Students in an undergraduate course in abnormal psychology annually employ a cooperative active learning model to conduct a 4- to 6-day, values-oriented public policy forum (PPF) within the class itself on a general topic of concern to the field of mental health. A comprehensive and structured five-phase model for a PPF is detailed for course…

This paper investigates the thematic study approach in theory and practice as it applies to the elementary grades, specifically to third grade. Part 1 defines the theme study approach and explains the theories and assumptions that support it as a viable approach to teaching and learning. Part 2 examines research supporting the thematic approach.…

This paper investigates the extent to which American college/university faculty use cooperative pedagogical techniques in their classrooms, and identifies facilitating and inhibiting factors. A broad construct representing faculty's use of cooperative pedagogy was created, which places students at the center of the action regardless of class size…

In Japan, assessment in classroom teaching cannot be considered apart from classroom lessons. This paper describes typical mathematics classroom situations and some of the developments in classroom assessment underway in Japan. The first section of the paper discusses classroom teaching, including whole-class instruction, discussion, objectives,…

Seven articles are presented from a symposium on critical theory, cultural analysis, and the ethical aspects of the use of educational technology. Two papers deal with the educational philosophy of two modern thinkers, and others focus on educational technology in the modern or postmodern era. The following papers are included: (1) "Foucault…

A study was conducted at College of Lake County (Illinois) in spring 1993 to assess the impact of instructor role-modeling among students enrolled in an Introduction to Business course. The course included a three-part Stock Market Project (SMP) accounting for 32% of students' final grade. Among a course section of control group students, the…

Many critics of American education see technology as an important tool in bringing about the kind of revolutionary changes called for in new reform efforts. Consequently, support for the use of technology to promote fundamental reform appears to be reaching a new high. Following an introduction describing elements of school reform, Chapter 2…

This paper describes a range of computer assisted learning software models--linear, unstructured, and ideal--and discusses issues such as control, interactivity, and ease-of-programming. It also introduces a "compromise model" used for a package currently under development at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which is intended to…

This guide is the result of an Ohio task force which reviewed issues related to the identification, evaluation, and provision of appropriate educational services to children with language impairments. Two question and answer pages direct readers to the relevant sections of this guide. The first section, on the nature of language, looks at the…

Although instructional systems design (ISD) has traditionally been used as a micro-level model to design instructional interventions, there has been in recent years a trend toward using the systems approach for more macro-level applications such as performance technology and educational systems design. This paper provides an overview of…

This newsletter issue focuses on the issue of recommended instructional and curriculum changes that are part of the current reforms in science education. The issue is composed of four articles. The first article, "Science Education: Schools Pushed To Broaden Access, Overhaul Practice," discusses the call for a science curriculum that…

This article examines the teacher training program at the Canada-China Language Centre in Beijing, China, and the communicative teaching methodology that it employs in helping scientists, government officials, and other professionals improve their English language skills. The staff consist of both Canadian and Chinese teachers of English, who…

A framework is described for extending the principles of apprenticeship to teaching such subjects as reading, writing, and mathematics. Such a cognitive apprenticeship is aimed at teaching students the processes experts use to handle complex tasks. Conceptual knowledge and factual knowledge are illustrated within the contexts in which they are…

Awareness of the need for more effective instruction for heterogeneous groups of students has resulted in the development of the "mastery learning" model through which students are provided with the additional time necessary to achieve mastery of the content to be learned. The mastery learning model does not, however, provide a…

This paper draws heavily on quantitative synthesis of empirical research on teaching, and for comparison, related influences on learning, such as the student's motivation, home environment, and exposure to television. The first section explains the techniques of explicit search and selection of evidence and the statistical evaluation and summary…