Fall
1999 Fall
1999
1. Director's Forum: The Human
Touch at ERIC/ACVE
2. Trends in ACVE
3. ERICACVE.ORG
4. Recent Books in Adult, Career and Vocational Education
5. ED Pubs in Spanish
6. The Ongoing Quest for Documents
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by Susan Imel
An article in a recent issue of the Library Journal* suggested that traditional reference service may be in trouble because requests for assistance are declining. Librarians and information specialists have most frequently performed a role of assisting individuals seeking information “at their point of need.” For traditional information specialists, this has meant when the customer came into or called the library or information center. Now, however, many customers say that they are using the Internet to access information on their own and don’t need an information specialist.
At the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education (ERIC/ACVE) we are accustomed to serving remote customers; traditionally, most of the requests for reference assistance have come via telephone, mail, and, in the past few years, over e-mail. Recently, however, we, too, have noticed a decline in requests for personalized assistance. We are delighted that the Internet has made it possible for people to access the ERIC database directly and that the ERIC/ACVE website provides full-text copies of the many publications that the Clearinghouse produces. Although it is true that changes in technology have made all kinds of information more readily available and accessible, the Clearinghouse is staffed with knowledgeable individuals—four of whom have library science degrees—who can be consulted for personalized reference services.
ERIC/ACVE staff possess a number of characteristics that make them excellent sources of information—
• Familiarity with the literature. Because ERIC Clearinghouses acquire and process materials for the database, staff knowledge of the literature is current and staff can provide information on recent publications.
• Knowledge of indexing terms. Again, because of their work in building the database, ERIC Clearinghouse staff understand how materials have been indexed and can provide tips on searching.
• Knowledge of Internet sources. ERIC/ACVE staff use the Internet extensively in their work. They know and understand how various search engines work and how to access information related to adult, career, and vocational education.
• Networks and contacts. ERIC/ACVE staff have developed extensive networks with organizations and individuals in the fields of adult, career, and vocational education. When the staff aren’t able to answer a question, they can generally make a referral to an appropriate organization or individual.
• Understanding of trends and issues. Because of their familiarity with the literature as well as their networks and contacts, ERIC/ACVE staff are knowledgeable about current trends and issues in the fields of adult, career, and vocational education.
In addition to staff expertise, ERIC/ACVE offers a variety of other reference services including the following—
• Copies of publications that provide information about the ERIC system. All About ERIC is a comprehensive guide to ERIC and includes information about developing ERIC search strategies. The Pocket Guide to ERIC is a condensed guide to the ERIC system and its components.
• Brief searches of the ERIC database. ERIC staff will conduct searches, at no cost, that provide a few citations from the ERIC database on a specific topic.
• Consultation on developing strategies for searching ERIC and the Internet. Individuals who wish to do their own searching can receive advice on the best terms to use for the most effective results.
• Paper copies of publications. Although all user publications produced by the Clearinghouse can be downloaded from the Clearinghouse website, paper copies are also available from the Clearinghouse at no charge.
• Training in using ERIC. ERIC/ACVE staff will conduct workshops about using ERIC tailored to the needs of participants. These workshops can be one-half day to 1 day in length and are provided at the location of your choosing. The workshop sponsor pays travel and per diem costs for the workshop leader.
The next time you have a question
related to adult, career, or vocational education, I hope that you will think
of the staff expertise that is available at ERIC/ACVE. Several staff have
worked with information resources in these fields for nearly 20 years and bring
this collective expertise to bear in responding to inquiries. Staff contact
information is located here. For
information on reference services, contact Judy Wagner.
*Lipow, A. G. "'In Your Face' Reference Service." Library Journal 124, no. 13 (August 1999): 50-52.
ERIC/ACVE’s National Committee members and other experts recently helped staff identify trends and issues in the field. The Clearinghouse uses this information to develop publications, acquire documents, and understand the current topics affecting our constituencies.
1. Lifelong learning: national
policies; economic competitiveness vs. social purpose goals; role in
democratization
2. Oppressive nature of marketing in adult education (exclusively marketing to
certain groups)
3. Where is/who is the adult education field at the dawn of the 21st century?
4. Adult educators as change agents; their role in collaboration
5. Web-based training/degree-granting on the Web; efficacy of electronic
applications in adult education
6. Comparison of requirements of the Workforce Investment Act (Title II) and
research on adult learning
7. International perspectives on adult education
8. Returning adult students with disabilities; career change due to disability
in adulthood
9. Activities and outreach for gays/lesbians/bisexuals
10. Potential for building learning communities on the Web (whose culture,
language, point of view is represented?)
