Provides a profile of Paul Robert Wendt who was interested in using technology to teach students how to succeed in higher education by improving library and information skills. Highlights include his educational background; work in films; teaching in higher education at Southern Illinois University (SIU); work in programmed instruction and visual…

Notes that Interdisciplinary Studies Program faculty at Wayne State University devised courses and assignments using computer conferencing to create a collaborative, democratic, and nonauthoritarian learning community. Discusses an assignment based on the film "Grand Canyon" that encouraged students to take on roles of their racial and…

Describes a classroom demonstration that uses a video clip of a robbery from the film "Robocop" to illustrate the fallibility of eyewitness testimony. Students view the clip and complete a multiple-choice test concerning the episode. The ubiquitous poor test performance can be used for an interesting and productive discussion. (MJP)

Provides a rationale for using sustained content study (studying one area over time) to improve the reading and writing skills of college-bound ESL students. Describes a course (and course materials) on "Film & Society." Offers excerpts from student discussion and writing. Examines students' progress as shown in their portfolio writing. Notes…

Emphasizes the need for self-assessment opportunities for self-access learners as a vehicle for granting recognition of the independence of these learners who possess the power to choose their lessons. Acceptable resources for self-assessment include computer software; peer review; TV news broadcasts; films with subtitles; and published, free…

Discusses research on the negative impact of television and movies, scientific research on television violence and aggression, laboratory research, criticisms of laboratory research, field research, correlation studies. Concludes there is no evidence that viewing television violence increases aggression in children or adults but viewing it can…

Examines strategies students and teachers can use when viewing (and countering) the universal and objective image popular culture diffuses. Focuses on teaching environmental/ecological issues in a grade 11 social studies classroom. Suggests that students must engage texts by "writing themselves" to the conversations these texts initiate.…

Classroom music lessons are not usually a forum for addressing philosophical issues, but they can be. Through music and visual media, music teachers can discuss music with middle and high school students in a way that expands how they think about music and their environment. In other words, music teachers can open up space in their music classroom…

Colleges and universities across the country are seeing an overwhelming interest among students in learning about the Middle East and Arabic languages. The most popular courses, professors say, are Arabic language, Middle Eastern politics and the dynamics of the Israeli and Arab relationship. Also in demand are courses on comparative religions and…

This article contains a small selection of mathematical fiction chosen with the teaching of mathematics in secondary school in mind. However, an attempt is made to classify the works and provide a few ideas about how these items may be used by mathematics teachers, sometimes, but not necessarily, in collaboration with science and humanities…

Using films to teach historical time periods, people, or events is not a new idea. In this article, the author contends that teachers who use film solely to teach historical facts or to test students' ability to stay awake miss an important opportunity to aid in the development of students' real historical understanding. Instead, teachers should…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 13-week media enhanced content intervention based in popular culture relative to student attitude and student enjoyment in college students enrolled in beginning level self-defense courses. Participants (n = 81) were assigned to either control or experimental groups within one of four…

This article offers readers ideas for using mass media to enhance their physical education program. Generally, media is the term used to define the way in communicating with a large number of people. Technically, media is divided into two categories: print and film (electronic). Print (journals, newspapers, books, etc.) is "put to paper" to create…

Describes a project in which a cohort of preservice teachers engaged in an inquiry into techniques of power, focusing on the power relations between teachers and students. The project analyzed the film, "The Paper Chase" and articulated eight techniques of power and certain elements from Foucault's "Discipline and Punish." The article explains how…

Culture offers people suggestions for dealing with life's vicissitudes, and people find different suggestions in different cultures. In a multicultural society, they have a variety of alternatives to choose among: ethnicities, regionalisms, lifestyles, religious movements, occupations, hobbies, and more. In American society, the groups that are…