Fostering interdisciplinary learning in biology will require significant changes in the way one teaches science to K-12 students. The perspective on interdisciplinary biology teaching and learning in this essay is based on the author's experiences as a former research cell biologist, high school science teacher, and developer of secondary science…

Presents an excerpted lecture given by Fred S. Keller, who discusses the nature of personalized instruction (PSI), how MIT began, and PSI experiences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Keller also comments on the implications of MIT experiences for educational reformers and provides his views on related issues. (JN)

Defines instructional development, describes the scope of the research and knowledge base upon which its practice is built, comments upon the sufficiency of the investigation into the components of that knowledge base, and poses questions for future research. (Author)

Discusses transformation from two different points of view regarding teaching children's writing. Consists of two main parts by the two authors. Presents in each writer's portion interspersed comments by the other writer reflecting the differences and the similarities in these two teachers' ongoing processes of personal and professional…

This chapter presents the anthropological theory of innovation and diffusion, and applies it to the problem of implementing planned change within the instructional development process. The work of Barnett and others on culture and planned culture change is described and applied to the educational system and the classroom environment. Barnett's…

This chapter addresses the relationship between three different approaches to educational improvement--instructional development (ID), organizational development (OD), and faculty development (FD). These three approaches are related to each other using the concept of readiness for innovation, and a spiral relationship is postulated: an individual,…

Basic assumptions about instruction must be established, and cooperation between a subject expert, instructional designer, evaluator, and computer applications person is needed to develop a computer managed instruction (CMI) system. Although development costs are high, educational improvement and the changing nature of instruction from lockstep to…

Argues that instructional development provides an efficient model for planning programs for adult learners. Outlines three stages of instructional development: analysis of needs, goals, course content, learner characteristics, and the learning environment; development of instructional strategies and delivery systems; and program evaluation. (CAM)

The advent of technology-assisted teaching calls for new thought about evaluating teaching: (1) How do new technology environments affect teaching and learning in ways that have implications for evaluation? (2) How might technology tools help facilitate the representation and evaluation of teaching? (3) What issues should institutions consider in…

Reviews the establishment, purposes, current status, problems, and prospects of middle schools. Identifies five goals generally accepted by middle school educators. Reports that middle schools' exemplary features include such components as interdisciplinary team organization, flexible schedules, and home base/individual counseling programs. (GEA)

Presents six themes that undergird teaching and learning for transformation included in this themed issue. Recognizes that these themes are not isolated categories; rather, they influence one another and contribute to educators' identities as teachers and learners. Concludes with a hope that teachers nurture their students' transformations as a…

This symposium was a working meeting to develop an agenda for future action in education regarding videodisc technology. Following an introduction, three major presentations are provided: "An Introduction to Videodisc Technology" (Ronald W. Nugent); "Videodisc Applications and Implications for Education" (Orbry Holden); and "Planning Videodiscs in…

The recent conservative trend in educational policy is addressed in this paper which begins with a description of 10 specific types of threats to the instructional development movement that can evolve from an excessively conservative environment. These threats are named as follows: (1) scapegoat; (2) baby-with-the-bathwater; (3) chronological…

This chapter summarizes the state of the art of instructional development and characterizes instructional developers in terms of the chapters in both volumes of "Instructional Development: The State of the Art," other literature in the field, and the personal experiences of the authors. A number of conclusions are drawn, and the nature of the…

Describes changes in the instructional designer's role with the development of intelligent computer assisted instruction (ICAI). A shift in decision-making from the design to the implementation phase of instruction is emphasized, as the designer writes rules that allow systems to select methods once instruction has begun. Seventy-nine references…