The autumn conference of the Vermont Council on the Humanities focused on discussions about Allan Bloom's book, "The Closing of the American Mind," and his call for Americans to return to fundamental questions of the nature of man and society. The Council also runs book discussion groups in local libraries. (MLW)

There are important questions in communication disorders that fall outside the limits of science, such as questions concerning social/personal values, questions calling for logical analysis, and questions that wastefully use science because they emanate from a flimsy foundation or the answers would not affect understandings or behavior.…

The Interdisciplinary Concept Model is a four-step plan for developing interdisciplinary curriculum units for gifted students. The model's steps are selecting a topic, brainstorming associations, formulating guiding questions for inquiry, and designing and implementing activities. (Author/CB)

Discusses the development of inquiry skills as a legitimate goal for education and possible ways of using technology to support the inquiry process in classrooms. Three elements of inquiry are examined--how inquiry can be motivated, the centrality of questioning, and metacognitive aspects--and examples of classroom projects are given. (EM)

Compares inquiry teaching practices with the more recent classroom approaches generated by scholarship on women and feminist theory. Develops the concept of feminist pedagogy and illustrates its practice in a unit on western settlement from a United States history course. (JDH)

Describes the "Computer Software Inquiry Inventory" (CSI), which was designed for content analysis of inquiry-based science computer software. Explains the five basic features of the instrument. Includes analyses of two programs using the CSI categories of evaluation. (ML)

This study: (1) tested the effectiveness of the Model of Educational Productivity for predicting the inquiry skill of 17-year-olds; (2) investigated if the prediction of inquiry differed for males and females; and (3) if the prediction of inquiry skill differed for white and nonwhite students. (JN)

Describes a lecture/laboratory course that stresses physical experience and peer interaction in an inquiry-discovery format. The course is required of all incoming freshmen who are nonscience majors. Highlights of such course strategies as performing experiments that demonstrate physical properties before introducing mathematical concepts or…

Finds volumes of research on questioning and none on discussion. Defines discussion and presents concepts and techniques that facilitate it in the classroom. Recommends the need for further research. (MD)

Good citizenship calls for the ability to think critically about issues concerning which there may be a difference of opinion and apply democratic values to the issues. Critical thinking has three components: an attitude of carefully considering problems, knowledge of logical inquiry methods, and skill in applying those methods. (MSE)

The New Jersey Task Force on Thinking has taken the first steps toward statewide assessment of students' thinking skills. Efforts were made to (1) define requisite thinking competencies, (2) explore measurement of thinking competencies, and (3) make recommendations accordingly. Preliminary findings are reported. (TE)

A profile of quantitative methods courses in public administration is presented. Most of these courses use one of two models of learning--the concept attainment model or the nondirective model. How a third and more promising method--the inquiry training model--has been used in the authors' course is described. (RM)

Defines the relationship between theory and practice with specific reference to the inquiry process. Presents a five phase explanation of the inquiry process and provides a practical illustration of each phase. (Author/DB)

The inquiry teaching or discovery approach to learning is discussed. An object lesson is outlined using a cultural artifact as the subject of analysis. (Author/RM)

This essay provides a window into an eighth-grade class engaged in a legislative curriculum drama. The author, an eighth-grade social studies and literature teacher at a private New York City elementary school, describes her use of a legislative curriculum drama to make an eight-week study of the legislative branch of government a more dynamic and…