This essay draws from a study conducted as part of graduate thesis work at George Mason University. The thesis examined the purpose of human rights education and critical media literacy, and the international inducements to include these subjects in the national education systems of United Nations (UN) member states. It compared the United States…

Context is everything. Very little in art or in history (or in life) happens in isolation, although works of art and events in history have been studied this way. This is especially true of the arts, which are so intrinsically connected to the cultures from which they emerge. This essential interconnectivity was also the premise behind the design…

This article presents the process of recent curricular revision and material development in English at the national level in India in a limited way. Teachers' needs and wants, their participation in the development of materials, the dilemmas of teachers and their implications for classroom transactions are discussed from the experiences of one of…

A variety of units (e.g., word, structure, notion, function, and situation) are used in synthetic syllabi, but task has recently appeared as the unit of analysis in three primarily analytic, Type B alternatives: procedural, process, and task syllabi. Descriptions and limitations of each are presented. (138 references) (Author/LB)

In response to Long and Crookes, Willis argues authors misunderstand the lexical syllabus (LS) as realized in Willis and Willis (1988). Long/Crookes reply that their article stressed need for focus on form in task-based language teaching and that there is a vast difference between focus on form and focus on forms, which Willis's adherence to an LS…

Describes in detail six component features of teaching reference: lectures by instructor; assigned readings for class discussion; student reports; library "lab" sessions; case-study discussion; and speakers and library visits. Importance of planning and time-scheduling, comparative value of each component, grading, and element of…

This article looks at the implications of the Culture Syllabus of the National Core French Study for Canadian French teachers. It also examines some of the suggestions made regarding how culture should be taught. (JL)

Offers a model for interdisciplinary courses, altering the relation of the discipline, teacher, and student. Describes a University of Texas at Austin course as an example of the model, which focuses on major models for research; on developing students' methodological competence; and on validity and significance as writing criteria. (AYC)

As the internet-based learning (IBL) market becomes increasingly global, understanding differing educational values and cultural expectations could provide an important competitive edge for providers (universities, publishing houses, and corporate training entities). How each of person determines "good" or "quality" instruction…

Argues that social language should be delayed in a second language course until a core of factual language has been built up. The article presents an account of verb-form clustering and of some of the problems caused by discrete treatment of verb forms. It also suggests how to implement verb clustering within the context of syllabus design. (11…

Designed to illustrate effective course design for user-oriented materials for data processing education or training, this paper argues that conceptual knowledge should be integrated into a course only as it is needed to support task knowledge. The importance of determining the direction of a course by planning and controlling the informational…

Argues against a graduate field of study in world history as too general. Suggests developing a specialization in comparative history to encompass major culture areas. Uses multiple elements to develop comparative history courses. Proposes graduate seminars where students discuss works in cross-cultural comparative history. (NL)

This report on an expert meeting, which was held to consider the training needs of local and regional planners in developing countries in the use and application of information systems and technology, presents both a report of the meeting and a summary of the proceedings. The meeting report includes a brief introduction, the conclusions reached…

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…

Analyzes a teacher training course taught for two subsequent years in Italy in which students investigate how computers can be used as tools to improve the learning process. The course topics examined, working method adopted, and results obtained are discussed, and suggestions are made for training present and future teachers. (Author/MBR)