Even in schools termed "outstanding" by local and state reviews, few teachers demonstrate artful, inspired classroom instruction. Probable causes include (1) the emphasis in schools on order, competency, and basics, (2) random minilectures, (3) teachers' growing old in place, and (4) the dearth of younger career teachers. (IW)

Describes the Minnesota Education Computing Corporation (MECC) Computing and Information Collection, a collection of software products for students in grades 4-12. These products are designed to support individual course content objectives and introduce and practice information literacy skills. Curriculum applications in language arts,…

Discusses the use of laserdiscs and interactive video technology in an earth science classroom. Delineates the basic equipment needed for a laserdisc workstation, along with a software authoring system. Describes the development and use of a software program called Mission Earth, which contains four lessons on astronomoy. (TW)

Discusses the trend toward the acceptance of greater numbers of remedial or unprepared students into colleges and universities. Suggests ways that college faculty can help students address their learning problems, including improving note-taking, clarifying laboratory instructions, providing concrete examples when teaching abstract concepts, and…

Describes involvement of the 12 European Community member states in environmental education. Reviews traditions of environmental education in Europe. Outlines European environmental education methods. Presents a case study of the organization structure, goals, activities, and future plans of the European Community Environmental Education Network.…

Describes a game developed to provide medical education students with opportunities to discuss questions concerning health education issues. Indicates the materials needed for constructing the accompanying game board and provides the questions that are addressed by participants as they play the game. (TW)

Describes the use of computer assisted instruction in a medical microbiology course. Presents examples of how computer assisted instruction can present case histories in which the laboratory procedures are simulated. Discusses an authoring system used to prepare computer simulations and provides one example of a case history dealing with fractured…

Synthesizes research on reasoning development and studies of teaching in order to present an approach to teaching guided thinking. (SRT)

Discusses the use of simulations to study complex real-life systems in engineering. Describes some of the limitations of using simulations. Identifies some situations in which computer simulations are practical and useful tools for the design, analysis, and evaluation of systems. (TW)

Presents an approach for building an inexpensive control engineering laboratory to support control courses in an undergraduate engineering program. Outlines the use of simple amplifier circuits and small personal computers in performing control experiments. Proposes an optimum configuration of the laboratory for minimum servicing and adequate…

Presents several perspectives on what quality chemistry teaching is, including the need for chemistry educators to communicate the positive contributions of chemistry to society. Describes a hierarchy of teaching/learning activities, characteristics of good teachers, and examples of how to be aware of the learner's perspective. (TW)

Reports on a study designed to examine the effect of concrete and formal instruction upon reasoning and science achievement of sixth grade students. Results indicated that the concrete instruction group had significantly higher levels of performance in science achievement and cognitive development and that males outperformed females. (TW)

Reviews the goals and methodology of an investigative unit on ecology which focuses on pond studies. Provides specific examples of the activities and involvements of the students. (ML)

Surveys recent literature on computer programing focusing on psychological studies of the programing task and selected instructional issues related to precollege programing. The cognitive demands and outcomes of programing, the influence of instruction on learning, and individual differences in outcomes of programing are specifically addressed.…

Describes similarities and differences in teaching of elementary mathematics in 135 elementary schools in districts of varying size in Washington state. Finds more similarities than differences and that differences relate to selection of student learning objectives and instructional materials, measurement of student progress, student achievement,…