The main purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of two different methods of instruction on community college students' achievement in the mechanics of composition (capitalization, punctuation, and grammar/usage) and spelling. This study was also concerned with changes in self-esteem, attitudes toward the method used in each plan,…

Designed for both new and experienced continuing legal education (CLE) administrators, this handbook covers curriculum planning, use of audiovisual techniques and resources, and the preparation of written programs and research materials. Such aspects as course selection, program scheduling, supplies and equipment, effective preparation and…

In a comprehensive study of a phase of the social and educational history of Great Britain, the author describes the development of formal adult education in its variety, and at the same time traces the influence of other less formal modes of instruction. Drawing from a wide range of sources he recounts in detail the various agencies of adult…

Freshmen cadets in an enriched mediated honors course in General Physics achieved slightly less on a 40 common-item criteria test than cadets in a traditionally taught honors course in the same subject, although the mediated course included approximately 40 percent more content in the area of modern physics. In the enriched course, audiovisual…

A comparative study was made of Mexican secondary teachers in the Telesecundaria (TS), which utilizes televised instructional programs, and in the Ensenanza Directa (ED), which does not. The aim was to describe the teaching done in the TS system, to compare the two systems, and to examine statistically the relation of teaching and learning…

Two methods of teaching drama as a literary form in an Introduction to Literature course were compared. Eighty-seven first-year students, 28 males and 59 females, were non-randomly assigned to four classes, two of which were taught in the traditional lecture-discussion manner while the remaining two utilized a method combining lecture-discussion…

Options examined were: programmed instruction, computer-assisted instruction, modular instruction, contingency management and contracting, personalized system of instruction, individually prescribed instruction, large lecture, and lecture-discussion. Results indicated differences in exposure to options and among areas of concentration. (Author/LBH)

This study examined the verbal behavior of students and teachers in three learning activities: microcomputer work, group work, and conventional (teacher-directed) instruction. Verbalizations were coded into seven task-related and one non-task-related categories. Variations in verbal interactions during each activity were recorded and are…

A study that examined how four types of feedback affected perceived control and student achievement in different instruction settings is described. College students wrote an aptitude test that provided either contingent, low noncontingent failure, high noncontingent failure, or no-performance feedback. (Author/MLW)

Compares the effectiveness of two instructional models in bringing about a valid understanding of science concepts in prospective elementary teachers. Describes the two instructional models; an expository model and a learning cycle model. Concludes that college students understandings of science concepts may be improved using a combination of the…

Discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of both live and videotaped presentations, particularly in regard to courses in mechanical engineering. Describes a graduate-level gas dynamics course that was offered live and on videotape to students both on and off campus by the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). (TW)

Discusses role of computer simulation in complementing and extending conventional components of undergraduate engineering education process in United Kingdom universities and polytechnics. Aspects of computer-based learning are reviewed (laboratory simulation, lecture and tutorial support, inservice teacher education) with reference to programs in…

Techniques for providing variety and effectiveness within the lecture format are described, including the oral essay, participatory lecture, problem-solving approach, alternating mini-lectures and discussions, modeling analytical skills, debate, simulation and role-playing, and the affective/emotional media lecture. (MSE)

Inquiry teaching requires students to engage in hypothesis formation, collection and evaluation of evidence, and the drawing of logical conclusions. Prerequisite skills for inquiry learning are discussed, and examples of inquiry learning in a college level general psychology course are presented. (RM)

Describes a study of the effectiveness of microcomputer-based instruction compared with the lecture method and independent-reading approaches in delivering instruction on library information retrieval skills to eighth-grade students. Results indicate the microcomputer-based courseware and lecture method were identical in instructional…