This case study tracks the application of project-based learning (PBL) during four separate college terms at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. Each term follows a different learning community of first-term college students enrolled in a program of developmental education (DE), reading, writing, math, and college survival and success…

The crisis of sustainability can be linked to the traditional forms of schooling driven by mechanistic and technocratic worldviews. Progressing to a more sustainable world requires a fundamental shift in the framework of formal education--its structure, content and process--to include principles of systems thinking and holistic learning. A case…

As the result of an extensive self-study for the purpose of reaccreditation, the Department of Theology at The University of Portland began offering a new series of courses called Theological Perspective Courses (THEP). THEP courses are upper division and offered by theology faculty in conjunction with another department that has required core…

Described is the development of a course that combines subject matter from introductory courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. The syllabus was written by four college science teachers, three of whom taught the course at Portland State College to 32 freshmen and sophomores. To evaluate the course, achievement tests and attitude surveys were…

The use of content-based language instruction (CBI) offers an innovative and effective method for teaching core geographic concepts and skills while students study a second language. This article focuses on a collaborative initiative developed and tested by university and high school level geography and second-language educators. The goal of the…

This essay explores the themes of curriculum and pedagogy, as outlined by the editors of this special edition, in the context of Portland State University's institutional transformation. We elucidate select mechanisms that support curricular-community interactions, known at PSU as "community-based learning." In doing so we discuss how…

Designed as a component of a pilot career exploration program at Vale Middle School, Vale, Oregon, this interdisciplinary guide provides a model for teachers at the junior high and middle school level to use in relating all areas of the school curriculum to the four life roles advocated by the concept of career education (to become a responsible…

The final report of the year long Interdisciplinary Support Classes Project at Banks High School, Banks, Oregon, is presented. Six cluster and noncluster staff members were involved in jointly developing and improving student instruction through interdisciplinary approaches. Outcomes for the 300-310 students in grades 9-12 included the development…

Oregon offers this guide to assist educators in establishing career education programs in small schools, K-12. Section 1 gives suggestions for promoting awareness, exploration, and preparation and lists goals for incorporating career educational concepts into all areas of the curriculum. Emphasis is placed on vocational clusters and special…

Divided into three major sections, this description of career and vocational education in small Oregon schools includes the following: (1) Introduction and Implementation (describes career awareness for grades K-6, career exploration for grades 7-10, career preparation for grades 11 and 12, and career education requirements for graduation and…

Designed as a component of a pilot career exploration project at Vale Middle School, Vale, Oregon, this guide is directed toward helping any school implement the concept of career education. The guide is divided into three sections. Section 1 offers ideas that give support to the background and justification for the concept of career education.…