This book investigates the content of the grammar syllabus typically employed in mainstream English Language Teaching. Using a mixed-methods approach, the author examines how the syllabuses used in coursebooks are actually constructed, how they evolved and how valid their contents are as a basis for teaching. The research reported consists of a…

Developed for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program, the Find Your Interests (FYI) inventory was designed to help students learn about their career-related interests. The FYI is a 90-item interest inventory based on Holland's (1973, 1985, 1997) widely accepted theory and taxonomy of career choice. The…

Self-study is playing an increasingly important role in the learning and instruction of many subjects, including second and foreign languages. With the rapid development of the internet, language websites for self-study are flourishing. While the language of print-based teaching materials has received some attention, the linguistic and…

Collaborative learning is extensively applied in classroom activities, but the screens on handheld devices are designed for individual-user mobile applications and may constrain interaction among group learners. The small screen size may lead to fragmented and tete-a-tete communication patterns and frequently obstruct the externalization of the…

In 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) awarded Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants for the development of systems to compensate teachers and principals in part based on increases in student achievement. New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS) received five of these grants and is using them to implement its Effective Practice…

The author of this article thinks that the basic difficulties of wider introduction of media education in the Russian and French universities & schools first of all are connected with patent defect purposefully prepared of media educators; with the certain inertness of many educational establishments; with traditional approaches of the…

Describes research that examined the role of online examples in a minimal manual on learning to use an interface construction toolkit called InterCONS. Highlights include the minimalist approach to designing user resources; user performance; the use of online examples versus printed examples; and user reactions. (Contains 18 references.) (LRW)

The first British patent describing an educational game designed for musical "amusement and instruction" was granted in 1801 to Ann Young of Edinburgh, Scotland. The authors' discovery of Young's game box has prompted an examination of the nature and purpose of the six games she designed. Ann Young's patent is discussed in the context of…

An experiment designed to determine the aptitude level(s) and group size which would provide optimal feedback for formative evaluation of instructional materials found that revisions based on feedback from one-to- one sessions with a mixed aptitude group were more effective than those based on feedback from a group or single aptitude level. (EAO)

State constitutional law is an emerging area for legal education, partly because of state supreme court decisions relying on state rather than federal constitutional law. Studying state constitutional law highlights similarities and diversity of legal and governmental systems. Interest in establishment of curricula and materials in state law is…

Describes and compares 12 microcomputer-based authority languages and systems that are being marketed to elementary and secondary school teachers to assist them in developing their own courseware for computer-assisted instruction. Evaluation criteria are reviewed, and future development and research needs are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Authoring tools have evolved over the last decade based on technological and pedagogical innovations, from authoring bounded, program-controlled learning systems such as Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) to authoring unbounded, learner-centered environments such as Web-Based Instruction (WBI). This paper discusses the current state of authoring…

A study entitled the Alternative Training Experiment (ATE) evaluated the effectiveness of a method for training census enumerators that involved new processes for developing instructional materials (called job performance aids) and new methods of instruction. During the study three pairs of census decentralized offices were matched on variables…

A study evaluated the potential of low-cost microcomputers for enhancing the effectiveness of adult basic education (ABE) programs conducted for mentally handicapped adults. In conducting the study, researchers selected a sample of 36 mentally-handicapped adults who were served by the San Antonio State Hospital and the San Antonio State School.…

There is a wide array of approaches that produce materials (courseware) for the delivery of university level courses via Distance Learning (DL). DL has increasingly become part of university systems across the United States and is expected to grow to 10% of enrollment at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) by the start of the next…