vastmajority of studies have reported highly positiveattitudes, heightened confidence levels, andaccommodation of disparate learner needs.Learners report more time on task, heightenedattention and interest levels and less fatigue.Taking breaks when learning with Multimedia isoften reported as a nuisanco and higher learningefficiency and performance was reported whenlearners controlled their break time. In general,

Multimedia learners complete more work than withcomparison learning methods, attend better andscore higher in achievement.

Instructor

This effectiveness factor includes variablessuch as instructor attitude toward TMIS, cognitiveand/or personality style and other demogrp7lhicvariables. The influence of the teacher has beenidentified as a significant factor in system success.In comparison with traditional instructional delivery,teachers have reported more effective and efficientinstructional delivery with Multimedia. The mediahas been credited with equalizing instructionalquality across distance. enabling more learner-teacher interaction and enhancing teacherenjoyment Several studies reported studentachievement gains greater in the hands ofeffective teachers.

Learning process

The learning process factor includes suchvariables as student performance: mastery level,accommodation of the various levels of Bloom'staxonomy; short and long-term retention rates,learner assessment: motivational factors,knowledge presentation; and learning activities

5

Learning or study time reduction is a significantand prevalent benefit, with time reductions rangingfrom 25 to 40 percent. In some cases, the samestudents who reported reduced learning time alsohad increased confidence in their knowledge. Avast majority of the studies reported enhancedenjoyment and motivation with the use ofMultimedia. Although enhanced instructional ef-fectiveness was frequently mentioned, achieve-ment was the least prevalent variable overall.Although many studies reported higher achieve-ment with Multimedia, others found equal achieve-ment. Higher achievement appears to be evidenton content which required higher cognitive abilitiessuch as problem solving and application. Signi-ficant improvement in retention was reported.

Content

This variable investigates the various contentareas, i.e., math, science, technical skills, man-agerial content, problem solving and so forth. Areview of the effectiveness studies conducted withMultimedia indicate that the media has proveneffective in teaching across virtually all contentareas. The media allows the presentation ofprovocative, realistic, high quality learning, withachievement scores heightened for application andat higher cognitive levels. Some evidence reportseffectiveness with special needs students.

Cost/Benefit

Because implementation of TMIS often involvesan initially expensive investment, cost/benefitassessments consider the benefits and drawbacksof TMIS within a particular context. Researchersoften examine critical tasks involved in using theTMIS to develop criteria for judging theeffectiveness of the TMIS within special environ-ments Benefits of Multimedia include enhancedquality and reduced travel and equipment costs. Inconsidering the cost of Multimedia development,factors generally considered are content, time.location, convenience and safety. Multimedia isoften designed for time-consuming investigations,to simulate real and hypothetical conditions, and tosimulate potentially dangerous or expensive pro-cedures.

What is it about Multimedia that EnhancesLearning?

It is no secret to educators that the key tolearning success stems from the effective use ofsound psychological learning principles Multi-media systems inherently tap into a number ofthese principles.

With Multimedia, the learner is ensured fre-quent and multisensory active participation inlearning. For example, in inquiry- oriented learn-ing, students use problem solving activities. en-gaging in academic discussion and collaboratingwith other learners to construct and represent theirown meaning.

Multimedia is inherently designed to enabledirect and frequent interaction with learners Ahybrid of engaging methods are available for thelearner to dynamically test, revise and broadenthinking by interrelating relevant pieces ofinformation. Though dynamic interaction. Multi-media enables the learner to create meaningfulcontexts, thus heightening retention. In groupinstruction, Multimedia can improve the level andsophistication of student-teacher interaction, thusenhancing learner comprehension and achieve-ment.

Using rich multisensory imagery. Multimediaclarifies relevance, a learning component whichincreases the ability of the learner to move morereadily into application or problem solving. Inaddition, the random capability of well-designedMultimedia courseware builds in frequent inter-active feedback. This is an especially powerfullearning dynamic, especially when compared tothe average one minute per day interactive feed-back received by most students in traditionalclassrooms. Furthermore, Multimedia allows thelearner to practice repetitively until mastery isachieved, under the tutelage of an infinitely patientexpert.

Multimedia uses multisensory learning, whichappeals to diverse cognitive styles, augmentsinterest and attention, and helps learners mentallyexecute complex learning. The visual imagery andrich concrete and abstract examples promotedevelopment of a relatively rich semantic networkwhich can be more easily applied. In addition,Multimedia promotes equity in learning. It isgenderless, equally effective for all ability levels,ages groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds.Time, distance, human expertise, and facilityinequities are equalized. Finally, with Multimedia,responsibility for initiating learning can shift fromthe teacher to the learners, thus empowering

1rners beyond even the ideal tutor/tuteerelationship.

How can Instructors Enhance the Effective Useof Multimedia?

The research provides evidence that well-designed Multimedia, used effectively byinstructors in an appropriate environment, is a

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powerful tool for strengthening learning. Recom-mendations for effective use follow.

Attend to the social environment. For ex-ample, use facilitators, cooperative and peerlearning, and coaching.Provide a norm. For example, allow learnersto work in pairs.

Minimize technical difficulties and providetechnical support.

Recognize the importance of curricula reformto successful use.

Use structuring aids, such as cognitive maps.

References

Provide learners with a choice in the use ofvarious TMIS.

Select input devices which allow teachermovement for large group instruction.Enhance user control, especially with adultlearners.

Orient facilitators and users.Evaluate Multimedia courseware for instruc-onal design.

Attend to ergonomic considerationsRecognize the importance of the instructor!facilitator.

Kizzier, D. L. & Pollard C. (1992, November 12-14, Los Angeles) A research agenda for studyingtechnologically mediated instructional strategies in business and education. DELTA P1EPSILON 1992 NATIONAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, 117-125.McAlister-Kizzier, D. L., Schlichtemeier-Nutzman, S. & Lavin, R. (1994, December) A Comparison ofthe Effectiveness of Using Interactive Multimedia Systems Individually and in Dyads.(unpublished manuscript)Kizzier, D. L. & Lavin, R. S.. (1993, May 20-23, Penn State University)A proposed research agenda forstudying INS in adult education. 1993 ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH CONFERENCEPROCEEDINGS.Ottman, T. & Tomek, I. (eds.). (1994, June, 1994, Vancouver, BC, Canada) Proceedings of ED-MEDIA94, World Conference on Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia.

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5b

Active Learning Instructional Strategies for Business CoursesSue Y. Luckey

Morehead State University

Many students lack thinking behaviors requiredfor bridging the gap between business classroomsand the business workplace. These thinking skillscan be developed by using active learninginstructional strategies. According to CharlesBonwell (1991), "active learning involves studentsin doing things and thinking about the things theyare doing." This material offers active learningstrategies to foster better listening, to enhanceunderstanding of international concepts necessaryfor adapting to an interdependent world economy,and to develop cooperative learning techniqueswhich increase student motivation and improvecreative and critical thinking skills.improving Listening Skills

Researchers suggest that Americans listen atonly 25 percent efficiency. Such poor listeninghabits are costly in business. Letters must beretyped; shipments, reshipped; appointments,rescheduled; directions, restated.

To provide a listening classroom environment,use these creative and critical thinking teachingstrategies. Give directions only once, discussgood note-taking techniques so that students listenfor meaning rather than only facts, and developlistening guidelines such as one person talks at atime.

To determine the level of listening, givestudents listening tests and inventories. Kurtz(1990) suggests asking students to analyze theirrecorded conversations, as well as asking othersfor critiques of their listening habits. Mausehundand Timm (1992) offer exercises to help studentsfollow directions and retain instructions. Tobecome both active and reflective listeners, havetwo students read a few pages of their text Whileone partner orally summarizes from memory whatwas read, the other partner listens, corrects,clarifies, and elaborates on the material. After theoral summary, both students read the next fewpages, repeating the procedure with partnerschanging roles. Listening for content can beaccomplished by asking questions.

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Participating in a Global Economy

One of the most significant changes of the UShas been adapting to an interdependent worldeconomy. Business teachers need to preparestudents for participation in this global economy byhelping them understand cultural differencesincluding customs, values, politics. attitudes. socialmores, and economics. Redmann and Davis(January, 1993) offer many strategies for teachinginternational concepts in business courses.

To develop international communicationconcepts, ask each student to interview aninternational person to find out positive andnegative impression of the US, cultural differencesencountered, and communication barriersexperienced. Have students write letters for bothnational and international purposes. Using theAT&T Toll-Free 800 Directory, each student couldtelephone a company with International in its nameand interview a person whose job includescontacts with others located outside the USSome topics for discussion are number ofcountries with which the company does business,qualifications sought for international positions,and description of training provided forinternational work. Group project ideas onpreparing for international travel could includedeveloping an itinerary, consulting a travel agentfor airline schedules and fares as well as hotel andcar rental costs, contacting a bank to learn how toobtain foreign currency and preparing a currencyconversion table, and determining need forvp-cinations, inoculations, and visas.

To enhance appreciation of cultural differences,have students role play an international businessmeeting. Prepare written and oral reports on someof these topics: negotiation skills, status ofwomen, bribes and gifts, organization of the schoolsystem, and work attitudes.

To help students develop an awareness of theinternationalization of the market place, askstudents to visit clothing, grocery, and appliancestores and make lists of originations of theseitems. To expand economic and geographicawareness, help students learn about foreigncurrencies by reading The Dollar section of USA

Today. For each of the 23 currencies, the rate perdollar is given for Monday, Friday, six months ago,and a year ago.

Using Cooperative Learning Strategies

Cooperative learning is an instructional strategydesigned to help students work together in small,heterogeneous groups to share the responsibilityfor learning. Because the number one reasonpeople are fired is due to the lack of interpersonalskills, this collaborative skill is needed in theworkplace (Johnson & Johnson, 1990).

These tasks or projects may be appropriate forgroup work in business classes.

Think-Write-Pair-Share. Pose a qacston tostudents such as, What five questions wouldyou want answered during a job interview?Students think and then write their responsesindividually: then, in pairs, share and discusstheir questions. Then ask students to sharetwo agreed-upon questions with the rest of theclass (Hamilton, 1990).

References

Co-Op, Co-Op. A main topic of study isselected and then subdivided into mini-topicsFor example, students interested in a similarcareer form small groups and do a job analysison that career. Each student selects a mini-topic, researches it, writes a paper. and sharesthe information with the small group. Havestudents edit each others work. Afterdiscussion, the information is compiled into agroup presentation and shared with the entireclass. Evaluation includes individual papers aswell as the work of other students in the group(Kagan, 1989).

Selected active learning instructional strategieshave been presented in three areas: improvinglistening skills, participating in a global economy.and using cooperative learning. Active learningstrategies such as the above will enhance learningin the Business classroomthe future is now foractive learning strategies in the BusinessEducation classroom.

Bonwell, C. C. & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, DC: George Washington School of Educationand Human Services.Hamilton, D. (1990). Cooperative learning in the classroom. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta KappaEducational Foundation.Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. (1990). Social skills forsuccessful group work. EDUCATIONALLEADERSHIP, 47(4), 29-33.Kagan, S. (1989). Cooperative learning resources for teachers. San Juan Capistrano, CA;Resources for Teachers.Kurtz, T. (1990). Dynamic listening: Unlocking your communication potential. SUPERVISORYMANAGEMENT, 7.Mausehund, J. & Timm. S. (1992, May). Improving listening skills: Instructional resources andstrategies. Instructional strategies: An applied research series, DELTA PI EPSILON, 8(3).Redrnann. D. H. & Davis. B. J. (1992, Janu.,iy). Strategies for teaching international concepts inbusiness courses. (Part I), Instructional strategies: An applied research series, DELTA PIEPSILON. 9(1).

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r-J (5

The Future is Now Through Distance LearningMary Jean Lush

Matt Jenkins

Delta State University

Introduction

Traditionally, Mississippi and its educationalsystem have suffered the stigma of stereotypicalperceptions generated by its history of poverty andthe stark contrasts of its rural, agricultural-basedeconomy in the Mississippi Delta and the moreindustry-based affluence of its northeastern andcoastal urban areas. Additionally, Mississippi'seducational system has been poorly ranked basedon student outcomes of national standardizedtesting, and the state has one of the highestilliteracy rates in the country. Mississippi'seducators have reviewed these perceptions andare determined to overcome them. They are notsatisfied simply to play a game of catch up; rather,the state is working diligently to establish atechnology base with which educational offeringscan plug into the future.

Community colleges have traditionally lead theway nationally in serving students better throughinformation technology. In Mississippi, however,no specific leader for this initiative can beidentified. Rather, cooperation among variouseducational levels, governmental agencies, andprivate businesses and industries has made on-line educational opportunities a reality forMississippi students. Mississippi's Department ofEducation and institutions of higher learning haveassessed traditional educational offerings with aview toward improving existing programs andproviding enhanced educational opportunities forall citizens. Programs are being designed toincorporate flexibility, innovation, and technology toreach not only on-campus students, but alsoindividuals distant to the campus.

Detail discussions of some of Mississippi's on-going technological initiatives toward achieving thisgoal include: University .of Mississippi's ProjectLEAP, Mississippi Center for SupercomputingResearch (MCSR), Mississippi State University'sFibernet 2000, and Mississippi's CommunityCollege Network (CCN), as well as more specific

51

information on the Distance Learning Initiative ofDelta State University.

University of Mississippi's Project LEAP

The University of Mississippi has undertakenthe nation's first one-way video, two-way audio,statewide 20-hour per week literacy program. Thepurpose of the program is to aadress illiteracythrough computer-assisted learning and interactivesatellite instruction for adult JOBS clients.Mississippi Center for SupercomputingResearch (MCSR)

MCSR, established in 1987 at the University ofMississippi, "provides high-performance computingsupport to the faculty, professional staff, andstudents of eight state-supported senior institutionsof higher learning:. . . . offers to its users accountson multiple computer platforms ranging fromgraphics workstations to Cray Research super-computer systems; uses on-line services; andmakes available technical guides and newsletters,seminars, and personal consultation" (MCSRServices, 1994). Such services enhance distancelearning programs.

