Focuses on the appropriate use of tests to evaluate a program according to the overall goals, approaches, and specific instructional contents of that particular program. The article emphasizes that often test results are viewed as indicators of the success or failure of a program without considering whether the aims of that program and the…

Discusses a special education program for children with lower intelligence quotients and emotional problems, to study introductory level Spanish with a teacher whose native language is Spanish. In addition to language content, the classes included instruction in social science. The program assisted these children in improving their knowledge of…

Delphi panels of 22 national and 28 Missouri tech prep experts identified the following essential elements of tech prep: involvement of community colleges, area vocational-technical schools, and high schools; role in refocusing career exploration; blurring of college prep/vocational education distinctions; and collaborative planning between…

Presents an art lesson in which drawing students learn to use scratchboard to create a picture of a skeleton part that they find interesting. Describes how the students create pictures using this technique. Includes a list of materials and objectives. (CMK)

Describes the instructional method, Client-Life Cycle GIS Project Learning, used in a course at Indiana University of Pennsylvania that enables students to learn with and about geographic information system (GIS). Discusses the course technical issues in GIS and an example project using this method. (CMK)

Describes the Economagic Web site, a comprehensive site of free economic time-series data that can be used for research and instruction. Explains that it contains 100,000+ economic data series from sources such as the Federal Reserve Banking System, the Census Bureau, and the Department of Commerce. (CMK)

Considers the context of internationalism for the enhancement of fieldwork practices. Discusses whether fieldcourses are valuable experiences. Addresses specific issues affecting internationalisation of fieldcourses, such as financial considerations, sharing courses (staff and resources), overseas fieldtrips and expeditions, safety, and student…

Describes and evaluates whether students could be more motivated to learn, acquire more skills, and exhibit higher course satisfaction by assessing students in two sections of a weather and climate course where only one section used real-time weather data. Reveals that inclusion of the real-time weather data positively affected learning and…

Discusses teaching current events in sociology with a focus on events in the mass media and the responses of students to those events. Describes three teaching strategies recommended for teaching current events because they enable students to understand the media's role in society. Includes references. (CMK)

Discusses a thematic approach that can be used to integrate service learning into the introductory sociology curriculum. Describes the different institutional contexts that may influence its effectiveness, the course content and objectives, the service-learning component, use of themes, and student outcomes. (CMK)

With America at war, schools struggle to help students understand cause and effect of conflict. Interviewed in early March, some teachers say they try not to let impressionable adolescents know how they feel about the controversial American policy on use of force in Iraq. Others say that while they present both sides of the issue, it is only right…

Reports results of a nationwide survey of first-year experience (FYE) courses for college freshmen to determine whether FYE course curricula contained a library component, especially information literacy. Discusses who develops the library component, who teaches it, course content, and the role that libraries and librarians play. (Author/LRW)

This study uses a computer log is to evaluate now online content is consumed and to identify individual differences among students in terms of content usage and the amount of content presented in Web-supported course sites. Findings show the amount of content accessed is very high, but large differences exist among students. (Author/AEF)

Focuses on teaching sociology to prisoners, the benefits of teaching prisoners, and the experience of teaching the courses to prisoners. Addresses how the author took the experience of teaching prison students into traditional undergraduate courses. Highlights the implications for teaching sociology. (CMK)

Presents the results of a study that examined the teaching of sociology at the high school level in New York state. Explores specifically the offering of sociology courses, course profiles, and the teacher backgrounds, attitudes, and satisfaction. Reports that sociology is not frequently taught in New York state high schools. (CMK)