Test design and content and course design and content are mutually influential. In accordance with changing trends in foreign language instruction--individualized learning, independent study, small group instruction, peer teaching--testing should likewise be revamped to reinforce and inform the learning process. Tests must take into account…

The Committee for General and Technical Education of the Council of Europe has initiated several projects to study, compare and evaluate curriculum materials used in the member nations. The study highlights preoccupations of educators in member countries responsible for the planning of history programs. There is concern for the content of the…

This course outline for advanced students of Spanish is based on Units 24 and 25 of "A-LM Spanish," first edition, with numerous materials added. The multiple skills of language are enhanced with continued emphasis on guided discussion and free conversation. Nominalization with the definite, indefinite, and neuter articles is among the…

This introductory course in Spanish focuses on the listening, speaking, and reading skills as well as presenting some cultural background material. Attention is also paid to developing a positive student attitude toward language learning. The content of the course is centered upon passports, visas, immunization shots, customs, hotel…

This course is designed to appeal to advanced classes whose teachers and students would like an alternative to the more formal, regular classroom situation and who have some interest in learning more about France and its people. The purpose is to present a cross-section of contemporary France through the profiles of personalities who have made…

This subunit on Western Europe is one of four resource units for an eleventh grade area studies course. One section of the subunit contains an introduction and the other the geography of Western Europe. The introduction contains objectives, an outline of content, teaching procedures, and instructional materials. The geography section focuses upon…

Given the general recognition that what we do is influenced as much or more by our value commitments as by our factual knowledge, it is ironic that social studies, the area of the curriculum supposedly focused on citizenship education, has paid so little attention to values. There are many reasons for this, but one of them, the author believes, is…

Discusses the questions of if, what, when, and how to teach about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Describes a pilot project in AIDS education conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada), which used interactive video as the method of addressing those questions. Warns of several issues that need to be considered in such a program.…

Creating ways to make a discipline come alive for those who are not experts--even for students who may not take more than one or two courses in the disciplines they study--requires rigorous thought about what really matters in a field and how to engage students in the practice of it. Faculty from Alverno College representing a range of liberal…

Support in the United States for comprehensive sexuality education is overwhelming. Yet a small, vocal opposition and increasingly hostile public policy have deterred its implementation in many communities across the country. The chasm between community needs and public policy prompted the Ms. Foundation for Women and the David and Lucille Packard…

"A Focus on Professional Development" is the fourth in the Research-Based Practices in Early Reading Series published by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) at Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Because reading proficiency is fundamental to student achievement across all subjects and grades, the preparation of the teachers…

In this paper, the authors discuss the issue of academic equivalence as it applies to international transfer of credit. They describe the history of the problem, list factors that encourage diversity and those that promote uniformity, and review and evaluate possible solutions, which may involve either turning over equivalence to outside certified…

This digest discusses the need for teaching about the Vietnam War, possible reasons for the negligible treatment the subject receives in social studies classes, and some instructional approaches to the material. Currently, students lack a systematic and detailed knowledge of this turning point in U.S. history. The impact of the Vietnam War on U.S.…

This five-section facilitator's guide is designed to help teachers guide students through exploration of career paths. The first section is an introduction to the concept of career paths and an explanation of the steps students follow in exploring them. The second section provides information to help instructors cover the introductory materials…

This Alberta curriculum guide defines competencies that help students build daily living skills, investigate career options in financial management, use technology in the financial management field effectively and efficiently, and prepare for entry into the workplace or related postsecondary programs. The first section provides a program rationale…