Describes a course, taught jointly by electrical/chemical engineering departments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, designed to teach the fundamental science of plasma processing as well as to give an overview of the present state of industrial processes. Provides rationale for course development, texts used, class composition, and…

Describes a course in ethnographic field methods/qualitative research methods. Discusses concepts and learning opportunities provided by the various texts utilized and by the experiences of several pioneers in field research. (GC)

Describes a two-semester course in fieldwork taught by the author in several universities. The first semester is entirely classroom-based, with students required to read heavily on all aspects of research design, methods, analysis, and problems. The second semester is a structured, qualitative fieldwork study. (GC)

Reports on the results of a survey of rural midwestern, fifth- and sixth-grade parents' perceptions of elementary social studies to see if their perceptions were consistent with "Revised National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Curriculum Guidelines." (AH)

Values are unavoidable in every school and in the very fabric of the social studies content. Values education, in its various forms, should be an integral part of social studies and citizenship education. (RM)

Describes topics and activities covered in a communication course for students who plan careers that include working with the elderly. (Offered at undergraduate and graduate levels in the departments of Social Work, Sociology, and Communication.) (PD)

Describes a forensic-oriented, college-level course in consumer chemistry. Includes course goals, topical outline, and list of chemical ingredients in consumer products useful for student research projects. The first section of the course focuses on mathematics since students in introductory courses may fear doing the most rudimentary mathematical…

A cycling course can take advantage of students' interests, teach safe cycling, and give students a fuller appreciation of a lifetime sport. Suggestions for planning and scheduling a cycling course, covering safety procedures, and considering other elements necessary for a successful course are given. (PP)

Research in secondary economics education since 1966 shows an increased emphasis on international trade and finance, decreased emphasis on labor and industrial relations, and low priority given to concepts of opportunity cost and scarcity. Findings from three surveys of economics education, made in 1966, 1975, and 1981, are compared. (AM)

Focuses on the preeminent position of business communication in China's largest business school specializing in international trade, the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade. Covers background, business communication courses and texts, and methods of instruction. (PD)

Describes the descriptive inorganic chemistry component of a second year course in intermediate general chemistry at Sir Wilfred Grenfall College (Canada). Includes course content, listing of audiovisual aids, and discussion of textbooks used. (Author/JN)

A questionnaire is described whose aim was to determine students' reactions to individual course topics in terms of: the extent to which they had grasped them; those on which they had spent the most time; those on which they had wished for more help; and their familiarity with them. (Author/MLW)

Describes the use of elaboration theory in selecting, sequencing, synthesizing, and summarizing instructional content that is predominantly conceptual in nature. The elaboration theory is summarized and the instructional design process based upon it is outlined. Six figures, a glossary, and a 27-item reference list are included. (Author/JL)

Findings are reported based on an analysis of questionnaire data derived from a year-long study of the impact of student-oriented, computer-based research on student attitudes toward sociology and selected course activities. Voluntary participation resulted in more favorable attitudes than did compulsory participation. (Author/GK)

Argues that if colleges cannot find enough qualified teachers to teach courses in technical and business writing, then extra training is critically needed to regain the academic integrity of these courses. (HOD)