Engineering educators are often not familiar with the theories and research findings of educational psychology, adult development, curriculum design, and instruction design. Even the published research in engineering/computing education does not sufficiently leverage this body of knowledge. Often in the educational reports and recommendations by…

Documents the emergence of interdisciplinary curriculum organization patterns as viable alternatives to the subject-centered curriculum field in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. Early 20th-century approaches to the elementary curriculum included the project method, the experience curriculum, and the activity movement.…

The purpose of this paper is to prove that including a significant theoretical component in instructional technology curricula has numerous advantages. The discussion is confined to curricula offered at universities, typically at the graduate level. Three topics are discussed: (1) the current state of instructional technology programs; (2) why…

Review of the continuing professional education (CPE) needs of teachers, nurses, and radiographers in Britain identified issues involved in funding, curriculum coherence, and relevance to practice. The review concluded that CPE is underresearched and needs more emphasis on practitioner inquiry and reflective practice. (SK)

Discusses the Bradley Commission, which voiced concerns about the adequacy of the K-12 social studies curriculum. Suggests that the need for the history-centered curriculum endorsed by the commission is not supported by research. Cites findings contradicting commission claims that history instruction promotes good citizenship. (SG)

Discusses Direct Instruction (DI), its rationale, principles of curricular design, and presentation techniques. Presents research on the effectiveness of DI with disadvantaged and handicapped learners. Also offers criticisms of DI. (RAE)

Reviews approaches to differentiation for gifted students used by educators, including setting tasks with an increased thinking demand, setting open-ended tasks, using graduated worksheets, and allowing pupils to record their responses to a task in different ways. Concludes teachers have too little guidance on differentiation. (Author/CR)

Discusses the advantages of a four-year undergraduate liberal arts program for preparing students to lead educational, therapeutic, and recreational experiences in outdoor settings. Recommends a curriculum design that balances training and education with reflection and action (praxis). Outlines the content of an outdoor leadership curriculum and…

This is an introduction to some of the teaching models that have been developed and studied through modern educational research. Some models are designed to accomplish specific objectives, such as teaching students to form and attain concepts; some have generic applications that adapt to a range of learning styles and curriculum areas.…

Some personal reflections on instructional design and its relation to constructivism are explored. Instructional design in its present form is out of sync with the times in that its orientation, methods, and research base are behavioristic, or positivistic. However, a constructivist theory of instructional design is possible, particularly if…

Although interdisciplinary teaching has long been supported as a pedagogical practice, little research has looked closely at interdisciplinary teaching. A literature review was undertaken, therefore, to articulate the current theoretical understanding of interdisciplinary education and to examine how it influences practice in middle and high…

The state of scholarship and research in social work is analyzed with regard to research methods found in the core literature, faculty and doctoral scholarly productivity, graduate research curricula, and use of scholarship by practitioners. Challenges for improving social work research training, scholarly production, and knowledge transmission…

This practical guide is one of a series aimed at assisting academics in higher education in researching specific aspects of their work. Focusing on small-scale insider research in colleges and universities, the handbook covers contemporary issues, research methods, and existing practice and values in the area of teaching methods. Strategies for…

Reviews current trends in curriculum programing that facilitate the transition of adolescents with handicaps into "everyday" community settings. Traditional curriculum models and instructional strategies have proved to be ineffective; recent models and strategies appear to be more promising. (Author/BJV)

Reports on 29 veteran secondary social studies teachers' reactions and responses to the New Social Studies movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Results indicate the magnitude of the gulf that exists between the concerns of theorists and the issues that are important to teachers. (CFR)