The automated water filtration design challenge integrates computer programming and basic electronics concepts through the SIMILAR systems engineering design process. The SIMILAR systems design process is to state the problem, investigate alternatives, model the system, integrate the system, launch the system, assess performance, and reevaluate…

Systems theory has been a staple in organizational communication textbooks since the field's inception (Miller, 2015; Poole, 2014). Nevertheless, the authors' classroom experiences have revealed that systems theory may not seem applicable to students due to its complicated nature. While examples and cases can help students make sense of the…

Courses: Communication and Diversity, Intercultural Communication, Gender Communication. Objectives: After completing this semester-long activity, students should be able to (1) articulate a systems-of-oppression (privilege??oppression) approach to thinking about difference; (2) confront and "interact differently" with one social…

This book contains a collection of formal and informal reading assessments for use with students in Grades K-12. These assessments assist the teacher in targeting areas of strength and weakness, in monitoring student reading development, and in planning appropriate instruction. Unlike large-scale achievement tests, the majority of these…

The author outlines the main features of the Instructional Design model and advocates it as a practical system for improving instruction at any level. (SJL)

Social class remains one of the chief prisms through which reality is interpreted. It is vital for a student to understand how this prism influences their internal representations of themselves and others. In this activity, social class is viewed as a social construction of perceived financial and/or economic status developed through societal…

To teach geography that is meaningful in general education--at the elementary, secondary, or college levels--an integrative approach which transmits understanding of the earth as a total system must be used. How to teach physical, cultural, economic, and regional geography in general courses is discussed. (RM)

This paper focuses on assisting families who have been damaged by substance abuse and on constructive involvement of families to help all members cope. The four main topics are: (1) "Substance Abuse and Family Systems," including the effects of substance abuse on families and children; (2) "Theories and Approaches to Family…

Presents a brief overview of dynamical systems. Gives examples from dynamical systems and where they fit into the current curriculum. Points out that these examples are accessible to undergraduate freshmen and sophomore students, add continuity to the standard curriculum, and are worth including in classes. (MM)

Describes a systems approach to the job search. Notes how courses in business communications, technical writing, and report writing can help students acquire job search skills. (RL)

The authors describe program organization and teaching/learning procedures which can be employed in the remediation of mildly to severely handicapped students. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 describes ways to manage educational resources such as time, aides, support staff, and student teachers to maximize learning. A brief third…

Addresses the problem of the failure of students to see a physiological system in an integrated way. Programmable calculators armed with a printer are suggested as useful teaching devices that avoid the expense and the unavailability of computers for modelling in teaching physiology. (Author/SA)

The classroom may be described as an open system of interacting roles, with the function of the instructor described as defining boundaries and regulating transactions across them. In the classroom, the primary task (that which an organization must perform if it is to survive) is to change student behavior in prescribed ways. Boundaries are…

A five-step method for teaching notetaking skills in students with mild learning handicaps includes evaluating current performance, teaching preskills, teaching a notetaking system, providing for distributed practice, and providing for skill generalization. Additional practical suggestions for teachers are provided. (MSE)

Discusses a graduate-level course in mariculture to help students synthesize what they have learned in traditional courses and apply that higher-level understanding in a systematic and explicit way in evaluating complex issues. (Author/CCM)