Supplying an insightful introduction to current trends in general education reform, this second edition of "General Education Essentials: A Guide for College Faculty" gives an important, timely overview of general education curricular design. General education curricula provide students with the intellectual flexibility they need to…

"This We Believe" advocates the use of a curriculum that maximizes early adolescent learning by integrating multiple disciplines rather than teaching them in isolation. The development of an interdisciplinary curricular unit is a common assignment in middle grades teacher education programs that seek to prepare teacher candidates to…

Considers combining topics in a virtual class as an attempt to assist incoming Master of Science Management students in accomplishing their long list of managerial communication learning objectives in a shorter delivery time and within the virtual environment. Describes the contemporary book review and discussion assignment and considers benefits…

Describes one teacher's habit of bending the rules with relation to issues of English curriculum and testing. Describes teaching as being often a subversive activity. (HB)

Designed chiefly for the growing number of technical and business writing teachers in two year colleges, this collection of articles helps teachers understand technology and business students so that they can teach courses that satisfy the writing needs of those students. Written by practicing teachers or writers, the articles offer viewpoints on…

Looks at the process of designing and assessing coursework for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) course in Business Studies. Provides a flow chart illustrating stages in coursework design and includes examples. Offers suggestions for grading assignments according to the GCSE Business Studies syllabus. (LS)

Describes the use of fictional literature in a college-level developmental psychology class. Focuses specifically on Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and its relation to several child development topics. Contends that literature should be used more often as part of instruction, especially in the sciences. (CFR)

Contends that, although computers are used frequently in undergraduate experimental design and statistics courses, they also can be used in courses with different instructional objectives. Describes a course designed to teach the roles of professional psychologists through the use of computers. (CFR)

Reports on a procedure in which students read and evaluate each other's term papers. Contends that students improve their own writing and provide constructive, substantive feedback to their peers. Finds that the student reviews showed higher reliability than professional peer reviews of journal manuscripts. (CFR)

Theme study is in-depth research on a topic, issue, person, or content-area idea, in which reading and writing are used as tools for learning. Educational benefits of theme study include motivation, individualization, explorations of relationships, and the encouragement of a lifelong-learning attitude. Based on the premise that theme study is more…

Describes the University of California (Irvine) one-year humanities core course as hermeneutically and contextually oriented. Explains course development, structure, and organization and provides the reading list. Students assignments include essays and a dialectical notebook. Provides a three-day fall seminar for the teaching staff. Finds course…

Contends that historical fiction can generate lively discussions among students about relevant social science concepts and contemporary social problems. Discusses why literature is a preferable alternative to many history and social studies textbooks. Presents a literature-based unit for eighth-grade U.S. history. (CFR)

Proposes a learning model that includes components of critical thinking and social critique in writing assignments. Reports on results of an experimental course designed to use graduate student teaching assistants to improve students' critical thinking and writing skills. Describes the positive results of the course. (CFR)

Contends that, although the Eurocentric focus in art and literature currently may be out of favor, the lack of a cultural background may hurt students' scores on standardized tests. Describes a teaching plan based on artist John Constable's painting, "Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Garden." (CFR)