Content areas that should be included in testing and measurement courses, subsidiary skills, and means of rationalizing the content and skills are outlined. Areas include basic concepts, assessment uses, assessment planning and development, interpretation of assessments, description of results, evaluation and improvement of assessments, feedback…

The preparation and format of debates that deal with environmental issues are presented. The educational pros and cons of such debates are discussed. A list of 30 suggested environmental debate topics and a reproducible debate evaluation form are provided. (KR)

Discussion of teachers' knowledge of instructional design principles highlights a required computer literacy course for preservice teachers that was redesigned to include substantial components to teach instructional design. Results of a study that was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the instructional design training are described. (18…

Urges exposure of college students to different philosophies and world views. Describes the reasoning, preparation, and experience of having a Marxist representative speak to a class on comparative education. Insists that the teacher cannot present an adversary's arguments as a believer would. Argues that exposure to other views produces critical…

A teacher describes his efforts to apply the Foxfire approach in a graduate course for teachers on integrating community resources into the curriculum. In an atmosphere of cooperative learning and teamwork, the graduate students produced a guide to using ordinary people and places as learning resources. (SV)

Proposes that inclusion of waste water treatment subjects within the chemical engineering curriculum can provide students with direct access to environmental issues from both a biotechnological and an ethical perspective. The descriptive details of water recycling at a copper plant and waste water stabilization ponds exemplify this approach from…

This article discusses the benefits that can be derived from implementing adaptive computer training for visually impaired individuals in a group setting, independent from direct job placement concerns. Three student histories demonstrate the advantages of this approach to students' competence, self-esteem, and awareness of career options. (JDD)

Great Britain's National Curriculum places insufficient emphasis on handwriting instruction, and its suggestion to begin joined-up writing in Level 3 is inappropriate. A historical perspective on variations in handwriting style leads to a recommendation for a simple joined style, which would be based on the skeletal italic and taught by example.…

A graduate course in educational administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill uses simulation of a higher education institution to teach planning. A literature review on strategic planning is combined with an experiential planning exercise using the alternative futures approach. The exercise extends appreciation of planning…

In the cooperative controversy technique, two opposing sides are clearly drawn over a single issue, and learners on both sides cooperate to understand both sides and arrive at a personal position. Students respond enthusiastically to the exercise, are helped in exploring emotional responses to issues, and learn how, not what, to think. (MSE)

Explains how the author encouraged students to think about censorship and the arts when conducting a field trip to Robert Mapplethorpe's "The Perfect Moment" exhibition at the Wadsworth Atheneum (Connecticut). Suggests preparing the students beforehand and keeping parents informed. Recommends booking a public room at a museum where…

The situation regarding each Australian State's secondary physics syllabi are summarized. The planning directions necessary to keep such syllabi relevant to the changing needs of Australian secondary students are discussed. Factors influencing the implementation of these physics courses are described. (KR)

Discussed is how modern physics is usually approached via the photoelectric effect and how this can lead to a physically wrong picture of light. The importance of using the quantum theory developed after 1920 to explain the properties of light is discussed. (KR)

Cross-national study examines how social science, social studies, and civics instruction have evolved in public education. Finds that countries frequently adapt social science curricula independent of local conditions. Suggests that this produces a homogeneity of curricula over time and national boundaries. Illustrates curriculum's central role in…

Describes the implementation of a humanities-based curriculum for all ninth and tenth grade students at St. Michael's Academy (Austin, Texas). The ninth grade core is thematically organized, integrating the study of English and religion. The sophomore core integrates world history, world literature, and comparative religions. Describes sample…