Reports results of a study designed to assess the effects of organizing a physical geography course according to the General Theory of Systems in order to help students think about the environment in more holistic terms. Concludes that more committed, achievement-oriented students did better under this approach, while those with a nonacademic…

Describes the development of a new mathematics course in a school district in Great Britain which was designed for low achieving high school students. Provides the course design including aims, objectives, levels of attainment, and assessment exercises. Discusses the mathematics achievement certificate created as a result of the course. (TW)

The potential disadvantages of a mathematical approach to the teaching elementary economics are examined. (DE)

Courses designed to enhance the study skills in students at Plymouth Polytechnic and Kingston Polytechnic are outlined and examined. In the case of Plymouth Polytechnic, the research was centered on an evaluation of a program from Sussex University; the Kingston Polytechnic research included the course design. The Sussex University Advanced…

The history and decline of an undergraduate interdisciplinary course on contemporary Britain at the University of Sussex are described. It is suggested that interdisciplinary courses require higher investment of resources and commitment to survive, and structural constraints and features are of continuing concern to their proponents. (MSE)

A study of selected formal examination syllabi used in Great Britain revealed that the examining boards for the Certificate in Secondary Education and the General Certificate of Education have incorporated little material that would give students an understanding of international issues. Syllabi for the International Bacalaureate do contain more…

Discusses development of a computer science education course for teachers leading to a Diploma in Professional Studies in Education (Computer Education). Includes course aims/content, selection of candidates, and experiences during the first year the course was taught. (JN)

A numeracy course to help art students at the University of Sheffield (England) develop a more positive attitude toward numbers and deal with numerical work of the type they might find in employment, e.g., interpreting quantitative information, is described and evaluated. There were improvements in all areas tested. (RM)

Developmental testing at the Open University is a type of formative evaluation in which a small sample of students work through learning materials to determine their effectiveness. On the basis of student feedback, the material may be accepted as it stands, modified in part, or totally revised before it is produced in its final form for the…

Analyzes the relationship between learning objectives and assessment items for Technical Education Council physics courses. Suggests improvements. (SK)

This book brings together 17 papers on Women's Studies, in particular on their future in the 1990s and on creating and maintaining Women's Studies programs at institutions of higher education. The first section, "Women's Studies Today," provides full accounts of the development of Women's Studies in Britain within all branches of further…

Describes an inservice course for sixth-form teachers to examine ways of moving away from course books and discussing ways of getting pupils to be more competent orally, especially in the context of discussion issues as opposed to general conversation. Two intensive courses were used as the basis for the inservice day. (CK)