The University of Texas Medical Branch instituted a series of interdisciplinary courses as part of a major curriculum reform in September, 1970. After an evaluation of this change, some general trends were discovered, such as the dependence of course effectiveness on the quality of the course leadership; the need for more logistic and…

This unit studies enquiry as a type of educational goal and examines ways in which the teaching of enquiry is becoming a key emphasis in elementary and secondary schools. The unit's objectives focus on the definition and requirements for enquiry-focused instruction, a rationale for enquiry-focused instruction, the relations between ideas and…

Author described competency based education-oriented academic programs and the planning for their implementation. His general purpose was to defend the use of CBE through an effective evaluation effort that would show the program was succeeding. (RK)

Discussed the benefits and costs of self-paced instruction (SPI) based on brief summaries of experiences in teaching introductory economics at seven universities. Provided also is a six-step pattern for setting up a self-paced course. The author concludes that the evidence on the educational benefits of self-paced instruction is at present…

Reports on an undergraduate earth science course for non-science majors structured around five-week minicourses. Evaluates student and teacher response to the program. (CP)

Presents Australian high school student responses to questions about what they do in school, how they do it, what they think, and how they feel. Proposes that teachers can learn from these responses, possibly adapting their teaching procedure because of student comments. (RL)

Points out weaknesses in research studies purporting to show that there is no transfer value to the teaching of grammar; presents 21 pointers to aid in establishing a good grammar program. (DD)

Three changes in elementary science teaching have exhibited the pendulum effect: teaching the process skills of science, teaching science by inquiry, and teaching science by individualized instruction. (BB)

Introduces the use of proverbs to teach students about values analysis. Students are involved in considering the sound and rhythm of various proverbs, deriving data about different societies from proverbs, and analyzing the role of proverbs in the development of value systems. (Author/DB)

Describes how stories and poems can help students understand the experience of growing up in various cultures. Students are involved in role playing, dramatization, and writing assignments. A Yoruba poem and a tale from the mountains of North Carolina are presented as examples. (Author/DB)

Discusses episodes from the history of the Sioux Indians in North and South Dakota and suggests ways in which this information can be incorporated into social studies classroom activities. Information is taken from primary source material in the Educational Division of the National Archives. (Author/DB)

To give students the necessary basic economic concepts in the general business course, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, New York, expanded the curriculum to offer seven quarter-courses in economics, the court system, principles of banking and insurance, consumer education, the working citizen, and business management. (MF)

Explains considerations weighed during the development of a communications curriculum, particularly with regard to the conflict between a student-centered and a content-centered emphasis. (GW)

Describes an on-site science curriculum development technique for use in elementary schools. The operation of the model, with each of the four phases in the development of curricular materials described, is provided. (CP)

Suggests ways to rekindle interest in the study of history among high school students. Suggestions include offering mini-courses, utilizing multi-media instruction, expanding the history curriculum to include concepts from other social sciences, and encouraging student participation. (Author/DB)