Mississippi State University's Fibernet 2000

An unusual partnership of five majorcorporations and nine public organizations withinthe state created Fibernet 2000, a unique union oftechnology, telecommunications, the public sector,corporate America, and the resources and talentsof master teachers. Fiber optics, microelectronics,and lasers provide the base of the technologiesthat allow students and teachers to shareeducational opportunities without regard for walls,distance, or time. Students from the MississippiDelta, to the hills of Appalachia, and to the prairiesof central Mississippi can now exchange classes,information, and instructors without leaving theirclassrooms (Brook, 1994).

Mississippi's Community College Network

On July 11, 1994, Mississippi's 15 communitycolleges were linked through an interactive corn-

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BEST COPY AVAILABLE

munication network (Community colleges..., 1994).The purposes of Mississippi's Community CollegeNetwork (CCN) are to train, educate, provide tele-conference capability, and provide leading-edgetelecommunication services to the business andpublic sectors of the state. It will feature full-motion totally interactive, two-way audio and videocommunications, [and] each of the 15 communitycolleges will initially have one interactive classroomequipped with a minimum of three large televisionmonitors and supporting technology" (Communitycolleges..., 1994). Through CCN, Mississippi'sbest teachers can deliver instruction at multiplelocations; and Mississippi public schools andcolleges can interact with educational institutionsanywhere in the world (Smith in Community col-leges..., 1994).

Distance Learning at Delta State UniversityDelta State University (DSU), located in

Cleveland, Mississippi, serves as the educationaland cultural center of the region. Cleveland is inthe heart of the Mississippi Delta, a 20-county,northwestern region 'rich in various ethnic andcultural groups. Between 10% and 15% of thestudents attend from other parts of the state, andslightly under 10% reside outside the state" (DSUHandbook, 1994). The University has enjoyed aconsistent increase in student population. DSU iscommitted to providing high-quality, educationalexperiences for students and to enhancing thoseexperiences where possible. To that end, DSUhas undertaken an initiative to include distancelearning as one mode of instructional delivery.This method of delivery will allow students inremote areas to avail themselves of the edu-cational offerings available at the University withminimal on-campus involvement.

At DS'J, implementation of distance learninghas been based on two premises. need andimpact on enrollment. Some DSU distancelearning projects include:

Multimedia Distance Learning Users Group

This group was formed to keep faculty aware ofcurrent activities and trends in dist',- e-e learningand Multimedia at DSU. This groLp will providedistance learning training for faculty anddemonstration of distance learning applicationsusing existing and new technologies to theUniversity. The group's premiere activity was towitness a demonstration of a satellite-deliveredpilot demonstration.

Telecourse (Film Studies)

A project was designed to use existingtechnology, a direct-marketing approach to gen-erate student interest, and a subject area notpreviously offered to traditional DSU students.This course will reach a new group of people whodo not normally use university services. and willprovide a great opportunity to increase enrollment.The content consists of a pre-packaged coursecomprised of 13 one-hour episodes and atextbook. Mississippi Educational Television willair the programs as a service to DSU. Anyone inthe state can take the course and receive credit forit from DSU. To enhance student success, optionalon-campus reviews and viewing sessions ofadditional film selections will be provided.

Courses Via Live Television

In conjunction with a local Cleveland.Mississippi, television station (W8CQ), Dr. WilliamHayes will use DSU's television studio in the MediaServices Center to teach a ten-week course inStudent Success in College, which will take aholistic approach toward providing students withthe knowledge, skills, and self-assurance toachieve academic success. The class sessionswill be broadcast live with a phone patch to allowinteraction between off-campus students and theprofessor. The in-studio audience will also consistof students. All students may purchase theworkbook to complete, tear out. and mail in theirassignments. DSU video production students willserve as the production crew for this course.providing them a very positive opportunity forapplied learning experiences.

DSU Goes Online

DSU is scheduled to connect to Internet laterthis year. The State has provided money to install,in the DSU School of Nursing, a compressed videoclassroom consisting of two-way interactivetechnology similar to the community collegenetwork. DSU's School of Nursing will be able tocontribute and receive information from theMedical Center. Additionally, Coahoma Commu-nity College may be a potential user of thisclassroom; and the University of SouthernMississippi will offer Library Science courses Thisclassroom will be up and running in Fall 1995Summary

The integration and interaction of these variousinitiatives and programs in Mississippi will movethe educational environment forward for thebetterment of all Mississippians Having been atthe bottom of many social and economic

52 6 fl

indicators, Mississippi has set a course to advance enhancement. Mississippi has now recognizedthe state and its citizens through educational that the future is now through distance learningReferences

Brook, R. D. (1994). Mississippi Fibernet 2000 (informational brochure). Mississippi state, MS.

Community colleges link through interactive communication network. (1994. July). THE BOLIVARCOMMERCIAL 6.

Computing resources. (1994, June). MCSR Services, 9-10.DSU Handbook. (1994). Cleveland, MS: Delta State University.

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Incorporating Higher-Order Thinking Skills into the Business ClassroomRobert C. Magee

Morehead State University

Tomorrow's workers must develop a greaterlevel of higher-order thinking skills (Bailey, 1990).The U.S. Department of Labor (What WorkRequires of Schools: A SCANS Report forAmerica 2000) supports Bailey and recommendsthat workers possess higher-order thinking skills,including creative thinking, decision making,problem solving, seeing things in the mind's eye,knowing how to learn, and reasoning. Specifically,Bailey (1990) noted banking employees are nolonger limited to gathering basic information andopening accounts. They must think and sellproducts to consumers.

Higher-order thinking skills can be taught in thebusiness classroom. The infusion approach isrecognized as the most popular method ofteaching higher-order thinking skills (Lambrecht,1992; Willis, 1992), which allows higher-orderthinking skills to be taught within context of specificsubject matter. Students are, therefore, able toconcentrate on higher-order thinking skilldevelopment and not be confused by new material.

A real-life context specific situation or scenariothat was obtained through an interview with a bankbranch manager is relayed below (Magee, 1993).The manager described the following:

An angry customer came in, and he was realhot. He was hot because he had been acustomer of the bank for at least 10 or 12 yearsand was denied a loan. He wanted a crummycar loan, as he put it, and we turned him down.In this particular instance, the loan officerbasically looked at the application and said youare declined. This is your debt to income ratio.You do not qualify. The officer did not take ageneralized look at the customer's wholepicture to see if there was another way to do it.

He had a lot of equity in his home.Although he did have a lot of debt outstanding,we offered the individual a second mortgage orequity loan that picked up all of his outstandingdebt plus money for his car We ended upgoing five years

on the note which was all he wanted to go onhis car loan. However, we could give him a verygood rate on that. By consolidating his higher

54

nterest debt, he qualified for a car loan. Plus.he now had tax advantages from the mortgagethat he would not have had from the car loanSince second mortgages take a while to book

and he wanted to get his car right away, we gottentative approval on the mortgage and set himup on a short-term 30-day note so he couldhave the money to get the car. When themortgage closed, we just paid out the 30-daynote.

Using the above real-life scenario and theinfusion approach to teaching thinking skills, aninstructor provides students, individually or ingroups, the situation. Students are directed todevelop their own solutionbuilding higher-orderthinking skills. The instructor cautions students thatthere is not one correct answer, and that thestudents are not expected to develop the samesolution as the branch manager who described thestory. Students are allotted either a predeterminedtime limit or several days to consider and developmany alternatives from which to select the onethey perceive to be the best. After students havedeveloped their solutions, the instructor may allowthe entire class to evaluate all of the potentialsolutions. Students could be given the opportunityto provide their reasons behind their solution andwhy they believe it is the best alternative. Theclass would then have more information fromwhich to evaluate the situation further and continuebuilding higher-order thinking skills. The class as awhole may then evaluate and select one perceivedbest solution to the problem presented in the real-life scenario.

The instructor would then provide the studentswith the outcome used by the bank branchmanager that actually lived through the real-lifesituation. The instructor would also reinforce thatthere may be more than one correct answer. Eventhough the students may have selected a differentsolution than the branch manager, there is no wayof determining if their solution is better or worseThis provides the students with further knowledgeof the complex nature of higher-order thinkingskills.

Conclusion

A major goal of the Business and MarketingEducation curricula is to prepare students with thenecessary skills to be competitive in today'sworkforce. Higher-Order Thinking Skills, one ofthose skills requested by employers today, can betaught by Business and Marketing Education

References

teachers by using actual business scenarios thatare relevant to the world of work. By providinginstructional scenarios that are realistic, Businessand Marketing Educators can equip today'sstudents with the skills that are needed to besuccessful in the workplace.

Bailey, T. (1990). Changes in the nature and structure of work: Implications for skill requirementsand skill formation (MDS-007). Berkeley: University of California, National Center for Research inVocational Education.

Lambrecht J. J (1992). Approaches for teaching problem solving. Symposium conducted at the DeltaPi Epsilon 1992 National Research Conference.

Magee, R. C. (1993). Perceived use of thinking skills in customer service aspects of banking.Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

U.S. Department of Labor. (1991). What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for America 2000(Publication No. 1991-306-024). Washington, DC: Author

Willis, J. W. (1992, June). Curriculum update. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision andCurriculum Development.

55

The Information Superhighway: Where are the Women Drivers?Melinda Mc Cannon

Georgia College

The worldwide Internet computer network, alsoknown to many as the Information Superhighway,is a vast source of information and services forthose who know its possibilities (Kirvan, 1994).Beginning as a tool for research and academia,the Internet has grown to a conglomeration ofuniversity, government, and corporate networkswhich offer news wires, mailing lists, discussiongroups and databases on a wide variety of topics.The user base of the network totals 15 million, anda million new users join each year (Smith, 1994).

Soon, in this information-rich society, peoplewho are comfortable and familiar with the Internetare going to have the edge in the job market justas the first people who were at ease withcomputers had an edge a few years ago. Thatreality is why it was troubling for this author to hearAnthony Owens, director of the Internet UsersGroup in Atlanta, say that out of 30 members inthe beginners group only five were women, andout of 20 members in the advanced group, therewere no women at all. Owens also said that thispercentage was reflected in other Internet usergroups with which he was familiar from around thecountry. Does this low membership in Internetclubs show that women are not interested in theInternet, have no time for the meetings, do notneed the information these organizations provide,or is it some other reason altogether?

Conducting an unscientific experiment, thisauthor asked for opinions about current events onsome Internet Listservers. In .addition, therespond-ents were asked to indicate if they weremale or female. Male respondents were 2:1 overfemale respondents. Though the experimentneeds to be repeated with more structure andcontrol, the results from this one were a littlesobering and call for more study. Where are thewomen on the Internet?

Are there fewer women on the Internet becausethere are fewer women who do not use computersfor anything other than word processing?According to National Science Foundation, thereare three times as many men as women who earn

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computer science degrees, and the bulk of womenwho find work in the computer industry areclustered in low paying jobs (Morse. 1995) Thequestion is why?

Numerous studies (Colley, Gale, and Harris,1994; Durndell & Lightbody, 1993; Kirk, 1992; andSiann, et al, 1990) have reported on the genderdifferences in computer attitudes and usage inschool. These studies found that males havelower computer anxiety, higher confidence, andgreater liking for computers than females. Otherresults indicated that girls become less frequentcomputer users as they progress throughsecondary school, there are few role models forgirls in computers, girls still perceive a computerspecialist as one who works at a terminal all dayhaving little contact with humans, and boys spendmore of their leisure time in computer-relatedactivities. The consequences of these attitudesare not good. Girls who are computer-avoidershave been found to have lower confidence andself-esteem, poorer preparation for the businessworld, and reduced occupational and economicsuccess (Sanders, 1993). These girls become thewomen who must compete in our technologicalsociety.

Some people (Morse, 1995) blame computergames for the gender discrepancy. Games areusually the first contact that children have withcomputers. Many computer games are violentwith a kill-or-be killed theme. The majority ofpeople who purchase these games are boys.Morse (1995) says that computer games, thoughconsidered by some to be mindless activity, arefrequently the gateway to using and appreciatingmore sophisticated technology, and girls are beingleft out. Companies need to produce more gamesthat are gender-neutral or with the problem-solvingand cooperative aspects that appeal to girls.

. Women will spend an average of 34 yearsduring their lifetime working for pay (Sanders,1993). To avoid the glass ceiling and low pay thatis still prevalent in many organizations (GlassCeiling, 1991), women must obtain as manyadvantages as possible and as early as possible.Being computer literate is one definite advantage.Girls should be exposed to computers in the home

6

and school as much as possible and beencouraged to use them. Females in thecomputer industry should be introduced as rolemodels to students. Girls should be encouraged toenter computer-related fields in college. Studies

References

should be conducted to find out how to get morewomen involved in using the Internet and othertechnological advances. Women cannot afford tobe left on the side of the road on the InformationSuperhighway.

Colley, A., Gale, M., & Harris, T. (1994). Effects of gender role identity and experience on computerattitude components. JOURNAL OF COMPUTING RESEARCH, 10(2), 129-137

Durndell, A. & Lightbody, P. (1993). Gender and computing: Change over time. COMPUTERS ANDEDUCATION, 21(4), 331-336.

Kirk, D. (1992). Gender issues in information technology as found in schools:Authentic/synthetic/fantastic. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, 32(4), 28-31.

Kin/an, P. (1994). Things you can do on the Internet. COMMUNICATIONS NEWS. 31(4). 56Morse, S. (1995, Winter). Why girls don't like computer games. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF

UNIVERSITY WOMEN OUTLOOK, 88(4), 16-19.

