Criminal suspects who are mentally retarded frequently are unable to understand or take advantage of their constitutional rights. Students should receive instruction concerning their rights. Through mock arrest situations, they should be taught to request an attorney, as a cued response reaction to being taken into custody. (JDD)

Describes a game used in a graduate course dealing with interviewing skills. When following game rules, students are required to generate hypotheses and to engage in decision making techniques. Indicates student reaction to this exercise is positive. Notes that the activity brings about disinhibition in students while providing them with pertinent…

In a University of California continuing pharmacy education course in diabetes care, practicing pharmacists lived as patients with diabetes for two days and role-played in small groups. One year later, participants reported making changes in their diabetes care-related practice, suggesting its effectiveness in improving practitioners' skill…

Provides an overview of the most widely used methods of classroom oral testing, as well as evaluations of their practicality and conformity to the goals of communicative teaching and testing. Also described are ways the video camera and task-based activities have successfully been used to make oral testing a more realistic communicative…

Teacher Educators who want to help students become leaders must let them practice the skills in their courses before going out to teach. One successful method is simulating the context in which leaders make policy decisions in groups. The article describes a course that uses simulations to teach leadership roles. (SM)

Three short articles highlight tips for teaching in the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom, including cooperative learning strategies, a listening comprehension activity, and ideas on why detail is essential for clarity in writing. (CK)

Examined the effect of sociodramatic play on the literacy learning of first graders. Found that sociodramatic play provided a vehicle through which the players practiced what they knew about literacy and provided an opportunity to think about literacy in the context of various play themes. Adult mediation enhanced the players' incorporation of…

Basic thinking regarding certain aspects of learner autonomy is presented as well as certain cultural traits that may impede the promotion of autonomy. The use of large-scale simulation can create a learning environment that promotes autonomy. It is concluded that concrete acts of taking responsibility imbue the learner with a sense of autonomy.…

Describes the development and writing of hypotheticals (role-playing) by final-year education students based on local environmental issues that incorporated social, political, and economic elements. The activity enhanced students' communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills, responsibility for learning, and led to a greater knowledge…

Role play is effective in cooperative learning because it reduces anxiety, promotes risk taking, and is versatile. Students share ideas, values, knowledge, and skills, creating mutual problem solving. Limitations include the time required and student personalization of roles. The article lists guidelines for enhancing role play, noting alternative…

Presents career exploration activities for middle school students to stimulate interest and provide information concerning career opportunities in the science field. The activities are cited as representative of an Earth systems education curriculum approach that includes career exploration as an important aspect of science education. (nine…

Reports a teaching strategy drawn from current family reunification training materials that enhance social work students' use of collaboration in child and family settings. Students participate in a videotaped role play of a family reunification case planning conference. Discusses the strategy's theoretical background, learning objectives,…

A review of data collection methods used in 39 studies of interlanguage pragmatics, focusing on the validity of different types of data resulting from discourse completion, role play, observation of authentic speech, and multiple approaches, concludes that caution is needed in determining the true validity of the collected data. (72 references)…

Activities that highlight the unknown and the fact that successful science is produced as much by contradictions as by confirmations are described. The activities are intended to help students begin expressing and channeling their individual curiosity. The topics include ecosystems and energy. (KR)

Asserts that role-playing peer-response groups provide effective feedback and help students develop a sense of the characteristics of a particular audience. Illustrates with a sample lesson (a college application essay) by outlining five steps of the process. Offers other uses of the role-playing peer-response groups method. (PRA)