Summarizes the Australian Language Levels (ALL) guidelines, originally defined in 1988, from the perspective of a professional who helped develop them and has examined their application over a period of years. Highlights aims in writing the guidelines, key concepts, goals and outcomes, and student evaluation and teacher training, and considers…

The director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (North Carolina) is committed to making better use of patient information for medical research, and is building a database from the institute's clinical trials. His approach is to provide biomedical researchers with daily involvement in medicine rather than management. (MSE)

A survey of 208 social-work students found a generally favorable stance toward the role of spirituality and religion in social work, and relatively high endorsement and use of spiritually oriented interventions with clients. At the same time, students reported relatively little exposure to content on religion and spirituality in their educational…

Argues U.S. secondary school reform requires a serious rethinking of the curriculum, in addition to revising the structures and relationships within schools. Explores problems posed by disciplines as the primary influence on curricula, and proposes an alternative model that evenly integrates the influence of disciplines with other influences on…

Argues that students with limited high school geography education may identify regional courses with typical geography, and that these courses may play a significant role in recruiting geography majors. Discusses the role of a regional course in a geography curriculum and the structuring of the course to avoid common instructional deficiencies.…

Describes 12 critical-thinking books that instructors could use as supplements in psychology courses. Observes that, although the breadth and depth of most of these books limit their use in a one-term introductory course, they fit comfortably into two-term courses. Suggests alternative ways to incorporate supplementary books into the psychology…

Argues that increasing numbers of students with limited English proficiency in the United States create a need for educators prepared to teach linguistically and culturally diverse students. Summarizes factors that affect the design of bilingual education programs and describes the program components necessary to provide education services to…

Describes the development of an arts-based educational program at a female correctional facility in rural Florida. Considers pedagogical and political dimensions of the program; discusses curriculum design and development, learning processes, and institutional influences; and presents examples of participants' artistry and interpretations. (DSK)

A survey explored issues and concerns of 46 parents of gifted preschoolers and 23 preschool/kindergarten teachers surrounding early identification and programming for giftedness. The majority of participants reported that early identification can and should be done, and supported the practice of differentiated curriculum. Early admission was not…

This discussion of the organization of the university's undergraduate curriculum and program administration, draws on models that focus on demand, supply, and use of management principles for streamlining supply. A modified, contingency model is proposed as the most useful theoretical approach to effectively reorganize undergraduate programs. (MSE)

The University of Oklahoma's Price College of Business has implemented an integrated core curriculum that relies on engaging students in business-world experiences to provide a conceptual basis for integration of a wide range of concepts. Experience is gained through two projects--creation and management of a start-up company (funded by a loan)…

Advocates the use of archaeology and anthropology as tools for delivering multicultural education in the elementary setting. Argues that archaeology demonstrates to children the ways that various cultures have solved problems related to a common set of human needs. Discusses curriculum design and includes two lesson plans. (DSK)

Cooperative and dual-degree programs at colleges and universities are helping to increase the number of graduates in underrepresented groups. Several undergraduate engineering-education programs involving both historically black and predominantly white institutions illustrate the effectiveness of this approach. Minority students can build…

Argues that teachers must incorporate a range of reading practices generated from traditional and contemporary literary theories that provide different textual analysis to reconceptualize literary and literacy curriculum for the new millennium. Outlines four approaches to reading practices to replace traditional analysis with major focus on a…

Issues in the design of nursing problems for problem-based learning are as follows: problems must support the underlying educational philosophy and desired outcomes; they should use material from actual cases; and they should be constructed so students take responsibility for learning and control the learning process. (SK)