Sanders, J. (1993). Closing the gender gap. THE EXECUTIVE EDUCATOR, 15(9), 32-33.

Siann, G., Macleod, H., Glissov, P. & Durndell, A. (1990). The effect of computer use on genderdifferences in attitudes to computers. COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION, 14(2), 183-191.

Smith, L. (1994, March). Internet: Growing worldwide web of information. PC WEEK, 11(12). 83Visions: The glass ceiling. (1991). HR MAGAZINE, 36(10), 91-92.

57 5

Weathering Change in the North Carolina Community College SystemSharon Morrissey

North Carolina Department of Community Colleges

The North Carolina Community College Systemis experiencing significant change. As ourfifty-eight colleges grow and our students becomemore mobile, the problems of duplicativecurriculum offerings and identified service areasbecome increasingly political. As a result of theGovernment Performance Audit conducted in1992, the General Assembly sponsored speciallegislation requiring the community college systemto study certain issues such as regionalization ofprograms (Senate Bill 27). The legislation led tothe formation of fourteen task forces which metduring 1993 and 1994 to conduct studies andmake recommendations to the State Board ofCommunity Colleges and to the LegislativeEducation Oversight Committee. In 1994, a specialprovision was attached to the state budget whichrequires the State Board to approve curriculumprogram offerings at community colleges only if theprograms have been developed using a regionalplanning approach. As a result of the legislation,the State Board placed a temporary hold oncurriculum approvals until a regional curriculumplanning process can be developed.

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Department of Community Colleges staffevaluated the regional planning requirement andexamined current procedures which regulatecurriculum programs in the system. The staffdeveloped a plan for re-engineering programswhich will met the requirements of the legislationand will also streamline and update the programprocedures. Included in the re-engineering planare (1) a review of the existing 280 curriculum titlesto determine whether or not there are duplicativeprogram titles; (2) the development of a commoncourse numbering system and a common coursecatalog for the system; (3) the implementation of ayearly desktop audit for program review: and, (4)the development of a regional curriculum planningprocess. The State Board of Community Collegeshas approved the proposal, and implementationwill uegin in January 1995.

The re-engineering process is expected to takethree to five years. The proposed changes aresystemic and will affect every curriculum programand every curriculum instructor in the communitycollege system. The changes need to be driven atthe college level, so it is essential that faculty beinformed and involved in the process.

Implications of S 41/1 for the Preparation of Public School Teachers andAdministrators i1i North CarolinaTerrance P. O'Brien

North Carolina State University

Rebecca R. ReedAhlgren Associates

The purpose of the study was to investigate thechanges that have taken place in area schools andschool systems in response to state legislationconcerning site-base-1 management (SBM).Research questions listed below were used toprovide specific direction to the investigation.Implicit in each of the questions was the concernfor identifying the implications for teacher andadministrator preparation programs in institutionsof higher education. The target group ofindividuals to whom the questions would bedirected were teachers and administrators inGranville, Johnston, and Wake Counties who hadsubstantial experience with efforts to implementSBM in their schools or school systems, bothpositive as well as negative, and who wereperceived by their peers as leaders in restructuringefforts.

1. How has SBM been implemented in thepublic school systems of Granville,Johnston, and Wake counties? Whatdefinitions have evolved, what strategieshave been employed, how have roleschanged, what changes have occurred,what barriers have emerged, and whatoverall impressions do educators have ofSBM?

2. What were the most significantexperiences with SBM encountered byleaders in school restructuring during theirdevelopment as leaders?

3. What were the most critical lessonslearned by restructuring leaders fromeach of the significant experiences theyencountered with SBM?

4 What professional development activitiesprepared restructuring leaders for SBM')

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5. What recommendations did restructuringleaders have for improving the educationalprograms of future teachers andadministrators to better prepare them tofunction in SBM environments?

Methodology

Due to the tremendous variation associatedwith the problem being investigated and theinherent nature of the research questions, thestudy utilized a qualitative approach andmethodologies commonly associated with that typeof research. Essentially, the study involved theuse of open-ended interviews with carefullyselected individuals in area schools and schoolsystems to gather data relevant to the statedresearch questions. Participants interviewedduring the study were 38 educational leadersselected from the targeted school systems. Thegroup consisted of 20 teachers and 18administrators, although no attempt was made tostratify on this variable as one might do in aquantitative study.

Description of SBM

The restructuring leaders were asked todescribe SBM as it was currently beingimplemented in their schools and school systems.These descriptions created settings forunderstanding their experiences and the lessonsthey learned. Respondents briefly explained theprocesses being implemented in their schools andschool systems, including explanations of theirspecific roles. They also shared information aboutresulting changes in their schools and specificexamples of the impact of SBM Finally, they wereasked to identify major barriers to effectiveimplementation of SBM and describe their overallimpressions of SBM. Detailed summaries ofparticipant responses are contained in the fulltechnical report of this study

Developmental Experiences

Based on their involvement with SBM, therestructuring leaders were asked to identifyexperiences which significantly impacted theimplementation of SBM in their schools or schoolsystems and which significantly influenced theirdevelopment as leaders in school restructuring.The personal developmental experiences thatstood out in the minds of these restructuringleaders were classified into four categories: SBMImplementation Strategies. SBM Innovations andChanges. SBM Leadership Roles, and SBMProfessional Development Activities.Lessons Learned Through DevelopmentalExperiences

The lessons the leaders learned from theirexperiences were categorized into ten areas.They are reported in the order of the relativemagnitude of their contributions to thedevelopment of the restructuring leaders inter-viewed in the study: collaboration skills, communi-cation skills, decision making skills, managementskills, time management skills, SBM process skills,leadership skills, community relations skills,accountability, and professional development.Professional Development Activities ofRestructuring Leaders

The restructuring leaders were asked todescribe any professional development activities inwhich they had been involved that prepared themto function effectively in a SBM environment. Fororganizational purposes, these are classified aspre-service activities and in-service activities andare described in the full technical report.Recommendations for the Preparation ofFuture Educators

Restructuring leaders were asked for theirrecommendations to improve the preparation offuture teachers and administrators by betterpreparing them to function in SBM environments.Their responses are summarized in the fulltechnical report

Recommendations

Conclusions and recommendations from thefull technical report are summarized as follows

Recommendation 1:

Raise the awareness of college faculty andadministration regarding site-based manage-ment through professional developmentactivities It was concluded that an importantstarting point for a college's efforts to respond to

the SBM movement would be to ensure that allfaculty and administrators understood theconcepts, skills, and values involved in effectiveSBM.

Recommendation 2:

College faculty and administration shouldmodel and exemplify for students the basicprinciples of SBM. While recognizing that theintent of this recommendation is probably alreadymanifest in some departments and programswithin the college, the investigators felt stronglythat the college faculty and administrators shouldcomprehensively examine the extent to which suchpractices are present in all areas and at all levelswithin the college.

Recommendation 3:

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Review existing undergraduate and grad-uate curricula for both teachers andadministrators and infuse site-based manage-ment competencies as appropriate. The profileof developmental experiences and critical lessonslearned from those experiences by therestructuring leaders who participated in this studyprovides the framework for implementing thisrecommendation.

Recommendation 4:

Enhance field experiences to providestudents opportunities for involvement in SBMactivities. This recommendation was perceivedas a logical extension of the third recommendation.In essence, the view was that developmental fieldexperiences should be designed in which studentscould become involved in various ways withteachers and administrators while they areengaged in actual SBM activities.

Recommendation 5:

Provide in-service on SBM to teachers andadministrators in the public schools; facilitatethis activity by providing resources andincentives to college faculty. The findings of thisstudy clearly indicate that local schools and schoolsystems are in need of information, guidance, andtraining related to SBM in order to help them in thedesign and implementation of local improvementplans. Presently, they are reliant on books andother publications on the subject, privateconsultants, consultants from colleges anduniversities in other states, and visits to schools inother parts of the state and nation that have hadsuccess with this approach to management

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Recommendation 6:

To improve the public schools of NorthCarolina, develop educational leaderscommitted to collaboration. This recommend-ation was included to address the important roleand responsibility of Colleges of Education in thestates efforts to improve the public schools.School improvement, and the improvement ofstudent performance, represent the fundamentalimpetus for implementing SBM in North Carolina.Implications for Teachers

The findings and recommendations emergingfrom this study make it clear that teacherpreparation programs need to change significantlyin order to prepare teachers to function effectivelyin SBM environments. Educational restructuringbrings with it dramatic changes in the roles andresponsibilities of teachers. Teachers are now

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expected to be actively and integrally involved inthe management of both the school and schoolsystem. In addition to possessing e;.:cellentteaching skills, today's teachers must also beadept at collaborating and communicating with oneanother and a variety of audiences. leading groupsin planning and decision-making activities,managing time and school resources.implementing SBM strategies at the building level.and maintaining positive relationships between theschool and the community. Such expectations ofteachers are radically different from what hastypically been expected of teachers in the pastWhen these expectations are first establishedduring SBM implementation, the effect can betraumatizing initially. In the long-run, however, trueSBM represents an exponential leap forward inenriching the work of teachers and enhancing thedegree to which they are regarded as genuineprofessionals.

SaintSERVEPhifiis Q. Ostheim

Southern Wayne High School

Sounds of laughter spilled into the hallway ofthe Mount Olive Retirement Village recently. Thesource was the cafeteria, where two rows ofresidents and Southern Wayne High Schoolstudents sat facing each other, tossing bright,colorful balloons back and forth. Students sat sideby side with residents, others kept the flow ofballoons going in the middle, still others workedone-on-one with individual residents. Everybodywore smile,. Welcome to SaintSERVE... writesLynn Williams, staff writer of The Mount OliveTribune. Such good press coverage has certainlycaused a surge of community interest for theSouthern Wayne Saints.

Schools are always searching for ways toimprove their curricula, challenge students to newhorizons, and foster character development instudent. Southern Wayne High School has risento the challenge by providing such experiences forstudents through the Marketing Educationdepartment. SaintSERVE is a service learningprogram in which students learn and developthrough active participation in organizedexperiences. Students volunteer at least one hourper week at the local nursing and retirement homeand provide activities and visitation with theresidents at both facilities. The students' volunteerefforts are expanded upon in the MarketingEducation classroom when they study humanrelations. The service learning concept

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becomes an integral part of the curriculum andprovides the student with skills to use in real lifesituations.

Service learning is an integral part of theexperimental philosophy of education. Proponentsof this philosophy promote the concept of studentslearning by getting into the community and caringfor others. Service learning enhances what istaught in school and extends learning beyond theclassroom walls. It is more than just volunteerwork; students have lessons which prepare themfor the community work followed by periods ofreflection. Current research has established thatthe development of character, responsibility,citizenship, and values can be achieved throughservice learning opportunities.

Service learning initiatives are increasingnationally. National education goals state that bythe year 2000, every school in America will ensurethat all students will ha prepared for responsiblecitizenship, which includes further learningfollowed by productive employment. Two of theobjectives state that (1) all students will beinvolved in activities that promote and demonstrategood citizenship, community service, and personalresponsibility, as well as (2) all students should beknowledgeable about cultural diversity and theworld community. These goals, along with thepassage by Congress of President Clinton'sNational Service Trust Act in 1993, have thrustservice learning into educational realms

DESKTOP PUBLISHING USING WORDPERFECTDebra B. QuesenbenyNew River Community College

Bonnie M. SkeltonRadford University

Introduction

One of the fastest growing microcomputerapplications today is desktop publishing. Thereare many types of desktop publishing softwareavailable. Ventura and Page Maker are twopopular packages. However, word processingpackages, especially those that operate in theWindows environment, are being used more andmore for desktop publishing. WordPerfect 6.0 forWindows is one of the more popular packages.Advantages of Using WordPerfect 6.0 forWindows

There are many advantages of usingWordPerfect 6.0 for Windows to perform desktoppublishing. WordPerfect eliminates the need for atypesetter and designer; therefore, the cost ofpublishing is greatly reduced. The entiredocument process can take place at one'spersonal computer in his/her office or at home. Inaddition, the cost of purchasing WordPerfect 6.0for Windows is several hundred dollars less thanpurchasing a true desktop publishing softwarepackage. Also, WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows iseasier to learn than many desktop publishingpackages since most students are already familiarwith various versions of WordPerfect or a similarword processing program.Defiffition and Requirements of DesktopPublishing

Desktop publishing can be defined as the useof a personal computer, software, and a laserprinter to design and print high-quality documents.To perform desktop publishing applicationsefficiently, the computer must have a hard drivewith a 486 or higher processor, 8 or moremegabytes of memory, a high-resolution coloredmonitor with a graphics card, and a mouse or PC-Trac. In addition, a laser printer is essential in

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preparing documents that are acceptable forpublication. Colored laser printers are becomingaffordable and are very useful if one designscolored covers, interior pages. and illustrationsAlso, many workstations may include a scanner forconverting photographs and drawings to a formatthat can be used by the computer.Desktop Publishing Terminology

Listed below are a few common terms oneshould know when using WordPerfect 6.0 fordesktop publishing:

Alley: Space between columns.Ascender: The part of some lowercase

letters, such as b, d, and h, that extendup above the x-height.

Baseline: The bottom of the x-height on aline of type.

Copyfitting: Making varying amounts of textor typographical enhancements fit in afixed amount of space.

Crop: Removing part of an image.Descender: The part of some lowercase

letters, such as g, p, q, and y, that extendbelow the baseline.

Design: Specifying how a finishedpublication will look.

Dinghats: Special characters that do notappear on the keyboard.

Drop cap: When the first character in aparagraph is set in a larger type size so itextends below the line.

Dummy: A preliminary pasteup to find thebest arrangement of the elements in aheavily illustrated publication.

Font: A typestyle in a particular typeface andsize.

Kerning: Adjusting the spacing betweenspecific pairs of letters such as AV, AW.A Y.