1. Extended employment of older
adults; new models for lifelong learning
2. Sequential careers: broadening models; sequential vs. linear; composite
careers
3. Incorporating the Internet in career services (virtual career centers)
4. New models of working: e.g., job sharing, home-based work
5. Thriving in a multicultural workplace in which no one culture dominates
6. Interpersonal skills and career success: emotional intelligence
7. Career certification trends (including international perspectives)
8. Competencies and qualifications of career specialties (e.g., career coaches,
career development facilitators)
9. Refocusing of older Americans: career commonalities, how they make choices
10. Balancing life and work (emerging issues of eldercare, sibling care)
1. What is vocational education?
vision, direction
2. Teacher certification
3. Strengthening academic connections to occupational training
4. Disseminating research that affects teacher practice
5. Teacher shortages
6. Delivering vocational education over the Web; distance education
7. Teachers keeping current in industry trends
8. Effectiveness and benefits of vocational education
9. The changing work force
10. Student assessment
The ERIC/ACVE website (http://ericacve.org) has a new feature. At the request of a user, we added ED numbers to all of our publications. The ED number appears in the title list as well as on the full text of the document.
If you have suggestions for improving our website, please let us know!
Adult Learning and Development: Multicultural Stories edited by Lisa Baumgartner and Sharan B. Merriam (Krieger Publishing Co. 2000) is an anthology of diverse stories and poems illustrating adult development themes: identity, importance of work, intimacy, family lifecycle, health and aging, and learning in adulthood.
Collaborative Program Planning: Principles, Practices, and Strategies by Joe F. Donaldson and Charles E. Kozoll (Krieger Publishing Co. 1999) connects insights from literature on interorganizational collaboration to the planning and provision of educational programs, especially in nonprofit settings.
In History and Growth of Vocational Education in America (Allyn & Bacon 1999), Howard R.D. Gordon addresses the topics of land-grant institutions; federal legislation; influential leaders; participation of women, ethnic groups, and special needs students; and vocational student organizations.
Workforce Education: Issues for the New Century edited by Albert J. Pautler, Jr. (Tech Directions Books 1999) contains 22 papers on such topics as philosophy, legislation, career development, school-to-work, tech prep, secondary and postsecondary education, teacher education, gender equity, and special populations.
Making Lifelong Learning Work: Learning Cities for a Learning Century by Nicholas Longworth (Kogan Page 1999) presents descriptions of learning communities in which schools, universities, business, industry, professional organizations, and governments are building dynamic new environments for learning. The European Lifelong Learning Initiative is highlighted.
A mini-catalog of U.S. Department of Education publications in Spanish, produced by Aspen Systems, is available from ED Pubs. Publicaciones en Español: Catalogo abreviado de publica-ciones gratuitas del departamento de educacion de los estados unidos includes brief descriptions and ordering information for 22 publications, including posters and videotapes. Titles include “Helping Your Child with Homework,” “Getting Ready for College Early,” “Funding Your Education,” and “Questions Parents Ask about Schools.” ED Pubs, PO Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398; 877/4ED-PUBS; TTY/TDD: 877/576-7734; fax: 301/470-1244; e-mail: customerservice@inet.ed.gov; online ordering: http://www.ed.gov/about/ordering.jsp
By sending your documents to ERIC, the educational community will have access to your materials via the Internet and at more than 1,000 locations throughout the world. The ERIC database is used by teachers, students, career counselors, administrators, policymakers, researchers, parents, and the general public.
We are interested in materials in all areas of adult, career, and vocational education. Some current hot topics include preservice teacher education curriculum, work force education, career resilience in a changing workplace, human resource development and adult education, tech prep, and technology’s impact on learning. The following types of documents, among others, are suitable for the database: research reports, conference papers, instructional materials, position papers, program descriptions and evaluations, curriculum guides, conference proceedings, lesson plans, teaching guides, and resource guides.
Documents can be submitted via the postal service or by electronic means such as e-mail attachments. Each document should be accompanied by the ERIC reproduction release form. A completed release form accelerates the review, selection, and processing of your document. The form is available on our website, ericacve.org, in either HTML or PDF format. The form can be mailed with the document or faxed to us at 614/292-1260. Due to the signature requirement, we cannot accept electronically submitted forms at this time. If you have questions concerning the document submission process, please contact the acquisitions coordinator at ERIC/ACVE, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090; call 800/848-4815, ext. 26991; or e-mail: chambers.2@osu.edu.
This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under Contract No. ED-99-CO-0013. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.