This paper explores the concept of needs as a basis for curriculum development through the deliberations of the US educators associated with the Progressive Education Association's Commission on the Secondary School Curriculum of the Eight-Year Study (1933-1941). Noting how divergent views of "needs" influenced American educational…

Explores the efforts of a curriculum development team who set out to create a virtual frog for use in biology education, but instead, after several design studies, developed a virtual world called Frog Island. Argues for incorporating educational design studies into other educational development projects. (CMK)

The two-part essay explores problems of developing history curricula and provides a specification for building history curricula that confronts problems about the nature and value of history. Propositions which underlie the specification are also presented. (KC)

Describes study which indicates that the attitudes of curriculum supervisors toward possible consequences of curriculum organizations of magnet schools is less favorable than their attitude toward consequences of the comprehensive school. Magnet schools are those designed to accommodate specific student interests (performing arts, engineering).…

Reviews recent literature concerning subject choice and curriculum planning. Charts a centrist course between classical humanist ideology and radical reform that would place all power in the hands of students. Maintains that young people need a balanced mix of guidance and freedom. (MJP)