Landscape: Text printed along the length ofthe page.

Leading: Space added between lines of typeto separate them from one another.

Line height: The distance from the baselineof one line to the baseline of the next.

Macros: Stored keystrokes that can beplayed to automate many repetitivecommands.

Pasteup: All elements arranged on the pagebefore printing.

Points: Units used to specify measurementsthat relate to type sizes and spacings. Apoint is equal to 1/72 of an inch.

Portrait: The orientation of a normaldocument. Text printed across the widthof a page.

Pull-quotes: Short extracts from the text setoff with rules or a box.

Sans serif: Character that does not containa small stroke or cross mark (a curve orsmall tail) at the edge.

Serif: Small strokes or cross marks thatfinish off the main strokes of a letter.

Sidebars: Sections of text related to but notincluded in the body of a document thatare set off by being enclosed in a box.

Thumbnails: Rough sketches used in thedesign process that show how text mightbe arranged on the page.

Tracking: Adjusting the space betweenletters and words. Tracking affects allcharacters.

Type size: The size of the printed characterfrom the top of the type's ascenders tothe bottom of the descenders.

Typeface: A type's particular design- -distinctive proportions and thicknesses oflines.

Typestyles: Varying style of a typefacebased on its case, slant, thickness, orwidth. Includes boldface, italics, andnormal.

White space: Empty space around or withinthe page.

X-height: The height of lowercase letters,not including their ascenders anddescenders.

Using WordPerfect's Desktop PublishingFeatures

WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows includes manydesktop publishing features which give documentsa professional appearance. The following is a listof some of the basic to advanced featuresavailable and the documents that can be created.

Hyphenation, flush right, and hard spacefeatures to enhance line endingsSpecial symbols and cursor advancementAbbreviations feature to insert commonlyused words, names. or phrasesTemplate documents, called ExpressDocs.to create business cards, certificates, signs,letters, memos, press releases, and manymore documents

Graphic images including eight differentgraphics boxesfigure, table, text, user,equation, button, watermark, and inlineequations

Horizontal and vertical linesDraw feature to create ona's own graphicsimages

Text Art feature to distort and modify text intoa variety of shapes

Newspaper and p3rallel columns to createnewsletters, agendas, and resumesTables feature to create columns and rowsof information that are surrounded byhorizontal and vertical lines andspreadsheetsCharts or graphs to present numeric data

Steps for Completing a Desktop PublishingDocument

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Creation Phase: Document is written andrewritten until everyone in the process issatisfied.

Production Phase: Document is preparedfor the printer. WordPerfect features areincorporated into the document includingvarious font sizes and styles, lines, charts,graphs. and other featuresManufacturing Phase: Usually a rough draftis printed so that proofreading can becompleted before final page layout is begunAfter proofreading, the text and illustrationscan be arranged on the screen When thepage layout is complete, a final copy may beprinted. This camera-ready copy can bedistribute as is, copied on a copy machine,

or sent to a pnnter if a higher-qualitypublication is required.

Printing and Binding Phase: For hundredsor thousands of copies of a document,offset printing and binding provided by acommercial printer is usually the leastexpensive way of publication.

Conclusion

WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows is an excellentchoice for performing desktop publishing. Thissoftware is easy to learn and is affordable.WordPerfect's many features allow businesses,industries, educational institutions, and individuals

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to produce documents from start to finish that areready to be copied and distributed. Some of thesedocuments include letterheads. business cards.forms, brochures, newsletters, proposals.manuals, reports, and announcements. Thepopularity of desktop publishing using WordPerfect6.0 may be attributed to the fact that it reduces thetime and money required to do a professional-looking job. However, desktop publishing requiresa proficient knowledge of WordPerfect's featuresand the principles involved in the publication ofdocuments.

lid

The Future is Now With Interactive TelevisionGinny Richerson

Murray State University

Many issues are confronting education today,and one of the most significant may be theincreased utilization of technology. Telecom-munications technology provides learning benefitswhich include individualization and elimination oftime and distance barriers. Interactive television(ITV) is one approach to distance learning thatdiffers from traditional instructional television dueto the capability of simultaneous audio and videocommunication. The ITV classroom allows thestudents and professors to hear, see, andcommunicate directly with each other, even whenthey are many miles apart.MSU Experiment

Two-way interactive television (ITV) permittedMurray State University to offer a course tomultiple sites simultaneously. ITV systemsrequired the use of fiber optics, coaxial cable,microwaves, or telephone lines to transmit audioand video signals to distant points. Thisexperiment used telephone lines to connect threeclassrooms. All three ITV classrooms wereequipped with a teacher station, two monitors forstudent viewing, a monitor for instructor viewing,three cameras, several low-profile microphones,and external speakers. The originating site's threecameras were positioned on the instructor, a workarea at the teacher station (in lieu of thechalkboard), and the students. The only camera inuse at the remote (distance) site was focused onthe students. The instructor was physically locatedat the originating site, and there was no proctor orfacilitator at the remote site. The instructor had anITV technician available in the event of systemfailures or need for adjustment in audio or videoquality. Also, the remote site had a proctor duringexaminations.ITV Challenges

ITV presented significant challenges to theinstructor as well as the students. For example,because there were no camera crews or televisionproducers at either site, the instructor hadcomplete responsibility for switching the camera.

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During lectures, the instructor selected the cameraso students at the remote site could see and hearthe presentations. The instructor also had theoption to select the secondary work area cameraUsually, this secondary camera was positioned ona small portion of the surface of the teacherstation. Therefore, a chalkboard and overheadprojector were not needed. The third option for theinstructor was to select the student camera whichpermitted students at the remote site to see, hear.and communicate with students at the originatingsite. The instructor selected cameras by using aremote control similar to the type one would usewith a television set.

Originating-site students had the choice toeither view the instructor in person or watch thelecture on a classroom monitor. This monitorprojected the same picture that was available tothe remote-site students. Surprisingly, despite thepresence of the instructor in the classroom, moststudents tended to focus their attention on themonitor. These students also were allowed to viewanother monitor which showed the students at theremote site. Students had access to a micro-phone so they could communicate with students atthe remote site without leaving their seats.

Clearly, the ITV classroom exposed students toa different learning environment that challengedtheir ability to adapt. Also, the ITV format requiredsome adjustments in teaching style. The instructorwas restricted from moving about the classroom,and boardwork had to be done on a sheet of paperat the teacher station. Early in the semester, bothinstructor and students were preoccupied at timeswith the technology. This became less evident asthe semester progressed.ITV Course

The course chosen for this study wasCommunication Skills for Managers. This coursewas an elective for students enrolled in the MBAprogram. The originating site was Murray StateUniversity (MSU). One remote site was 50 milesaway at a community college, and the otherremote site was 100 miles away at anothercommunity college. Tne instructor visited theremote sites one time during the semester and

had all three sections meet together at MSU once.All three sites met together at a central location forthe final examination.

Assessment of Effectiveness

The effects of an ITV delivery format on studentattitudes in a graduate level business com-munication class were examined. The influence ofstudent backgrounds and abilities were assessedto learn the effectiveness of the ITV deliveryformat. Through these efforts the possibility oftargeting ITV courses at certain specific studentpopulations and suggestions for making the ITVformat more effective were uncovered. Directionsin which future research efforts could furtherevaluate the ITV format were identified.

Student Assessment

The 'tudents stated a few advantages of ITV.They indicated that the teacher was veryenthusiastic and tried to involve all of the sites.Most of the students preferred this type class inlieu of driving to MSU for the class. They alsoindicated that they made friends and acquaint-ances, both locally and in other counties. Thestudents enjoyed the fact that there was a definitesavings in physical fatigue, time, and money forthe students in the remote sites.

There were some disadvantages such as somestudents found the IN format very distracting andimpersonal. They felt there was little opportunity tointeract with other students and that thecommunication environment was terrible. it wasdifficua to hear at times.

Institution Policy Adjustment Needed

It is of no coincidence that the emergence ofITV in higher education comes at a time of fiscalrestraint and growtt in nontraditional studentenrollment. IN is 3n opportunity to confront thechallenges of bucigetary constraints and decliningenrollments. However, there are several policyissues that institutions must address First, acommitment must exist to acquire and maintainthe best possible IN technology Continually

seeking to improve video and audio quality is likelyto enhance student and faculty acceptance of ITV.

Second. institutions must supply IN facultywith adequate training and resources necessaryfor effective course development and improve-ment. A simple orientation session for faculty isnot sufficient. As a result of feedback offered bybusiness instructors who used the IN format inthe early stages, a week-long training session isnow offered during the summer to prospective INinstructors. All MSU participants in the trainingsession prepare sample lectures. give the lecturesusing ITV, and are critiqued on IN deliveryParticipants found this workshop very helpful. Inaddition, summer grants were made available toIN faculty, and the faculty resource center washelpful in training as well as in the preparation ofinstructional materials.

Third, institutions should not concentrate onrequiring all faculty to teach via IN. Facultysupport and involvement is desirable, but theteaching should be assigned to those who desireto teach over ITV. The use of IN specialists willenhance student performance and attitudesrelative to IN. Fourth, institutions must be carefulnot to abandon IN efforts too early. An adequateimplementation period must be long enough toaccurately assess the effect of IN on studentlearning and attitudes. Finally, institutions mustoffer faculty a real incentive to participate. Facultyrelease time, substantial supplemental stipends,and the consideration of IN participation towardtenure and promotion are necessary to encouragefaculty enthusiasm and support for ITV.Conclusion

IN may be one approach to eliminate time anddistance barriers to education. Further, ITV canassist educational institutions in providing learningopportunities in an era with continued emphasis onfiscal accountability. However, for IN to bejudged as an effective tool, IN must have aproven track record that it is effective whencompared to a traditional classroom settingMurray State University is an example illustratingthe future is now with IN!

67 "'/5

Business Ethics Using A Teaching ModelTerry D. Roach

Arkansas State UniversityJonesboro

This thing called ethics has certainly beengetting a lot of publicity during the last few years.Just from the television news, many teachers arelearning the lessons of ethics and particularlybusiness ethics. Thus, one must pause and think,Am I teaching business ethics in my classroom?Am I teaching my ethics? Or, am I teachingsomeone else's ethics? Probably most teachersbelieve that they are teaching ethics when theyteach good work skills, honesty in customerservices, efficient use of supplies and telephone,and confidentiality. And, they probably are.However, do teachers actually teach a lesson onethics?

This article presents some examples of modernethical dilemmas, offers some explanations forethics, and suggests a teaching model for teachingethics. These areas seem to be the most neededpoints for a successful lesson plan in teachingethics.

Ethical Dilemmas

When students watch television today (andspecifically the news), they hear and see men andwomen being arrested or charged with illegal actsor crimes. Several seem to be centered aroundbusiness situations involving business profession-als who are charged with major responsibilities.While this paper does not address the need forheros in United States businesses, this paper doesaddress the point that several leading business-men have been charged and convicted with illegalacts. Do the following names sound familiar(Smelter and Leonard, 1994): Ivan Boesky,insider trading laws; Michael Milken, junk bonds;Charles Keating, misrepresented invest-ments;and most recently Sonny Block, coins investments--currently under suspicion.

Other names that have made the news areBeechnut Baby Food Products, little to no applejuice in the apple juice; Lyle Alzado, steriod use;and Karen Silkwood, accusations against Kerr-McGhee oil refinery (Marshall, 1975). Perhapswhen current events topics were discussed in

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class, teachers had to address these issues andmany more. The problem encountered withteaching or addressing ethics is to decide whatapproach is the best approach. Recently during adiscussion on ethics, a professor asked. Who'sethics are we going to apply? There is. in fact. noethics. This statement is alarming considering thatseveral people may be interpreting ethics as beingwhat is right or just at this moment in time.Ethics Defined (Maybe)

When people begin to think about a possibledefinition of ethics, they typically begin to think ofsituations that involve right or wrong decisions.Thus ethics does have its basis of understandingin right or wrong behaviors. To better understandthis right-wrong concept, several suggestions fordefinitions will be discussed.

Utilitarian

The basic understanding of utilitarian ethics isthe greatest good for the greatest numbe- ofpeople (Himstreet, Baty, Lehman, 1993). This cancause individuals some discomfort as individualswant to have their needs met even at the expenseof others. However, if people are taught that theworld will/could be a better place if all people werestriving to make it better by caring for each other,then this utilitarian approach to ethics wouldicouldwork.

Theory of Duties

According to Ross (1930), the theory of duties,also called pluralism (Rasberry and Lindsay, 1994)includes: not harming innocent people, keepingpromises, showing gratitude, acting in a just way,and providing reparations to those who have beenharmed by another's actions. If people were tofollow this theory of duties, the world would be oneof almost complete harmony. Consequently, aharmonious world is what in needed to have acompletely ethical society.

Quaker

"In all your dealings, leave other people at leastas well off as you found them "

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Golden Rule

"Do unto others as you would have them dounto you."

A Teaching ModelThe Pagano Model

Mathison (1988) suggested the following stepsfound in the Pagano Model be given seriousconsideration in determining if an act or issue isethical:

Is the act/issue legalfrom its concept?What are the benefits and costs to thepeople involved?

Would you want this act to be a universalstandard. appropriate for everyone?

Reference

Does the act pass the light-of-day test") [Ifyour actions were recorded and shown ontelevision, would you be proud ?]

Does the act pass the Golden Rule test?Does the act pass the ventilation test?[Ask for the ethical opinion of a wise.disinterested friend.]

Summary

Teachers are most certainly involved in theteaching of ethics to their business students Thisarticle discusses in its simplest form what ethics isand tht. importance of teaching ethics. Althoughseveral approaches could be used to teach ethics.teachers should select the best methods andutilize them in effective teaching of ethics.

Hilton, T. S. E. (Summer, 1989). A framework for teaching computer ethics. INSTRUCTIONALSTRATEGIES AN APPLIED RESEARCH SERIES. Little Rock: Delta Pi Epsilon, 1-4.

