A study investigated the use of drama activities in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in Malaysia. Instruction occurred over an extended period of time and involved over 300 teachers, with a wide range of training and experience, in secondary and higher education institutions. Students were low-level, intermediate, or advanced…

Part 1 of this five-part project invites students of the Tasmanian region of Australia to explore the history of Port Arthur, a 19th century penal colony located in Tasmania. The project is based on three ideas: (1) studying history can be educational and enjoyable; (2) imagination is an essential part of studying history; and (3) history is most…

Emphasizing critical thinking as the source of renewal and survival of organizations, this document begins by analyzing the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger as examples of inadequate critical thinking. The role of management education in promoting critical thinking is explored as well as the need for a…

Prepared as part of a series applying recent research in oral and written communication instruction to classroom practice, this booklet provides teachers, administrators, and curriculum planners with suggestions for ways to develop more effective oral communication instruction in the content areas as well as speech classes. Following a brief…

Disadvantaged students have difficulty adapting to conventional school programs because they do not possess the basic academic skills necessary to succeed, have a limited perception of the value of education, lack the motivation to achieve, lack self-confidence, and tend to rely on others for support. Programs that ensure the success of these…

Thirteen classroom activities designed to provide active language practice for students of English as a second language are described. Some highlight a targeted grammatical structure, and others require that students work together to solve a problem. Each is designated by level of difficulty (beginning, intermediate, or advanced), skill focus…

Written for use in grades 3 through 6, this guide explains in simple terms the United States government's often unethical handling of treaties with the Ojibwe and small groups of Sioux during the early formation of the country. The first section presents a basic history of the Ojibwe and their reasons for migrating from the Atlantic to the upper…

Noting that new approaches must be found to decrease the numbers of inmates returning to United States prisons and to provide means for productive changes that will result in self-improvement and new options for inmates both inside and outside the prison after their release, a drama program was established in 1979 for inmates at the Federal…

An examination of the different cultural traits, values, and business strategies of Americans and Japanese through simulation and role-playing is presented. A Japanese player and an American player, when presented with scripts, have a business conversation about a hypothetical business venture, and then discuss the interaction in interviews. The…

A technique adopted for a course in advanced conversation in English as a second language used a combination of writing, acting, and self-monitoring activities to teach a variety of culturally valuable skills: narration, expression of opinion, and discussion of common issues in culturally sensitive ways. Students write plays as a group about…

Traditionally, group research has focused on outcome rather than process. In order to provide an efficient means of data collection and analysis in group process, the Automatic Vocal Transaction Analyzer (AVTA) system was developed to generate an objective chronography of conversation vocalizations, pauses, turntaking, switching, and…

While the lecture method of instruction is a good way to transmit facts and information, techniques that actively involve the ego of the learner are preferable for affecting attitudes and/or developing conceptual skills. One family of such techniques is known as simulation techniques. Two methods widely used in industry and colleges are role…

Research was undertaken to investigate various methods of presentation of a computer based science simulation as it related to student content knowledge of the simulation concepts. Three treatment groups of sixth grade students were used in the study: (1) two students per computer interacting with the simulation; (2) a total class presentation of…

Based on a project involving selected teachers from various vocational service areas, this teaching guide presents the 12 most frequently used strategies of teaching used in the modular approach as determined by those in the project. The brief individual description of each strategy includes notes on its strengths and weaknesses, instructions or…

Recently, Indian people from the United States and Canada recommended coping-skills training for American Indians, to help in handling stress, becoming self-determined, being assertive, problem solving, and redesigning social roles and support systems. Some 30 tribal groups and agencies participated in a cultural adaptation of an assertive…