Program theory can be used to improve programs and policies. This article describes a set of techniques for complicating and simplifying program theory, referred to as conceptual and action heuristics. Methods such as analyzing metaphors, clarifying concepts, mapping, component assessment, causal modeling, and decision analysis are discussed. (JAZ)

Evaluates the efficacy of heuristics in the composition classroom, the importance of theory in teaching invention, the application of heuristics to stages of writing besides prewriting, and various heuristic systems. Describes the development of a theory of invention and pedagogy based on classroom experiment and the writings of other theorists.…

Proposes a heuristic to generate specific and vivid phrasing and to draw on the right hemisphere of the brain for the substance of the essay. Describes stages of process as DRAW (Delineate, Ruminate, Analogize, and Write). Emphasizes creative description and expressive language rather than generation of ideas. (JG)

Describes the Johari Window, a specialized questioning strategy for the study of characterization in fiction. Asserts that this method promotes classroom discussion, provides motivation to analyze a character in depth, develops students' empathy for a specific character, and encourages inferential thinking. (MM)

Discusses the special information needs of the building industry, attributes of existing expert systems that support building design and construction, and current research to further develop the application of expert systems to this area. An annotated listing of related expert system developments is appended. (49 references) (CLB)

Asserts that current business communication theory and practice make new inroads into reader analysis difficult. Discusses four pedagogical problems in reader analysis, including confusion over critical terminology, and poor heuristics for assessing readers. Explores readers' perceptual sets as a way of more accurately modeling the dynamics of the…

The development of computer-assisted and computer-managed instruction for handicapped students involves a number of instructional design issues requiring research. Discussed are algorithmic and heuristic procedures, individual rate of learning, feedback, and instructional task hierarchies.(Author/DB)

Describes an approach to teaching the elementary school curriculum using heuristics, which develops children's critical thinking skills. (SRT)

Describes basic structure of a framegame, Chain Gang, in which self-instructional modules teach a cognitive skill. Procedures are presented for loading new content into the game's basic framework to teach algorithms or heuristics and for game modification to suit different situations. Handouts used in the basic game are appended. (MBR)

Describes assignments that integrate ideas from student journals into expository and deliberate essays. (HOD)

Middle-level teachers can avoid passive seatwork and encourage students to think using a "guided thinking" approach, designed to help adolescents develop more sophisticated thinking and reasoning skills. Essential elements of guided thinking are described, along with an implementation strategy and the principal's role in fostering…

Reviews current conceptions of rhetorical theory and criticism. Proposes that the ultimate goal and justification of rhetorical theory and criticism be regarded as pedagogical: to teach students how to experience their rhetorical environments more richly. (PD)

Argues that effective grammar instruction depends on shifting from a teacher's to a learner's grammar. Introduces techniques for presenting grammar that are accurate, workable, economical, compact, operational, and immediate. (MM)

Although most institutions have had to deal with alcohol-related problems, many higher education leaders are unfamiliar with successful responses--and especially with proactive strategies. Few trustees and senior administrators have found a successful formula for dealing with alcohol on campus, and there are many reasons why. This article aims to…

This paper reports on methods of students' justifications of their solution to a problem in the area of combinatorics. From the analysis of the problem solving of 150 students in a variety of settings from high-school to graduate study, four major forms of reasoning evolved: (1) Justification by Cases, (2) Inductive Argument, (3) Elimination…