Himstreet, W. C., Baty, W. M., & Lehman, C. M.. (1993). BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS. WadsworthPublishing Company, 174.

Marshall, E. (1975). Plutonium scandal: The Karen Silkwood Case. THE NEW REPUBLIC, 8-9.Mathison, D. L. (1988). Business ethics cases and decision models: A call for relevancy in the

classroom. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS, 10(7), 781.Rasberry, R. W. & Lindsay, L. L. (1994). EFFECTIVE MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION, (2nd ed.).

Wadsworth Publishing Company, 605.

Ross, W. D. (1930). THE RIGHT AND THE GOOD. Oxford, England: Hackett Publishing.Smeltzer, L. R. & Leonard, D. J. (1994). MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION. Irwin Publishing Company,21.

Experiencing Business and Academic Integration Through a Case StudyApproach

B. June SchmidtCurtis R. Finch

National Center for Research in Vocational EducationVirginia Tech

Susan L. Faulkner

National Center for Research in Vocational EducationUniversity of California at Berkeley

Case studies based on recent researchcompleted for the National Center for Research inVocational Education on TEACHERS' ROLES INTHE INTEGRATION OF VOCATIONAL ANDACADEMIC EDUCATION (Schmidt, Finch, &Faulkner, 1992) can help in developing effectivestrategies for achieving integration of business andacademic skills. For the research, interviews werecompleted with teachers, guidance counselors, andadministrators at ten school sites nominated asexemplary for their integration efforts. Theinterviewees provided information about specificevents teachers experienced as they successfullyimplemented the integration. The behavioral eventinterviews conducted with 109 individuals at the tensites, located across the United States, provideddetails. about what the teachers did to achieve theintegration, and how they felt about the integration.

The series of 46 case studies (Schmidt, Finch,Faulkner, & Kandies, in press) is designed to helpteachers assume roles needed to facilitate theintegration. The case studies can be used withpracticing and prospective teachers to help bridgethe gap between learning the concepts underlyingthe integration of vocational and academic educationand actually implementing it. Use of case studies asa learning tool reveals that individuals using themenjoy the cases and, in the process, developproblem-solving and decision-making skills. Throughthe cases, users can search for . examples ofsuccessful integration strategies demonstrated by thebehaviors of key players in the integration process,and inversely, the absence of effective strategies.The cases provide a non-threatening environment fordiscussing concerns educators involved in, andabout to undertake the integration, might have.

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Further, the case studies can seTve as an excellenttool for team building among teachers, guidancecounselors, and administrators.

The cases are organized into four functionalthemes that emerged from qualitative analysis offirst-person summaries from the 109 interviews. Thefour themes, which the interviewees detailed throughtheir own experiences in implementing theintegration, are (a) cooperative efforts, (b) curriculumstrategies, (c) instructional strategies. and (d)administrative practices and procedures The firstthree themes represent stages of developmentteachers experience as they implement theintegration. The administrative practices and proce-dures theme provides examples of administrativeactions that impact the teacher efforts both positivelyand negatively. Brief descriptions of the three stagesof teacher development follow along with a synopsisof a case developed for each stage.Stage 1

This stage includes cooperative efforts involvingthe teachers knowing or learning about one anotheras a basis for mutual support; helping each other bysharing information about students and instruction;and coordinating details of planning and instruction.Don't Step on My Toes

The principal's annJuncement that academic andvocational teachers would form teams to aligncurriculum so student communication skills would beimproved invoked a variety of comments from thefaculty. An English teacher was heard saying, "Thisis not working, the vocational teachers don't see anyneed to change; and I don't either One vocationalteacher noted that each group was thinking, "You are

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not going to step on my toes; you are not going tostart changing what is in my territory."Stage 2

This stage includes curriculum strategy effortsinvolving teachers meeting to plan initial projects andactivities; changing from past procedures as requiredto meet their new plans; and working together todesign aligned, enhanced curlicultim.

The Business of Learning

A Marketing teacher, an English teacher, and aBiology teacher teamed together to form a businessacademy aimed at helping at-risk students gainconfidence. The teachers decided that the studentswould form their own business enterprise for thepurpose of developing and marketing a product. Alocal oil company agreed to support the project, withthe students deciding the product woulri be motor oil.The students designed a bottle and accompanyinglabel, and they wrote a commercial and rap songrelated to the product. They sold 180 cases of theoil, realizing enough profit to start another businessnext year. The Marketing teacher noted that as anoutcome of the project the students exhibited arenewed excitement that is very refreshing.Stage 3

This stage includes instructional strategy effortswhere teachers initiate integrated instruction andemphasize learning through application; teachcooperatively through joint assignments, alignedinstructional units, and team teaching; and useresources from the community to enhance theiraligned instruction.

But, It Takes Time

The principal decided to implement the integrationof vocational and academic education by firstinvolving the Business, Mathematics, and Englishteachers. The principal sent them a memo inkingthat the Business teachers plan, execute, andsummarize it least one activity per monthcoordinated between their classes and aMathematics or English teacher's class. One of theBusiness teachers decided to plan integratedactivities with English thinking it would be a naturalblending of subject matter The teacher experienced

a number of frustrations in trying to ascertain whenthe English teacher was going to teach certainthings. Further, she found she bac' to teach ways ofdoing things the way the English teacher preferredFurther, she had to adjust the schedule of her classto coordinate what she was teaching with the Englishteacher.

Conclusions

By field-testing the case studies in a variety ofworkshop and classroom settings with both practicingand prospective educators, insight was gained intohow the cases may be used most effectively. Morethan dozen different instructors and more than fourhundred participants used the cases From theirinput, suggestions are provided for understandingpurposes the cases can serve, selecting appropriatecases, and managing the instructional setting in thecase study publication, PREPARING TEACHERSTO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE VOCATIONALAND ACADEMIC EDUCATION: A CASE STUDYAPPROACH (Schmidt, Finch, Faulkner. & Kandies.in press). The publication also contains a Chart ofCases which includes the title, .ype of school setting.teaching areas, and a brief description for each case.The chart is particularly useful in gaining an overviewof the cases and in selecting cases that relate toparticular needs. Procedures followed in developingand field-testing the case studies are reported in thepublication CREATING RESEARCH-BASED CASESTUDIES TO ASSIST TEACHERS WITHACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONINTEGRATION (Finch, Schmidt, Moore, & Perry, inpress).

The basic guideline for use of the cases is thatthey be employed to enhance arid improveeducational practice. Through discussion of situ-ations confronted in the cases, the process ofimplementing the integration can be accelerated.Communication between and among educators inschool settings where integration efforts are under-way is essential. The first-hand experiencesrelated in the cases provide a springb3ard for opencommunication and collaboration amongeducators in these settings.

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7 9

References

Finch. C. R., Schmidt, B. J., Moore, M., & Perry, J. (In press). Creating research-based case studiesto assist teachers with academic and vocational education integration (MDS-XXX). Berkeley.National Center for Research in Vocational Education. University of California at Berkeley.Schmidt, B. J., Finch, C. R., Faulkner, S. L., & Kandies, J. (In press). Preparing teachers tosuccessfully integrate vocational and academic education: A case study approach (MDS-780). Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, University of California atBerkeley.

Schmidt, B. J., Finch, C. R., Faulkner, S. L. (1992). Teachers' roles in the integration of vocationaland academic education (MDS-275). Berkeley: National Center for Research in VocationalEducation, University of California at Berkeley.

Does Color Really Work in Increasing Interest in Business and Marketing?Jolene D. Scriven

Northern Illinois University

Robert Mitchell

University of ArkansasI ittle Rock

F. Stanford Wayne

Grandview, Ohio

The 1990s have experienced a surge ofinterest in Multimedia and its potential to increaseworker performance and organizational effective-ness. Color graphics interface is a majorcomponent of today's Multimedia systems.Vendors are placing increased pressure onmanagers of marketing and managers ofinformation systems to use color printing andcopying. Although positive claims are voicedconcerning the value of color grapi :ss, littleresearch exists to verify the impact of colorgraphics on how a reader processes, interprets,and remembers information. Nor have the costs ofusing such technology been examined. A needexists to determine if incorporating color inhardcopy documentation is worth the cost. Qualitycolor printers often cost in excess of $4,000, andproducing multiple copies on a color copier is alsoexpensive.

Although the effects of color have beer. widelystudied from a variety of perspectives, much of theresearch has resulted in inconclusive and oftenconflicting findings. Little doubt remains that coloraffects people, both psychologically andphysiologically. Much of the early research focusedon determining the effects of color whenassociated with such variables as anxiety,happiness, excitement, and other relatedattributes.

In the examination of color used withinbusiness documents, other studies have reportedthat the addition of color to pie charts and bargraphs improved the reading time performance(Hoadley, 1990). McGraw-Hill Publishing Companyfound that the addition of color to a memorandumincreased readership greatly. Maguire (1991)

discovered that color can increase retention andraise a reader's tendency to act on the information.Marketing studies have also found that newspaperreaders prefer the use of color in newspapers, andthe use of color advertisements increased readingof the copy in the advertisement by 80 percent(Green, 1984).

However, some research disputes theseclaims. For example, Katzman and Nyenhuis(1972) did not find that color enhances thecomprehension of graphs, and Tullis (1981) did notfind that color necessarily increased taskperformance. Other researchers have found littleor no correlation between learning and the use ofcolor. Gremillion and Jenkins (1981) summarizedtheir research with the suggestion that even whencolor is found to be useful, usually little operationalsignificance is a result.Problem and Purpose

The problem of this study was to analyze fourinformation presentation methods--text, tabular,black-and-white graphics, and color graphics--andthe variables of reader retention, reaction, andreading time. Findings concerning these threevariables could influence organizational pro-ductivity and effectiveness. Also, the use of thesevariables allows the comparison of findings fromthis research with findings from other studies. Thepurpose of this study was to analyze therelationship between method of presentation ofstatistical data and level of reader retention, levelof reader reaction, and reading time whenanalyzed by gender, academic major, andstudent-reported grade-point average (GPA).

A report of six pages was written on the topic ofcurrent trends in employment. Version I of thereport was totally narrative; version 2, narrative

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with tables; version 3, narrative with black-and-white graphics; and version 4, narrative with colorgraphics. The report content for each version wasthe same except for the method of presenting thestatistical information.

Population and Research Design

The population consisted of business studentsfrom three midwestem regional universitiesaccredited by AACSB. A total of 746 studentsenrolled in a course required of all business majorswas randomly selected to receive one of the fourreports. The students were asked to read thereport, record their reading time, and answer 25questions recalling content from the report theywere given. Their retention score was the numberof correctly answered questions. In addition, thestudents were asked to indicate their reaction tothe report by checking a Likert-type scale (1-7range) concerning 10 pairs of opposite words:efficient, inefficient; unclear, clear; straightforward,cluttered; unappealing, appealing; uninformative,informative; logical, illogical; good, bad; organized,unorganized; concise, wordy; and worthless,useful. The reaction score totaled a possible 70points.

The experimental/control group with random-ization design described by Kerlinger (1973) wasfollowed. The design has one independent variablethat was manipulated, which is the method ofpresentationnarrative only, narrative with tables,narrative with graphics not incorporating color, andnarrative with graphics that incorporates color. Thedependent variables tested were reader retention,reader reaction, and reading time.

The following hypothesis was tested: nosignificant relationship exists between method ofpresentation of statistical data and level of readerretention, level of reader reaction, or reading timewhen analyzed by gender, academic major, andGPA. Statistical analyses were conducted usinganalysis of variance methods: when required, posthoc comparisons were conducted using the

Scheffe test. A .05 level of significance was usedin all tests.

Selected Findings of the Study

Males reading the color graphics presentationretained more information than did femalesreading the same document.The narrative with color graphics reportachieved the significantly highest reactionrating.

A significant interaction existed betweenmethod of presentation and grade-pointaverage for version 2, narrative with tablesThose students with a GPA of 2.0-2.9 (on a 4-point scale) reported a significantly higherreaction rating than did those with a GPA of3.0-4.0.

The mean reading time was significantlygreater for reports written in narrative only thanfor the other report versions. The meanreading time of those reading the reportincorporating color graphics was notsignificantly different from the mean readingtime of those reading the report with black-andwhite graphics.

Conclusions and Implications

The findings of this research study confirm thatin today's technological environment, color doesincrease a reader's psychological reaction to adocument. However, as found in previous studiescolor presentation does not necessarily improveretention and reading time.

When customer reaction is not a majorconcern, managers should question the value ofinvesting in color resources to produce colorhardcopy documents. However, the positivereaction toward the use of color that emanatesmay be of significant value when working withexternal publics. In all likelihood, as the cost ofcolor equipment continues to decrease, this optionwill undoubtedly become more cost effective andpopular.

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2

An Outsider on the inside: A Candid View of the U.S. Department ofEducationKaren Kuhia Seibel

University of Virginia

The U. S. Department of EducationAmericanshear of it, Americans support it with tax dollars, andAmericans are affected by it. The questions become,who are the people making these importantdecisions, what really occurs behind their doorS, andwhat services do they provide to teachers andstudents? During the summer of 1994, some ofthose questions were answered. As an academicintern in the Office of the Secretary of Education andworking for the Special Advisor on TeachingI wasan outsider on the inside.

During my four years as a Business andComputer teacher for a public school sy*tem, limitedexposure to the U. S. Department of Education wasavailable. This exposure involved directives tocomplete and submit paperwork at the end of everysemester to the vocational director. Theserequirements filtered down from the federal level,through the state, and to the local educationassociation. Other than this, nothing was heard aboutthe feds. My experiences proved, however, thatthere is more to the Department than paperwork.There are real people at the Depart-ment ofEducation who care about teachers and students andwho offer numerous, varied resources to teachersand students as they pursue their educational goals.

