This document describes a project in which elementary school students explored the problems experienced by early pioneers and compared them to similar problems that will face future space pioneers. Comparing a past way of life to the present and future helps students examine and understand change in the physical, social, and cultural environment,…

Trying to change the predictive rule for the sinking and floating phenomena, students have a great difficulty in understanding density and they are insensitive to empirical counter-examples designed to challenge their own rule. The purpose of this study is to examine the process whereby students from sixth and seventh grades relinquish their…

Designed to serve as a means of communication among life science educators who anticipate or are currently using microcomputers as an educational tool, this volume of newsletters provides background information and practical suggestions on computer use. Over 80 articles are included. Topic areas include: (1) using a personal computer in a plant…

This study assessed the effect of group size and presentation mode on acquisition of the process skill of forming and testing hypotheses and selected attitudes. Preservice elementary teachers (N=87) in five intact classes received two 1-hour sessions presented by microcomputer, 1 week apart. Half of the subjects were assigned to three-member…

There are a number of ways in which the educational applications of computers can be categorized. This document focuses on the use of computers in science teaching. It differentiates between such terminology as tutor, tool, tutee, tutorial dialogue, revelatory use, conjectural use, and emancipatory use. The major portion of this paper is a…

A sequel to the booklet "How Computers Can Be Used in Education," this booklet begins by looking at ways in which computer-based learning (CBL) materials can be used in different types of instructional situations, i.e., mass instruction, individualized learning, and group learning. The design and production of four types of conventional CBL…

This teaching guide on population issues contains 19 activities for students in grades 7-12. The objective is to analyze population issues that have resulted from human population dynamics. In this guide, four categories of activities are included: some are discussion starters, some provide factual data, some focus on thinking skills, and some are…

This paper presents an inservice program for school counselors--or for a school counselor and a special educator--to work together to teach regular educators and other school personnel how to work more effectively with special needs students. The method may also be used by an individual educator to improve his/her skills in working with special…

Unlike ordinary computer simulations that imitate the conditions of a real-life situation and allow several variables to be input, job simulations program a microcomputer to simulate the functions of one or more pieces of business or office equipment and to provide hands-on, interactive instruction to students on how to use that equipment. Good…

A study was conducted to find out how teacher educators would resolve difficulties arising from the introduction of new goals for teacher education programs. Judgments of 6 panels of 12 teacher educators were recorded and pooled during a simulated planning exercise. Participants were asked to design a process to achieve a specific goal within a…

Offering instruction in performance appraisal (PA) skills as well as in selection interviewing contributes to business communication students' potential for finding the most appropriate job and keeping it. Students and faculty can benefit from the recognition that in appraisals of performance effective communication behavior is a key indicator of…

A number of key issues facing elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educational administrators during retrenchment require a hierarchical decision-modeling approach. This paper identifies and discusses the use of a hierarchical multiple-alternatives modeling formulation (computer-based) that compares and evaluates a group of solution…

This 10-day study compared the effects of alternative ways of using microcomputer simulations on the achievement and attitudes of sixth- and seventh-grade science students (N=173). Nine classes were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: (1) microcomputer simulations; (2) laboratory activities; (3) a combination of simulation and laboratory…

Student activity pages, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented in this supplementary packet. Section I provides suggestions for using community resource persons and lists Alabama resources for teaching about law. Activities in Section II focus on the need for laws and…

Student activity pages, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented. Lessons in this unit further develop ideas presented in the eighth grade packet and can be used to supplement a course in government. Section I provides suggestions for using community resource persons.…