This pamphlet surveys the research and literature dealing with the identification and use of organized knowledge in educational systems. Focusing on curriculum development and planning, the document discusses curriculum programs and projects in four fields: (1) physical and biological sciences, (2) mathematics, (3) social studies, and (4) English.…

Small portable videotape recorders can be used economically and effectively as "scratch pads" during course development. Current off-the-shelf equipment can be used for data gathering during the analysis of systems requirements and initial development of course equipment and test materials. Such equipment has been beneficial in revealing…

Feedback management in an individually-paced instruction system can be mathematically analyzed by the use of computer simulation models. Because of the student "down time" or waiting time associated with individualized instruction situations, reinforcement activities have been reduced to less than ideal levels. By proper time management the…

Describes a systems model for designing environmental education programs in schools. Four major phases are identified which suggest planning experiences for environmental awareness, knowledge, and action. (PS)

A survey of the aims and methods of a systems approach to teaching and learning is presented. (MM)

The Delphi technique of refining group opinion was used to develop a graduate-level marriage and family therapy curriculum. Questionnaires were employed and 101 content areas met the criteria for inclusion into the final curriculum. Discussed are the similarities and differences of this curriculum and the current "model" AAMFT…

In the past, educators almost always looked for best practices in classrooms. In fact, when educators say "practice," they are generally talking about teacher practice. Yet 12 years of work at Springboard Schools (and its predecessor, the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative, or BASRC) argues that administrators, as well as teachers,…

A Chicago inner-city high school that attempted "top-down" innovations without true teacher participation finds that little has changed, according to a teacher who has been case historian. (Author)

During the summer of 1986 a group of 15 racially diverse students entering 10th and 11th grades participated in an intensive 4-week course taught by members of an NSF-funded project. The project's goals were to develop science and mathematics curricula based on the principles of systems dynamics. The course was a test of materials intended to…

This booklet begins by examining the role played by evaluation in course and curriculum development, and then shows how the basic "error elimination" approach advocated by the philosopher Karl Popper can be used as a basis for the on-going evaluation of instructional systems. Next, two contrasting paradigms of evaluation are described,…

The problems that pervade professional schools are not dissimilar to those of undergraduate education. Graduates emerge from both with questionable levels of preparation; also, similar problems exist in professional development and curriculur improvement. However, three major differences are found between these two levels of education with respect…

Although the Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model, based on behavioral theory, has been in use for several years, especially in military training, applying the systems approach to the curriculum development of on-the-job training material is a new use for it. The ISD model consists of five steps: (1) analyze system requirements; (2)…

Two new tools useful in curriculum development are the systems approach and functional job analysis. Functional job analysis defines the exact tasks of a specific job or occupation, restructures the tasks if necessary, states performance criteria for each task, and identifies the training and knowledge necessary for task performance. The systems…