Working at the Department of Education withTerry Dozier, Special Advisor on Teaching, was anexciting and enlightening experience as well as aunique opportunity. Secretary Riley appointed TerryDozier, the 1985 National Teacher of the Year, towork on his immediate staff as his Special Advisor onTeaching. This position is a first of its kind in thehistory of the Department of Education. In her role.Terry provides a classroom teacher's perspective onthe development of policies, programs, andlegislation. She serves as a reality check. Terry hasalso implemented several programs to reachteachers in the field, listen to what they have to say,and share their insights and experiences as theDepartment formulates its policies and supportservices.

While I was at the Department, I was exposed toa wealth of information, much of which is available

free to the public: attended Department-sponsoredevents; and participated in several policy-development activities. Highlights of this internshipinclude:

Opportunities available for academic intern-ships, teachers-in-residence, principals in-residence, and summer employment

Development of and proceedings from twoTeacher Forums: (a) Presidential Scholar'sTeachers on professional development, and(b) National Geographic Society InstructionalLeadership Institute Teachers on thedevelopment of national standards

Teacher Shadowing Program

Satellite Town Meetings hosted by theSecretary and Deputy Secretary

Newly-developed professional develop-mentcriteria

On-line discussion group for teachers

Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1993

School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1993The Depar'tment's role in the re-authorizationof the Individual's with Disabilities EducationAct and the Elementary and SecondaryEducation Act

Resources (free and nominal fees) availableto teachers, including A Teachers Guide tothe Department of Education, A Teacher'sGuide to Grants in the FederalGovernment, and Community Update, theU. S. Department of Education newsletter

Working as an academic intern enabled me togain substantive knowledge regarding the peopleand practices at the U. S. Department of Education.The intention in sharing these expen-ences is toprovide teachers with a window into the Departmentof Education This information will give teachersadded insight into the Department and additionalresources :co utilize as they prepare our nation'sstudents.

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Does the Business Education Curriculum Need Disinfecting?Charlene W. Sox

Appalachian State University

Computers touch every aspect of our lives! Just asAmerican communities are threatened with drugs andviolent crimes, this nation's computer networks arethreatened by computer viruses. This is equally true in theBusiness Education curriculum. Before the advent of thecomputer age, the word virus was thought of as a diseasethat infected the human body. With the computer gainingimmense popularity in the last thirty-Ous years, the termvirus now has a new application. Just like a virus infects thehuman body, it also infects computers.

A computer virus is a reproducing block of code that isspread by transferring executable files from a floppy disk,from a network, or by downloading an executable filethrough a modem. A virus enters a healthy computer, and itcan destroy data files, stored programs, and even computercomponents. Mainframes, minicomputers, and personalcomputers are all susceptible to viruses.

Computer viruses may be classified into three classes:boot infectors, system infections, and generic applicationinfectors. Boot infectors attach themselves to either the diskbootstrap sector or the partition bootstrap sector andchange the substance of the sector by substituting thefraudulent contents for correct data. The correct data in thebooting process is usually placed at another location on thedisk which permits the fraudulent version to be executedfirst. Viruses that have infected the boot track gain controlwhen the system is first activated and remain in control at alltimes thereafter. System infectors and generic applicationinfectors are usually parasitic viruses which change themakeup of .EXE files and/or .COM files. System infectorsenter the computer usually in a carrier or Trojan horseprogram either (1) when an infected disk is placed into thecomputer or (2) when a program is downloaded via amodem from a bulletin board. They can infect commandinterpreters, :system input/output (I/O) routines, or special-purpose drivers for attached hardware. When systemdiskettes are inserted into one of the floppy drives. the virusreplicates onto the system files.

Generic application infectors can infect any applicationprogram. They gain control when an infected application isexecuted and then scan the system loc'eng for addrbonalhosts on hard disks or

floppies. When found, they attach to the new hosts. Theseviruses may leave the majority of the infected program alone

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while attaching itself at the beginning or end of the file.thereby changing the file size. Others insert themselvesinternally in the executablehost program's dead space. Theprogram functions normally remain unchanged. but the startup instructions in the program are altered After the virusscans and infects, it passes control back to the applicationprogram.

Viruses may remain dormant for any penod or timeThey may be triggered or activated by any number of eventssuch as the occuning of a specific date like Friday the 13th.the evoking of a particularcommand, or the beginning of thebooting process. Warning signs of infection includeprogram loads taking longer than normal, unusual prompt orerror messages occurring frequently, less system memoryavailable than usual, and changes in the size of files.Reducing the risk of infection can be divided into two majorareas: antiviral software programs and safe user practices.

Currently there are many more software programs toprotect against virus attack than there are known viruses.Antiviral programs detect, identify, and remove intruders.Typical antiviral programs will scan RAM and hard andfloppy disks for infections. These programs can identify thevirus infecting the system and tell whether the virus residesin memory, the boot sector, the partition table, or a file.Once the virus is identified, the infected virus program codecan be deleted from the infected file or disk sector.

Another significant way to reduce the nsk of viralinfection is by developing a program of safe userpractices. Practicing the following suggestions candecrease the risks of being infected by a virus:

Avoid using programs with an unknown onginUse only shnnk-wrapped

software packages andcheck all software for viruses before using it.Make regular antiviral checks of all files andprograms.

Backup hard disks and store the backup in a safeplace.

Make backup copies of all program and data filesBeware of programs downloaded from bulletinboards.

Viruses can be very destructive. Early detection canhelp, but recovering from a -virus infection is more difficultthan initially preventing the infection. Antiviral programs andpreventive measures must be used in the businesseducatoo program to help prevent viral infection anddamage.

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Marketing Management: Course Development and ImplementationAllen D. True II

William T. Price, Jr.

Virginia Tech

Marketing has become one of the fastest growingindustries in the United States. According to theAmerican Marketing Association, marketing is theprocess of planning and executing the conception,pricing, promotion, and distribution of Leas, goods,and services to create exchanges that satisfyindividual and organizational objectives. Examplesof marketing activities studied include marketingresearch, consumer behavior, applied mathematics,and product creation. development, and positioning.

Marketing is one of the most sought after majorsin business management. At the mid-managementand entry levels, labor market data show thousandsof marketing related jobs in finance and banking,tourism, business services, supervision, and retailing.Marketing concepts are not only used in the businessarena but also to market a broad range of ideas andsocial causes. Examples of these ideas and socialcauses that have been marketed include family lifecampaigns, campaigns promoting the use of seatbelts, anti-drug campaigns, smoke-out campaigns,campaigns promoting the prevention of teenagepregnancy, and anti-drinking and driving campaigns.

Because marketing has become a high priority inboth business and social arenas and becausemarketing is a large occupational category, theprovision of marketing instruction at the high schoollevel requires greater emphasis. Providing MarketingEducation at the secondary level should meet theneeds and interests of all students. Recent studiesindicate a need at the high school level for amarketing course that is more challenging andrigorous than traditional marketing courses and onethat integrates academic and vocational instructionwith an emphasis on academics, presents infor-mation at the analytical and critical thinking levels oflearning, is useful in college preparation, and doesnot require on-the-job training.

Based on these needs and interests. the courseentitled Marketing Management was developed. This

course is designed for high school seniors who planto attend college with a concentration in marketing.business administration, management, and/or whohave tentative plans to manage or own a businessThe course is also intended for students who plan toenter careers that require a foundation in marketingsuch as architecture, engineering, law, and medicine.Marketing Management provides these students withthe marketing theory that will serve as a foundationfor future study and/or owning or managing abusiness.

In order to meet the needs of the target audienceand to successfully implement a MarketingManagement course, four recommendations forimplementation were developed by a team ofexperienced Marketing Management educators.Recommendations for implementatiort consists offour facets: (1) 17 quality control factors, (2) 10steps for starting a new course, (3) 11 recommendedpromotional strategies, and (4) 13 instructionalprocesses. The items included in each of these fourfacets of implementation were developed andprioritized by this team of experienced MarketingManagement educators.

In addition to identifying four recommendationsfor implementation, this team of experiencedMarketing Management educators also prepared arecommended curriculum framework. Included inthis recommended curriculum framework is thefollowing: (1) topical outline, (2) recommendedteaching sequence and time allotment, and (3)content /dl ity areae

Marketing is one of the most wide spread andfastest growing occupations in the United StatesKnowledge of marketing concepts is important inboth the business and the social arenas. To assistteachers who are planning to establish a MarketingManagement course within their schools, a team ofexperienced marketing management educators wasassembled to develop the manual entitled: MarketingManagement: A Curriculum and Course Imple-mentation Guide.

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85

The Virtual CurriculumDaniel E. Vogler

Instructional Performance Systems Incorporated

Thomas C. Leitzel

Central Piedmont Community College

Introduction

The word virtual in modern discourse is mostlyassociated with Virtual Reality, the electronic con-struction of images that are indistinguishable fromthe nominal realities they purport to represent(Sorkin, 1992). In a variety of forms, virtual ismentioned in conjunction with technology,coopora-tion, workplace, teams, employees,classroom, library, community, city, and perhapsdozens of other uses or applications.

The Virtual Curriculum (VC) is based on abusiness model called the Virtual Corporation. Ifeducational enterprises are to provide workforcepreparation and training to create a world-classworkforce, they need a response in concert withthe culture of current industry trends anddiscourse. VC is not new; it purports the benefitsof the Total Quality Management (TOM)movement in education. TOM principles surroundeducational operations and align them with themodern corporate culture. Similarly, VC provides amodel on which to pattern and guide coursedevelopment efforts to ensure responsiveness.

The VC is a model or pattern. It is offered as asystematic concept on which to foster betterworkforce-training relations with an emphasis oncustomer service. This paper examines: (a) VCas a virtual product of the educational enterprise,(b) Instructional Performance Systems Inc. (IPSI)software as a model that facilitates the virtualproduct, and (c) the practical advantages for usingvirtual technology with an implicit action plan.Curriculum Content As A Virtual Product

The output of a development process intendedfor student use is the curriculum (Schiro, 1978).The curriculum is education's product. Whether ornot it is a virtual product or has the capacity to bevirtual depends on the commitment of theinstitution to make it virtual. The curriculum, withthe right tools, is indeed capable of becomingvirtual. In fact, every educational enterprise can

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position itself to have a virtual curriculum thatconforms to Davidow and Malone's (1992)definition of virtual.

Davidow and Malone (1992) posit that buildinga virtual product requires an organization to reviseitself, employ more sophisticated types of infor-mation, and master new organizational andproduction skills. The company that emerges willhave little in common with what previously existed.According to Davidow and Malone (1992, p. 5).The closer a corporation gets to cost-effective,instantaneous production of mass-customizedgoods and services, the more competitive andsuccessful it will be. If you substitute the wordeducation in the above paragraph, you will see thatthe model used in business is no different than onethat is capable of reforming or reengineenngeducation.

Creating the Virtual Curriculum: PerformanceInstruction

The conceptual model undergirding VC isVogler's (1991) Performance Instruction (PI). P1 isthe planning delivery, and evaluation of learningand teaching. It is based upon the VoglerCurriculum-Pedagogy-Assessment (C-P-A) model(Vogler, 1991). The model is the foundation of theexpert system for the three integrated softwarepackages. The functions of the expert system areliterature-based, approved practices that havebeen harnessed by the modern technology of acomputer. The model works without the software;however, the software guides, monitors andaggregates user decisions. IPSI software is thekey to making the curriculum virtual.

The virtuality of the model is its ability to isolate,identify.and merge portions of existing content toform a new course specially created for the client.Specific decisions, such as identifying cor,!ant tobe taught, determining how it will be taught, when itwill be taught. and how it will be evaluated, aremade and documented with the assistance of thesoftware. The system is dynamic by providing the

..1.111M

infrastructure to develop functional output: a sylla-bus, a lesson plan, or an exam. On the other hand.the expert system is passive by providing a prescrip-tive manuscript that can be accessed by the user.The software flexibility is enhanced by allowing theuser to override default-based decisions.

The curriculum development or planning phase ofPI requires that what is to be learned and taught in acourse be communicated in advance. The output ofplanning is a course syllabus with eight distinctelements including a header, course description.course focus, course content goals, student con-tributions, evaluation, schedule and performanceobjectives. This output is essential to the virtualcurriculum, as it is the document that is shared withbusiness and industry executives.

Practical Implications

The technology and precedents today exist towarrant adoption of the VC concept. IPSI at 938Prairie Center Drive. Suite 130, Eden Prairie, MN,55344, (703) 867-1927, has crafted a software suitethat facilitates bottom-up development of syllabi,lessons and modules, and exam item pools essentialfor a virtual curriculum. Once developed, the VCcomponents can be easily revised and aggregatedfor instant retrieval. The software operates on anetwork configuration or in the PC environment withApple, IBM or compatible hardware systems.

IPSI trainers and instructors provide professionaldevelopment experiences that permit users tobecome immediately productive. An interactivebulletin board facilitates quick technical responseand develbpment among user groups. Upgrades areprovided free of charge for one year. Eachdeveloped course can serve as a database.Additionally, a query system is also available thatchecks the database for consistency with the expertsystem, aggregates input, compares databaseelements, searches for uniqueness and common-alities, and prepares virtual curriculum reports.

The software and training are most oftenpurchased as a package through a site license. TheReferences

license fee is calculated using the number of full-timefaculty members. The unit pnce decreases as thenumber of users increases. Discounts are providedto encourage purchasing all three pieces. Part-timefaculty are granted free access if the institutionpurchases a license for all full-time faculty membersThe cost analysis reveals that this is far less thansending a faculty member to a conference or payingfor a graduate course. Lastly, the investment in thesoftware will usually be recouped in clerical savingswithin two years.

