During the late sixties and early seventies a new nontextbook, lab-centered approach was used in science instruction in elementary grades. With the arrival of the eighties, science curriculum has come full circle, and new science textbooks with corresponding curriculum guides are being adopted. (JN)

Many textbook publishers are apparently at the limit of what they can do within the book form and within their accustomed development budgets. There are many steps which can be taken toward financing, writing, and producing better learning materials, particularly through the integration of video. (Author/SJL)

Provides a general description of the National Science Curriculum in Korea including its involvement in science textbook development. Discusses evaluation procedures for science programs and textbooks. Also contains information on curriculum policy and assumptions about learning. (DDR)

Describes the Digital Learning Interactive textbook which allows instructors to customize an online textbook to meet the needs of the instructor and the students. Discusses the features and components aimed at engaging students in the Digital Learning Interactive text. (CMK)

A new test of young children's computer aptitude and knowledge about computer technologies was given to kindergarten children and third-grade students. Results are reported. Implications of the research for basic and applied developmental psychology are discussed. (RH)

Describes a method for isolating factors that influence the ability of a reader to comprehend the message of an illustration, and explains a model that is constructed from these factors to highlight potential problem stages in an author's design of an illustration. The model is based on data from comprehension trials with college students. (17…

Reviews the results of a study of the quality of basal reading textbooks and a survey of primary and secondary school teachers' perceptions of their quality. Considers the ways in which the textbook adoption process affects content and urges teachers to become more involved in this process. (DMM)

Stating that the primary function of textbooks is to transmit quantity and quality of knowledge, Woodward argues that photographs and other design features should be relevant to the topic, extending learning beyond the written text. Presents recommendations for evaluating the instructional quality of textbook photographs. (GEA)

Reviews research related to textbook development and provision in developing nations. Stresses the importance of increased access to textbooks as a cost-effective means for improving educational quality. Examines four policy options for textbook development in developing countries: adoption, adaptation, government publication, and international…

Maintains that philosophy has become an integral part of geography education at the university level. Considers the value of textbooks in teaching and learning about philosophy in geography. Reviews textbook treatment of the topic and provides a list of 25 textbooks that explore geographic philosophy. (CFR)

Discusses relationships among teachers, curriculum package authors, and publishers. Describes the Atlantic Science Curriculum Project's reform efforts. Recommends that curriculum development projects include: (1) lengthy informal development; (2) combined testing of design and materials; (3) the withholding of contracts until materials are in…

This article describes problems with content area textbooks, outlines difficulties for mainstreamed students with learning disabilities, and reviews ways to improve the content organization and instructional strategies of content area texts using examples from a U.S. history text. Strategies include a problem-solution-effect text structure,…

Investigated the effect of causal structure revisions to school texts on the comprehension of more- and less- skilled undergraduates. Found that readers at both skill levels benefited from the revisions but only for the difficult text. (JPB)

Reports on a pilot survey of the authors of three sets of textbooks used in Australia and Canada, which have previously been shown to include a relatively high proportion of Indigenous and other minority groups' knowledges, cultures and sciences. Explores issues of voice and power in the production of textbooks. (MM)

As the century draws to a close, basic communication instruction at America's universities and colleges is experiencing a barrage of externally determined assaults. Departments are increasing enrollments-per-section while facing a decrease in the number of sections being offered. The agenda of many 1990s state legislatures and the federal…