Data for a study of learning within farmers' cooperatives were collected by interviewing members of 25 such cooperatives in Imo State of Nigeria. Information was also gathered from a literature review and interviews with Nigerian government officials who worked closely with cooperatives. Three types of cooperative associations were identified:…

This handbook was developed to assist educators and parents in fostering children's self-concept through developmentally appropriate kindergarten experiences. Guidelines for parental involvement, classroom volunteers, and families under stress are included. The handbook describes basic characteristics of children from ages 3-8 in terms of…

Contract learning is an alternative way of structuring a learning experience. Instead of specifying how a body of content will be transmitted (content plan), it specifies how a body of content will be acquired by the learner (process plan). Students identify problems or issues that are real for them and relevant to the course at hand, state…

The bridging theme of the AMTEC'93 conference provided the stimulation to look beyond traditional boundaries: across international borders; across levels of disciplines and school systems; across social differences and across individual differences. These bridges can help make learning more effective, as can attention to related contemporary…

This paper posits that metaphor, in addition to embellishing language, promotes a comprehensive understanding of complex concepts and phenomena and provides teachers with a powerful way to talk about their work. The main body of this document, which includes an extensive review of the literature, considers the use of metaphors for mentoring in the…

A series of studies that investigated the validity of abilities learned in college for later career and professional work are summarized. After describing the rationale for validating outcome-centered higher education curricula, the following types of measures for program evaluation and outcome validation are discussed: performance measures of…

A set of "creative competencies" provides a framework for assessing the extent to which local school environments contribute to the production of creative citizens. Following an introduction to rationale and organization of the Vermont Creativity Task Force, material is divided into five substantive sections. Section 1 pinpoints the…

This evaluation summary is a synopsis of information on the school year (SY) 1987-1988 Learning Center program in Hawaii contained in 20 different evaluation reports, one on each Learning Center. Each Learning Center served elementary, intermediate, or high school students, and the program of each was designed to equalize educational opportunities…

The possible use of fiction about colleges as part of the study of higher education is considered, based on analysis of 80 student-centered college novels written by authors who attended the depicted colleges. The novels used colleges as either the subject matter or setting. Three criticisms of the idea of using fiction are discussed, including…

Women who seek further education and the formal credentials it provides often have acquired valuable knowledge and work experience while performing various unpaid work in their homes and communities. Awarding college credit and recognition for women's nonpaid work is a measure of social justice and equity. The three major ways to evaluate and…

This paper examines the use of community based economic impact studies as service learning tools for undergraduate business programs. Economic impact studies are used to measure the economic benefits of a variety of activities such as community redevelopment, tourism, and expansions of existing facilities for both private and public producers.…

This paper reports the results of assessment as an embedded learning opportunity through evidence from a course on Management and Spirituality for business students offered in 2002 and 2003 in the USA and Europe. It discusses how assessment can be strategically used to nudge students' minds through learning experiences that expand current mental…

The Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning project (CAEL) has developed general principles for assessment of prior experiential learning which can be adapted for local circumstances and individual learning. An overview of the basic principles of good assessment practice, as represented in current CAEL publications, is provided. Procedural…

This ninth in a series of twenty-nine learning modules on instructional execution is designed to give secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers assistance in determining how the project method applies to their service area and in planning and implementing this method effectively. The terminal objective for the module is to employ the project…

Over the past ten years, language teachers have become adept at using new techniques for teaching culture. Folklore is one resource that has not been fully exploited, but that can lead students to a deeper understanding of culture and, at the same time, involve them in rich language experiences. Use of folklore in the foreign language classroom,…