The IPSI suite is currently used in several statesincluding Minnesota. Michigan. New Jersey. Illinois.Hawaii, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio.Alabama, and Texas. Community colleges. K-12schools, and business and industrial trainers areamong current users. More than 50 institutions havefull site licenses that encompass more than 10.000individual users, thus making virtual curriculumsharing an instant and efficient feature.Summary

The link between occupational training and theskills needed in business is entering a newdimension of human resource development.Aggressive innovations and new ways of delivering aservice represent a vital component in the wayeducation operates (Leitzel, 1991). It is indisputablethat educational enterprises will play increasinglyimportant roles in workforce development. Internally,instructional partnerships between credit and credit-free instruction are critical.

The benefits of the VC were presented as amodel for maintaining the respect of industry andcontributing to economic prosperity throughdeveloping a quality workforce. The advantages ofVC include: (a) industry executives and faculty asdesign teams, (b) an instantly created product(course syllabus) based on client needs, (c) reducedstaff time in course development, (d) mutualdependency on subject matter exchange. and (e)improved college - industry relations.

Davidow, W. H., & Malone, M. S. (1992). The virtual corporation: Structuring and revitalizing thecorporation for the 21st century New York: Harper Collins.

Leitzel, T. C. (1991). A plan to restructure occupational education to meet workforce demands.JOURNAL OF STUDIES IN TECHNICAL CAREERS. 8. 167-180.

Schiro, M. (1978). Curriculum for better schools: The great ideological debate. Englewood Cliffs, NJEducational Technology Publications

Vogler. D. E. (1991). Performance instruction: Planning, delivering, evaluating. Eden Prairie. MN:Instructional Performance Systems.

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TAP Into Your Future! The Technology Adventures Program at EastCarolina UniversityKen Volk

Lilla Holsey

East Carolina University

Even though the under representation offemales in technical fields has been welldocumented and some activities have beendeveloped to address this issue, actualemployment of females in these professionalareas remains extremely low. The immediatefuture for females preparing to enter technicaloccupations is also not encouraging. For instance,at East Carolina University (ECU), only sevenpercent of the students enrolling in the industrialtechnology program are female. Likewise, teacherrole models in programs such as TechnologyEducation which would naturally encourageoccupational choices for females are negligible.

Female representation in technical fields canbe increased if activities and programs aredesigned to target promising young femalestudents for careers in these areas. TheTechnology Adventures Program (TAP) at ECU isstructured to provide hands-on experiences in awide variety of technological areas, expand careerawareness, and introduce participants to mentorscurrently employed in technical positions. Inessence, the TAP is designed to TAP females forfuture entry into technical fields.

Through a grant received from the NCDepartment of Public instruction (DPI), the firstTAP institute was held at ECU during July 19-29.1994. This two-week residential institute accom-modated 34 female high school students planningto enroll in a technical vocational program orpursue further technical studies.Program Objectives

The following were the objectives of the TAPprogram:

Expose the participants to broad range oftechnology concepts through hands-onactivities.

Integrate science, math and academicskills.

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Provide career information on non-traditional technical occupations.Cceate an awareness of sex bias andstereotyping that may prevent femalesfrom entering technical occupations.Provide mentorship and support networkto facilitate career decision making.Increase enrollment in secondary andpostsecondary vocational/technical pro-grams.

The Participants

The SDP! mailed promotional literature in theSpring of 1994 to local vocational directors. Thematerial described the institute and includednomination and application material. From thisprocess, several hundred applications weresubmitted. The participants were selected throughcriteria developed by the State Department ofPublic Instruction. With a similar program beingoffered at NC A&T in Greensboro, a selectionteam representing both institutes and DPI met toreview the applications. The top candidates werethen invited to attend the institutes.The Program

During the two-week TAP institute, theparticipants attended various hands-on technologydtscovery modules, with each topic lastingapproximately two hours. The participants weredivided into four families to rotate through theactivities during the institute. Through the guidanceand instruction of professors from various ECUdepartments, the following modules were offered:

Presentation SoftwareDesktop PublishingInternet

RoboticsSafety & Health

PhotographyElectronics

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Computer-Aided Drafting

Construction ManagementLasers

Fluid Power

Inventions & Creativity

Aerospace TechnologySupporting concepts such as career

orientation, critical thinking, and personal develop-ment were integrated into the participants'experience through evening discussion sessions.Invited guests from ECU and industry led thesesessions. One asterisk of this program feature wasa banquet held one evening during the final week.This semi-formal affair had, as invited guests, over20 professional females representing a variety ofcareers. During and immediately following thebanquet, relaxed networking was encouraged.This session was well received by the studentsand invited guests, so much so that local televisioncovered the event as well as the next day'stechnology activities.

The TAP institute also provided several days offield trips for the direct observation of technicalapplications. Tours included the mining operationsat Texas Gulf, the assembly of trucks at the FordMotor Company and the Nautilus MaritimeMuseum in Norfolk, VA. The ECU Medical Schoolalso offered another full-day of related experi-ences. The institute was also fortunate to have afull-day tour at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.This visit included a special lecture by Lt. JeannieFlynn, the first female combat pilot. The close-upinspection of facilities and boarding of a jet werealso exciting.

To assist with program management anddour seling, five students (3 females, 2 males)from the Department of Business, Vocational &Technical Education served as residentcounselors. Each counselor was responsible forsupervising their family, coordinating group activi-ties, and serving as a contact person. With many

of the participants being away from home for thevery first time, the counselors proved to beinvaluable for the smooth operation and cama-raderie developed during the two-week instituteProgram Follow-Up

A program evaluation was conducted after theinstitute was complete. A survey was sent to theparticipants, asking them to rate the modules.instructors. tours, evening activities. counselors.and directors. They were also requested tocomment on their career plans and whether theTAP program made a difference in their choicesFi om the survey results, the program was judgedto be an overwhelming success. Favorablecomments were made regarding all facets of theprogram. As far as career choices. a number ofparticipants indicated new directions in post-highschool education, with technical fields a distinctoption.

Plans for Next Year

Because of the results from the first TAPinstitute at ECU and the availability of ^dditionalfunding, a grant was awarded to ha anotherinstitute held in Julne 1995. Plans are to invite 40females and provide many similar activities/technology modules. From the survey results andsuggestions, new activities and tours will also beincorporated.

Conclusion

The need to broaden the awareness andopportunities to young females in the area of hightechnology will undoubtedly remain an importantissue. It is hoped the TAP at ECU helped toexpand and encourage the options available to 34young females that attended the first instituteduring the summer of 1994. It is anticipated thatthe institute will continue to provide a positiveexperience to capable young females in the future.

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Virtual Reality for Business and Marketing EducationIvan Wallace

East Carolina University

Introduction

During the early 60s, Business Educatorsrecognized the importance that computers wouldhave in our society when it became apparent thatthe computer with its vast computational abilitiescould maintain and process traditional financialinformation. Subsequently, data processingemerged, and teachers set out to train computerprogrammers to solve the record-keepingproblems in the business world. Then, in the early70s, it became evident that computers were theanswer to document processing when the conceptof word processing emerged and developed. Asthe microcomputer evolved during the 80s,Business Education teachers soon discovered thenecessity of teaching computer business appli-cations as the proliferation of word processing,spreadsheet, database, and teiecommunicationsoftware packages made it possible for even thesmallest of businesses to acquire computerhardware and software. During the late 80s andearly 90s, laser printers and graphical userinterfaces (GUIs) such as Microsoft's Windowshave heralded new uses for microcomputers in thebusiness world when desktop publishing andpresentation applications software emerged andobject- oriented programming became widelyaccepted as the programming tool of the future.As a result of all this phenomenal developmentwith computer hardware and software, newperipheral devices such as CD-ROMs, soundcards, video capture ..ards, and color graphicsprocessors have entered the microcomputermarket to create Multimedia. Finally, when itseems that Business Educators have conqueredthe last frontier, Virtual Reality (VR) emerges as aviable computer technology to be introduced in theBusiness and Marketing Education curriculum.What is VR

By definition, VR is a highly interactive,computer-based environment in which the userparticipates with a computer in a virtually realworld. Highly sophisticated immersion VR involves3-D computer simulations in which the userbecomes engrossed so fully that artificial realityappears to be real reality. Artificial reality is

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sometimes used interchangeably with VRHowever, some authorities say VR includes actualphysical interface with a computer while artificialreality involves full-body participation. Cyberspaceis a term that is also sometimes usedinterchangeably with the term VR. While VR isthought of as a relatively new technology, itsbeginnings can be traced back more than 60 yearsto Link Trainers. which were designed to duplicateairplane cockpits for training purposes in the late1920s.

Like many technologies, VR has taken onseveral manifestations. However, it can beclassified into three primary categories. They aredesktop VR, telepresence VR, and immersion VR.

Desktop VR is perhaps the most simplisticversion and has the most application for theBusiness and Marketing Education curriculum.Desktop VR consists primarily of a basic computersystem that is capable of generating highresolution color 3-0 graphics and some soundcapabilities. It is used primarily for 3-D modelingand visualization.

Telepresence VR is related very closely torobotics and involves the use of sensoryequipment to sense movement of live beings andpersons so that the biological actions of livingthings can be replicated in robots and even graphicimages for cartoons and video games The Mariogame character is a good example of telepresenceVR. Although Mario is only an animated character,his facial expressions and body actions areactually generated by sensors that are attached toreal people.

The third type of VR, immersion VR, is the mostsophisticated type of VR. Immersion VR requiresseveral pieces of additional equipment. Thisequipment includes a head movement tracker, ahead-mounted display (HMD); 3-D glasses; ahand-tracker such as a glove with sensors; apartial or full-body sensor, biosensors (e.g , todetect muscle activity and eye movement), 3-Dmice; a force ball (for manipulation or control),wands; optional navigational devices, and a 3-Dsound processor The goal of immersion VR isthat the user will be stimulated so greatly by all thesensory devices and engrossed so intensely with

the interactive nature of Immersion VR that thevirtual world becomes more real to the participantthan real reality (the natural world itself).Uses of VR

VR, like other computer applications, has foundits niche in practically every industry. Architectsuse VR to walk through their designs; the aircraftand auto industry uses it to design and test car andairplane designs; Hollywood uses it to designmovie sets; the medical industry uses it to simulateradiation treatment; urban planners use VR withrenovation plans and proposed building projects;and the entertainment industry has destined VR tobe its next conquest.

While used to some extent in every industry,perhaps VR offers the longest list of possible usesto education and training. These includeexploration of existing places and things otherwiseinaccessible; creation of places and things withdifferent qualities from real ones; interaction withother people and common interest who are inremote locations; creation and manipulation ofabstract models; and creation of any type of 3-Dobject. These objects can be drawn and studiedfrom outside, inside, back, front, bottom, andsides. They can include natural structures such asmolecular structures, cells, chromosomes, andgeographical features like caves and volcanoes, orthey can include man-made structures such ascastles, forts, ships, homes, rooms, buildings, andeven entire cities.

VR for the Business and Marketing C rriculum

Desktop VR lends itself to being integrated veryeasily in the Business and Marketing Educationclassrooms. Consequently, it can be used veryeffectively for planning ar,d designing office layoutsfor many business and office related courses. InMarketing, the old shadow box store layouts canbe replaced with visual 3-D simulations thatstudents can walk through in designing retailbusiness to get a better feel of traffic patterns,visual displays, and overall store design. Ofcourse, the technology itself warrants inclusion incomputer technology courses since VR is one of

the most sophisticated uses of computer systemstoday. Finally, by using VR for 3-D modelingprojects in computer applications courses.students can be highly motivated to work withobject - oriented software. Since the entertainmentindustry has already capitalized on the concept ofVR and introduced it into home entertainmentgames, perhaps one of the most motivationalthings we could do in the Business Educationclassroom is to bring a 32-bit Nitendo or Genesissystem, complete with HMD. into the classroom sothat all students can get a real sense of what VR isall about.

Because desktop VR is relative less sophisti-cated than immersion VR, it can be introduced intoa Business or Marketing classroom very easilyMinimal hardware would include a 486 SXcomputer, VGA color monitor, 4 MB of RAM. and a210 MB hard disk drive. More ideal configurationswould include a 486 DX-2 processor, 8-16 MB ofRAM, 350 MB hard disk, CD-ROM, and a 16-bitsound card. Macintosh Quadra or PowerMaccomputers are also ideal for Desktop VR.Software requirements include Microsoft Windowsor other graphical user interface and the VRsoftware. A good starting software package isVirtus Walkthrough, which can be acquired forapproximately $200.Conclusion

In conclusion, VR has opened a whole newworld for the educational, entertainment, andbusiness community as we rely on its powerfulresources of sound, motion, sensory devices, andhigh resolution graphics to capture the interest oftoday's MTV generation. Most experts agree thatbecause it does touch the user's senses of sightand sound, it is an instructional media that will behere to stay. In one sense, VR is just another stepbeyond Multimedia, but its applications are notconsidered frivolous since it gives us the abilities toexperience a simulated environment in situationswhere the real thing is just not feasible because ofcost. accessibility. or an element of danger.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

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Portfolios in TeacherEducationRandall Wells

University of Louisville

The 1984 Kentucky '.egislature mandated thesuccessful completion of a one-year internship byall new teachers to qualify for licensure as acertified teacher. The Kentucky TeacherInternship Program (KTIP) includes provisions forJoth formative and summative processes inassisting and assessing the progress of the internteacher. The evaluation of interns rests on theprofessional judgment of a three-membercommittee established for each intern. Thecommittee must be approved by the EducationProfessional Standards Board (EPSB) andconsists of the building principal where the intern isemployed, a resource teacher, and a teachereducator.

Throughout the internship, professionaldevelopment plans become the focus of thecommittee's activities in working with the intern.Strengths and growth areas are identified for theintern after the first observations by the committee.These L:re updated with each set of observationswhen the intern meets with the committee. Thecollective professional judgments of this committeeare based on observation reports (using the KTIPobservation instrument), documented evidenceregarding professional attributes and ethicalissues, and the portfolio documentation created bythe intern.

