The National Council on Educational Research (NCER), and its parent organization, the National Institute of Education (NIE), were established by law in 1972. NCER functions as an advisory arm to NIE, by establishing general policies; recommending programs to strengthen educational research and to disseminate and implement research findings;…

The number of American versus foreign-born students studying mathematics, engineering, and physics in U.S. graduate schools is declining. A program developed at Texas Tech University's Department of Mathematics offers courses in these areas to high-ability secondary-school students, to acquaint them with career opportunities and exciting…

The National School-to-Work Office in collaboration with the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for the Gifted, and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted have identified 11 gifted education/school-to-work (GT/STW) models that are either best practices or unique…

As preschoolers develop the ability to carry out their ideas and play alone and with others, they are developing the foundation for social competence. This booklet and a companion videotape help teachers and parents recognize and support nine High/Scope key experiences in initiative and social relations: (1) making and expressing choices, plans,…

The Applied Technology in Business program at Oakland University (Michigan) is a business minor that focuses on training business students in the proactive use of information technologies to solve business problems. The program is sponsored by corporations that provide real business problems for students to solve. Students learn problem solving,…

This paper discusses the author's personal experiences in developing and implementing a problem-based college mathematics course for liberal arts majors. This project was initiated in response to the realization that most students are dependent on "patterning" learning algorithms and have no expectation that self-initiated thinking is a…

A trend toward the use of groups can be seen both at the workplace and in education. The growing presence of groups at work provides one motivation for groups in educational context, especially ESP, because students now need to acquire a higher form of literacy to participate in groups at work. Involved in this broader literacy are such skills as…

Discusses four major approaches to teaching about controversial issues frequently cited in educational literature: problem solving, public issues, decision making, and moral reasoning. Provides guidelines for structuring large-group discussions, small-group discussions, and debates within these approaches. Includes a list of instructional…

Demonstrates how the development of transferable skills can be promoted as a matter of policy in undergraduate geography programs and implemented throughout individual classes. Defines transferable skills as skills of a widely applicable nature independent of the disciplinary context. Presents two examples of transferable skill development in…

An integrated mathematics/science elementary methods course was developed as part of Connecticut's statewide systemic initiative. Considers: (1) What does integration mean? (2) What content should be taught? and (3) How should it be taught? Implementation team included an exemplary elementary teacher. Appendix presents a sample integrated lesson.…

Classroom techniques (collaboration, mentoring, emphasis on problem-solving) used in supplemental instruction (SI) for chemistry at Saint Xavier University (Illinois) are detailed, the role of SI leader and supervisor are examined, and a small-scale (n=219 students) study of student perceptions of the program is reported. (MSE)

Reports part of the results of the Design, Development, and Assessment in Mathematics Education Project that tested the booklet on descriptive statistics called "Data Visualization" in six experimental algebra classes in Whitnall, Wisconsin. Describes examples of problems presented, use of cooperative learning during instruction, and…

Described is an alternative first year algebra program developed to bridge the gap between the NCTM's Curriculum and Evaluation Standards and institutional demands of schools. Increased attention is given to graphing as a context for algebra, calculator use, solving "memorable problems," and incorporating geometry concepts, while…

Describes the urban-centered WalkAbout summer program, which involves hands-on service learning emphasizing the importance of students being authentically invested in their own learning. Program goals include increasing academic achievement, providing opportunities for community-based learning, developing a service ethic in youth, and improving…

In this paper, we suggest that case-based resources, which are used for assisting cognition during problem solving, can be structured around the work of narratives in social cultural psychology. Theories and other research methods have proposed structures within narratives and stories which may be useful to the design of case-based resources.…