International University (IU) is an independent, nonprofit, "virtual" institution that offers baccalaureate and master's degrees in business communication via classes conducted entirely on the World Wide Web and Internet. Courses are developed by experts in the field of business communications; IU then compiles the necessary study…

The Small Group Instructional Feedback (SGIF) method was originally designed in 1976 by D. Joseph Clark to obtain formative feedback from students and help improve course quality and teacher effectiveness. In the SGIF method, a facilitator meets with students, gathers feedback on an instructor's performance, and reviews these students' comments,…

Instruction should emphasize generic skills as much as it does occupational or domain-specific skills. Generic skills enable people to: (1) cooperate and communicate for group problem solving; (2) identify and define problems in complex environments; (3) seek, acquire, and synthesize new information; and (4) adapt to changes in the problem-solving…

This report presents work done by participating General Educational Development (GED), adult basic education (ABE), and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructors in collaboration with the Institute for Literacy Studies at Lehman College (City University of New York). The report is in three sections. The first section is a statement, in list…

The article presents a comparison of online and on ground instructional techniques focusing on the differences between face-to-face and computer-mediated communication. Lessons are drawn from the authors, who collectively teach online courses at Nova Southeastern University as well as the United States Sports Academy, Baker College, the University…

Models used for evaluating teacher education programs are described, particularly the learner referencing educational evaluation model. This model involves ten stages: (1) acquisition of possible teacher training program standards; (2) verification of those standards; (3) generation of specific learner objectives; (4) processing of learner…

This document describes a literacy project in rural Ecuador using a modified version of Sylvia Ashton Warner's language experience approach. This method allows learners to approach written culture on their own terms by learning words important to their life, then transferring these works to sentences and stories. The approach reduces the rural…

An Adult Basic Education curriculum utilizing community resources to help second language learners cope in real life situations is described. Curriculum topics lasting two to four weeks are studied through the use of speakers, films, real-life materials and field trips. Individual lessons cover: (1) community services, (2) consumer education, (3)…

This illustrated booklet describes aspects of a college Spanish course in which students play an active role in learning and using the language. Methods and materials take account of real-life situations and situations significant to young people. The learning of Spanish through "fine arts" is discussed, that is, learning the language by using the…

This paper investigates the nature of social change and the special needs of youth, and innovation in the teaching of social studies at the secondary level. Drawing on curriculum experiments begun in 1967, a new social studies program of non-graded instructional modules was inaugurated in 1969 concentrating in 3 areas: 1) United States Realities,…

This document is a guide for managers and curriculum leaders of adult and community learning (ACE) programs in the United Kingdom who need to take a strategic approach to their program's curriculum and build internal organization and partnerships. The introduction discusses the aims and components of the overlapping strands of ACE provision (broad…

Classroom assessment and research are effective means of professional development for community college faculty. Assessment tests engage students in monitoring and evaluating their own learning, and encourage teachers to reflect on their classes from a learning perspective. Classroom research is learner-centered, teacher-directed, collaborative,…

Some early childhood educators have proposed that the knowledge base used to inform the early education field actually serves to support the status quo, reinforces prejudices and stereotypes, and ignores the real lives of children. The purpose of this book is to deconstruct early childhood education, identifying and evaluating the themes and forms…

A discussion of the philosophy of open learning in higher education, particularly in the Australian context, looks at a variety of issues, including societal pressures to redirect higher education, the teaching role of faculty, student-centered curricula, lifelong learning, need for new student assessment strategies, and student attitudes toward…

This handbook is a resource for preschool curriculum planning. Chapter 1, "Begin with Yourself," provides checklists, comparative charts, and guiding questions for self-assessment of knowledge and experiences. Chapter 2, "Revitalizing the Environment," provides tools to assess the learning environment and makes suggestions…