A second piece of legislation enacted in 1990,Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA),highlighted the need to examine policies regardingteacher certification and measures to evaluateteacher effectiveness. In particular, efforts wereneeded to align the KTIP program more closelywith KERA Goals and Learner Outcomes requiredin the new law. With the 1994-95 school year,committee members began to use a newly-designed observation form and greater emphasishas been placed on the intern's portfolio.

Eight standards describing behaviors andprocesses critical to student learning havebeen approved by the EPSB to serve as theframework for the new system. A set ofindicators were also identified to help withdescriptions of teacher actions that support

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judgments about the standards. The stand-ards are as follows:

Designs/Plans Instruction

Creates/Maintains Learning Climatesimplements/Manages InstructionAssesses and Communicates LearningResults

Reflects/Evaluates Teaching/LearningCollaborates with Colleagues/ParentsOthers

Engages in Professional DevelopmentDemonstrates Subject Matter Compe-twice

These eight standards have also become animportant part of the teacher education programleading to the internship year. Beginning with thefirst professional education course, studentsdevelop and maintain a portfolio that follows themthroughout the entire program. At the presenttime, at least one portfolio entry is being requiredfor each of the eight standards. A number ofsuggestions and recommendations are given tostudents to help clarify the types of evidence theymay submit.

Other requirements for the portfolio include aletter to the reader which:

Explains student's philosophy of educationAssesses strengths and weaknesses andgoals for growth

Reflects on student's ability to work withothers

Summarizes student's understanding ofKERA, and

Explains how evidence meets new teacherstandards

Each student will also include a professionalresume in the portfolio. At the end of the program,every student should have a fully developedportfolio with evidence of successful activitiesrelating to the teacher education standards. Thisshould prove to be val ble in the student's jobsearch with school districts and serve as a strongfoundation as they enter the internship year.

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Opening Windows to the Future of Business EducationPatricia I. Wilson

Alabama A&M University

Almost every computer that is sold todaycomes bundled with Windows software. Colormonitors accentuate the bright color bars, frames,and icons that appear on the monitor when thecomputer is used. Many think of Windows as anoperating system, but it is not; Windows operatesunder an operating system. Windows is agraphical user interface (GUI) that allows users tonegotiate through programs by using icons andmenus. Another way to think about a GUIit is ashell that uses pictures (icons) rather than wordsto guide the user, which stresses the rule that apicture is worth a thousand words.

Today, software developers are writing moreprograms to operate in the Windows environmentrather than in the DOS environment. There areword processors for Windows, databases forWindows, spreadsheets for Windows, presentationsoftware for Windows, etc. It is important forBusiness Educators to understand the Windowsenvironment in order to efficiently operate othersoftware programs.

Windows Vocabulary

As educators begin to work in the Windowsenvironment, educators need to develop a newvocabulary and assign new means to old terms.Educators must begin to think of Windows not onlyas panes that provide visual access to the outsideand let soothing sunshine and fresh air filter to theinside, but also as panels that will allow us to holdand keep chunks of information. Educators needto think of wallpaper not only as wall covering, butalso as a background for our Windows panels; tothink of buttons, not only as fasteners, but also asways to execute commands; to think of a mouse,not only as a little furry rodent, but also as an inputdevice. Educators must understand that a dialogbox is not a box in which educators carry on aconversation.

Educators need to learn to drag and drop--notwhat educators do on Friday afternoon after a fullweek of classesbut to move files and icons todifferent locations. Educators need to understandhow to cascade and tile--not with waterfalls and

floorsbut with arranging Windows on the desktopEducators need to understand how to minimizeand maximizenot only our resources--but also theicons on our desktop. And. educators need to beable to resize and restore Windows.Windows Desktop

The Windows environment can be compared ina broad sense to an office. In an office you have.among other things, a desk, a clock, file cabinets.and wallpaper (maybe only paint, but it is a wallcovering). On your desk you have an assortmentof objectsfile folders, writing utensils, a calendar,a Rolodex, a calculator, and several projects thatyou are completing at the same time. The conceptof the Windows environment is that all of theseobjects and projects are conveniently arranged inone place on your computer monitor and areaccessible not only through the keyboard but alsothrough the use of Windows as well.

On your desk, you may complete severalprojects at the same time. Several windows canbe opened at the same time. The windows arelayered or tiled on top of each other and any one ofthem can be accessed with a click of the mousebutton. The clock or the calculator can beembedded into other files so that they are visibleall day. The calendar can be used to scheduleappointments and to generate To Do lists withalarms set to remind you of scheduledappointments.

All of these commands are represented on thedesktop by icons which are little pictures thatvisually illustrate a function.. For example, if youwant to open your files, you click your mousebutton on a picture of a file cabinet; if you wish touse your calculator, you click your mouse buttonon a picture of a calculator; if you want to write amemo, you click your mouse button on a picture ofa pen.

Communication Tools

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In addition to text and graphics, Windows alsohas communication tools which allow yourcomputer to communicate with other computersBy clicking your mouse button on the com-munications icon, you are able to connect to your

modem and dial other computers with modems orconnect to the information superhighway via theInternet or other online services. Faxes can besent from your Windows applications to other faxmachines, and faxes can be received in yourcomputer files.

Modifying Classes

Some aspects of Windows that have specialsignificance to Business Educators would includethose that related to Administrative Proceduresclasses. Administrative Procedures classes havealways been equipment intensivetypewriters.copiers, computers, calculators, transcribers. etc.Many of these pieces of equipment can beeliminated with the use of Windows applications.Graphics can be created using the paintbrush andretrieved into other files to create brochures,pamphlets, letterheads, etc. Windows built-in wordprocessor, Write, can also be used for desktoppublishing because of the built-in scaleable fontsand the ability to insert graphics through thepaintbrush.The Cardfile

The Cardfile is an especially useful desktoptool. The Cardfile is a database file that simulates3" by 5" index cards. The Cardfile can replaceyour Rolodex with instant access to phonenumbers and addresses. Some other suggesteduses for the Cardfile are:

Store names, addresses, and telephonenumbers of students in each of your classes.Have a separate file for each class. Print a listof all the members in the class and tape this in

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your gradebook. This eliminates the need tohandwnte each name in the gradebook.

Have a file with the names and phonenumbers of frequently called colleagues. Withyour computer on your desk, the phonenumbers are always at your fingertips.

Have a file of book publishers with thepertinent information about each book that hasbeen adopted for your classes such asnumber of books ordered for each class. ISBNnumbers, phone numbers and addresses ofpublishers, etc.

Keep track of equipment purchases andrepairs in an equipment file.

All applications in Windows are compatible. Ifthe computer is connected to a modem and aphone, you can use the Cardfile to dial a phonenumber.

Summary

The Windows environment provides a desktopwith many of the common things ordinarily on ourdesksclocks, calendars, notepads, cardfiles, etc.Thus, the user may work on more than one thingat a time because several windows can be opensimultaneously. Since most of the softwareprograms that previously were written for the DOSenvironment are now being written for theWindows environment, it is more important thanever to learn the language of windows and how tonegotiate the mouse.

Innovation Through Office Technology: A Key to the Future of BusinessEducationMarcia Anderson-YatesSouthern Illinois University-Carbondale

Creativity, Innovation, Continuous Improve-ment, Total Quality-popular jargon used by today'sorganizations! This philosophy of creativity forinnovation enables organizations to cultivate "aprocess-oriented way of thinking and developingstrategies that assure continuous improvementinvolving people at all levels of the organizationalhierarchy" (Imai, 1986). Such a system requires anew organizational culture that considers change,rather than stability, the norm. Under this ethic,complacency with the current way of doing thingsis banished from the organization.

In a change environment, unending improve-ment by all employees is repeatedly emphasizedand supported. Organizations are not consciouslyredesigning their existing operations to establishautonomous operating units, devising ways todevelop multiskilled employees, and establishingteam processes for continuous improvement. Inthis setting, improvement results from small,frequent modifications to ongoing processingactivities. These incremental improvements aredirected solely at the organization's workprocesses. It is assumed that the cumulativeaffect of these process-oriented improvements willautomatically lead to improved performance interms of quality and productivity for theorganization. Ideally, the long-term effect ofcontinuous improvement efforts will create arenewed sense of competitive energy inorganizations

What is the role of office technology in thisinnovation or continuous improvement notion?Various literature sources now cite that in terms ofeconomic impact, the pendulum is fast swinging,from the development of information technology, tothe application of information technology. And,therefore, it is only those who have the foresightand creative initiative to apply informationtechnology who will emerge victorious. Thisapplies both to business and other enterprises andto nations.

As it applies to our country, whether, theUnited states will continue to be the dominanteconomic power for the years to come will largelydepend on which nation takes the lead in theinformation race. And this is a race which makes

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the space race of a generation ago insignificant bycomparison. The space race--even with its tech-nological spin-offs--had as its prize, national prideThe information race is considerably more seriousThe prize is nothing less than economic and socialstability and prosperity.

And those who design, recommend, andimplement information management systems havean obligation and an opportunity to play a key roleThe movement of information in all kinds of forms -- voice, data, image, text--has become the lifebloodof business and government. The management ofinformation as a resource is today as important asthe management of the more traditional humanand financial resources. Statistics indicate thatpossibly one-half of the labor force is involved inthe generation, manipulation and communicationof information. Whether we like it or not, we arecompeting in an information race. The importanceis such that the nation that leads-or wins-will be ina dominant economic position.

So, what does it take to be the teacher or towin? First, it takes the ability and thedetermination to develop new technology. Second,it takes the ability and determination to apply thattechnology. Both are essential. Innovation andleadership in the development of new technologyis essential. In tandem with innovation of newtechnology is the innovative application of thattechnology which is critical to our economicsurvival.

So. is the U.S. making progress? A recentlypublished computer productivity study indicatedthat information technology, as of 1994, is one ofthe big contributors to growth Productivity in theservice industries, which are notoriously hard tomeasure but an increasingly dominant and hugepart of the economy, grew at 1.5% annual rate inthe 90s, after declining in the late 70s andremaining flat.during the 80s. After viewing otherhistorical patterns of introduction of newtechnology, it makes no sense today to expect animmediate and tight linkage between the intro-duction of new technology and immediateproductivity. First, you have to clear away theexist' ig structure, a tightly organized whole inwhich everything is so intricately adapted to

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everything else that demolition is tough. The dualprocess of laborious clearing away along with slow,fitful reconstruction, is what was going on duringthe era of drooping productivity in the 1970s and1980s. As new information systems went in andemployees learned to use themvery inefficientlyat firstthe old systems kept on operatingalongside until the new ones got up to speed.Meanwhile, the double costs smotheredproductivity. Mistakes occurred. New systemssometimes did not work or did not work wellenough to make a difference. Even wheneverything went fine, organizations were doingpiecemeal rather than integrated automation, sothat the uncomputerized bottlenecks kept theproductivity benefits from flowing through the entireoperation (Magne, 1994).

Do not forget the human factor either. In theface of the transformation to the new economy,managers have had a way of fighting hard to holdon to the information which is their basis of power,to reinforce hierarchical, centrally controlledstructures. Thus, productivity is restrained ratherthan liberated.

Now, with competition the order of the day,company after company tells the same story oftechnological change combining with organi-zational change to yield higher productivity. WhenAmericans think of information technology'sproductivity-enhancing power, our first thought is ofhow computers have let business cut scores ofclerks, middle managers, and other workers in thepast decade. But now, economist Stephen Roachargues that a new stage is opening in whichproductivity enhancements come from usingtechnology not to cut costs but rather to providenew tools to the core of the work force in the neweconomy, the army of higher-paid technical,professionals, and managerial workers whoseproductivity computerization so far has been

scarcely touched (Magne, 1994).In the emerging order of the new economy,

those managers who understand how to use infotech as a productivity booster will do more thanensure the success of their own careers. Forproductivity growth directly affects the nationalstandard of living, and the way Americans play theReferences

game may well determine the extent to whichAmerica can remain the dominant economicsuperpower in the years ahead.

Because of the growing complexity ofcomputer technology and the businessenvironment, the office technology field hasbecome an ambiguous subset. The term office,office automation, office technology has beenpromoted and defined in great part by thehardware and software industry, who have seizedthe opportunity to promote the term to suit theirproducts (OASI Newsletter, 1994). Educators, too.have formulated different curricula of subjects toprovide skills to those who chose business officecareers. It may boil down to a question of: Whatis office automation/technology?

Regarding office technology-specific educa-tional programs, the Business Education com-munity should heed the loud and clear message ofother fields seeking more focused education: thetraining should be market-driven and notnecessarily follow the mode cast by traditionalcollege classroom instruction. There are now jobs,companies, and even industries that formerly werenot considered appropriate for the academicenvironment. Business Education is changingincredibly fast and is reaching out to industry--inthe U.S. and globallyto ask what they can do. Inthese new programs, all teachers may notnecessarily reside in academia. Many courseswith an entrepreneurial bent have made wide useof adjunct instructors who are currently active inbusiness or are retired. They bring with them thespirit of the industry.

Properly educated people are the key. Howto instill and develop the creativity in individuals tobe innovative in the workforce to cause continuousimprovement and productivity is the challengefacing Business Educators. If office technologydoes not keep up, it may look like it is fallingbehind There needs to be a supply of highlyqualified candidates provided by BusinessEducation programs who will hit that groundrunning and become productive faster than everbefore'

!mai, M. K: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success. New York: Random House. 1986The next evolution of the pc and office automation. (1994, November). OASI Newsletter.Magne, M. (1994, June 27). The productivity payoff arrives. FORTUNE,.79-84.Showalter, M. J, & Mulholland, J. A. (1992, July-August). Continuous improvement strategies forservice organizations. BUSINESS HORIZC'NS, 82-87.

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