This paper brings task-based language teaching (TBLT) curriculum development principles into the blended learning context, presenting processes and outcomes from a project to develop a task-based thematic unit--asking and giving directions--in a hybrid web-based university-level class focused on listening and speaking skills in Mandarin Chinese.…

A discussion of whether pilot testing or a panel review is the most effective way to evaluate curriculum materials. (HB)

This report on the French Teaching Modules Project is divided into four parts. Part one describes current theoretical concerns in second language curriculum and outlines a scheme for second language curriculum development. Part two explains the history of the project and the underlying principles of modules. Part three describes case studies which…

Presents a model or classification scheme for the types of information that could be collected to aid in formative evaluation of career education instructional products, and compares professional and legal product directives to conduct educational product evaluation to evaluation science's weak response to these mandates. (Editor/TA)

A review of the research literature on systematic instructional design indicates that few empirically supported guidelines exist for testing materials under development and for improving materials on the basis of feedback from potential learners. In an analysis of 17 textbooks on instructional design, eight specific aspects to be considered in…

Describes a project at Bell Laboratories which sought a compromise between ideal formative evaluation procedures and more feasible procedures necessitated by restrictions on time and resources. Local-trial and field-trial stages of a phased approach are discussed, as well as the benefits of field-tests. (EAO)

Two objectives of this bilingual vocational education project were to modify and translate vocational education curricula for bilingual students and students of limited English speaking ability and to document the process of material modification and translation in a procedural manual. A needs assessment was conducted at the secondary level…

The emergence and purpose of formative evaluation as a tool for curriculum developers is described. It is pointed out that formative evaluation seeks to establish the merit of instructional materials during their development, to modify and improve the design of instructional materials, and to establish their worth so they may be adapted for use in…

The instructional development (ID) process is a teaching method that can be applied to an entire course, unit, or subject. The ID process can be compared to the decision making stages in purchasing and designing a house. These stages involve such concepts as communication theory, audience analysis, and study of goals and objectives. The choice of…

This study focuses upon the problem of identifying and testing important and predictive process variables for formative curriculum workshop evaluation. Five accident investigation curriculum development workshops sponsored by The Center for Vocational and Technical Education at The Ohio State University were evaluated in both the formative and…

Five science reading booklets were developed to foster the development of communication, observation, and experimentation skills in Uganda elementary school students. Topics selected, resulting from interviews with teachers and students, included: 1) rain; 2) round worms; 3) caterpillars; 4) butterflies; and 5) insects in the school ground.…

A project to propose a system for managing curriculum improvement at the state level (1) identified the basic functions necessary for a statewide curriculum management effort, (2) explained the supporting activities required to initiate and maintain its operation, and (3) developed a model system for curriculum management. The five functions…

A review of the literature on systematic instructional design suggests that few empirically tested guidelines exist for testing and revising materials during the development stages. The revision process can broadly be based on one of two distinct strategies, internal review or developmental testing. Internal review strategies include referring…

The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study designed, developed, and field-tested a series of nine curriculum resource units for a semester program called "Innovations: The Social Consequences of Science and Technology (IST)." The units were designed for use by students and teachers in the 11th and 12th grades and at the junior college…

This final report submitted by the Committee on the Study of History at Hampshire College describes the Amherst Project, a research and development project devoted to fostering the newer inquiry approaches in the study of United States history. The project's main focus has been on secondary schools, but has also encompassed junior high and adult…