Outlines a distance education course in telecommunications offered through Brunel Technical College, Bristol, England. Objectives of the college, the sponsor, college staff, and students enrolled in the course are investigated together with problems, cost implications, and student and staff perceptions. Distance and evening students' performance…

Reports an evaluation of the Teddy Bear disc, an interactive videodisc developed at the Open University for a second-level course in metallurgy and materials technology. Findings from observation of students utilizing the videodisc are reviewed; successful design features and design problems are considered; and development costs are outlined. (MBR)

Describes a case study in the use of stimulated recall, a method of evoking an individual's thoughts about a previous episode in his/her life, to evaluate a science education videotape. The method's general value to researchers and material developers is discussed and its potential in educational media research is assessed. (Author/MBR)

A study which used multiple regression analysis to assess the relationship between student ratings of classroom practices, instructor characteristics, and student commitment to the course and an overall rating of the instructor found that variance in instructor ratings reflected variance in classroom and instructional practices. Twenty-six…

Discusses consequences of using computer-assisted learning (CAL) packages for experiment planning in undergraduate physical chemistry laboratories and examines textbook presentations and syllabus criticism. An approach to syllabus reconstruction that combines operational research with experiences of CAL development program is demonstrated through…

Six school districts selected through Project BEST (Basic Education Skills through Technology)--Cincinnati (Ohio) Public Schools, Alexander (Albany, Ohio) School District, Ann Arbor (Michigan) Schools, Cupertino (California) Union School District, Fairfax (Virginia) Public Schools, and Plains (Montana) Public Schools--describe their use of…

Describes structure, aims, methodology, and results of a study investigating the use of school broadcasts in primary and secondary schools in Scotland. Findings indicate that teachers and pupils value broadcasts highly despite problems with provision of equipment and facilities, management of resources, policymaking, and inadequate teacher…

Describes an investigation of videodisc applications and their adaptation for training programs which focused on a lesson on preparation and administration of intramuscular injections taught at the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences. Results indicate students using videodisc may not learn more but learn faster and retain information longer. (MBR)

Advantages and disadvantages of videodisc-based programs for training military paramedics were explored by comparing instructor-controlled and student-controlled videodisc groups with each other and with a control group taught by traditional methods. Results indicate reduced instructional time with no achievement loss and high user satisfaction…

Reports on research from New Zealand showing that both teachers and students benefited from a concurrent interview technique in which teachers try to discover what their students understand, or fail to understand, from the material they read. (HOD)

Describes the recent phenomenon of early exploratory field experiences in teacher education programs in the United States and Canada. Describes the rationale, structure, personnel, and reactions to the early field experience in the teacher preparation program at the University of Calgary. (SB)

Stresses the need to keep students' interests in mind when teaching college level literature courses. (AEA)

Examined grades 6-12 students' (N=2000) preferences and choices regarding science subjects and relationships of these preferences to school type, age, and sex. Findings indicate that zoology and human anatomy/physiology were most preferred while ecology was least preferred. These and other findings are related to a previous study conducted in…

This study tests four hypotheses based on the extant literature: (1) African Americans, women, students who work more than 20 hours per week, and students older than 22 will have higher levels of satisfaction at community colleges than at universities; (2) Social and cultural experience will have a larger impact on satisfaction at universities…

The researchers, using a variation of the SERVQUAL instrument, repeated a 1999 study to measure students' satisfaction with instructional technology tools used in their classrooms. Student satisfaction varied by course discipline, by instructional technology, by anticipated grade, and by frequency of use. Female respondents were less satisfied…