Despite limited monetary resources, a small New York City vocational and technical high school has concentrated efforts to expand its physical education program in three areas: facilities, curriculum, and extracurricular activities. (JN)

In the development of a seventh/eighth grade basketball program for boys, it was determined that excessive competition should be avoided. Several objectives were formed around the primary theme of maximum participation: having fun, improving fundamental skills, and maintaining players' level of interest. (JN)

Studied test-anxious college students (N=43) who received either vicarious desensitization, study skills training, or both treatments; there was also a no-treatment control condition. Self-report measures indicated that vicarious desensitization resulted in lower test and trait anxiety than study skills training alone or no treatment. (Author)

A teacher's understanding of any teaching behavior or skill must be tested in the context of actual teaching. However, practice that is unenlightened by understanding and by the mastery of concepts about teaching behaviors and skills is of uncertain value in teacher training. (JN)

Explores the relationship between current events instruction and economics education and explains how teachers can stress the relationship between these two areas of study and increase students' interest in and understanding of both areas. Suggests how to use a current events game ("The Interwoven Web") to provide important learning experiences…

Medical students' interpersonal and communication skills were assessed over the course of their first two years of medical training at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Results of first and second video analyses indicated a significant decline in student process-oriented skills. (Author/MLW)

Reports results supporting the theoretical rationale that there are certain cognitive skills, including data interpretation, identification of assumptions and hypotheses, and controlling of variables, that appear to be necessary for successful understanding of the heterotroph hypothesis, as presented in the BSCS Blue Version. Implications for…

Defines rurbanization (change process wherein small communities/rural areas build upon their social/cultural heritages in coping with impacts of rapid growth) and rurban practice. Itemizes skills needed for rurban human service work. Offers simulations to enhance rurban practice skills, incorporating sequential use of experiential learning tools…

Twelve methods to enhance the learning of college students and at the same time increase their oral communication skills and classroom participation are presented. They include: facilitators of class discussions, triadic critiques of students' essays, panel discussions, forum periods, debates, and manuscript reading. (JMD)

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) uses a unique, individualized, Self-Instruction Lab to improve students' communication skills. The lab provides students with supplemental independent classroom practice that helps lessen time demands for the teacher. (Author/PHR)

Presents a state of the art of sociology teaching and questions the extent to which there exists a mandate to reorient sociology for job preparation. Concludes that such a mandate exists among a portion of undergraduate majors and that job preparations should be stressed along with the liberal arts dimension of sociology. (Author/DB)

A theoretical framework for incorporating relaxation instruction in the physical education curriculum is presented based on the assumption that relaxation is a muscular-skeletal skill benefitting general motor skill acquisition. Theoretical principles, a definition of relaxation, and an analysis of stages of skill development are also used in the…

Focuses on human information processes and problem solving. Although a large body of knowledge is prerequisite to acquiring skill, the authors state that knowledge must be indexed by patterns that guide the person in a fraction of a second to relevant parts of the knowledge store. (Author/SA)

This study of third graders examined the relative effects, under two conditions each, of two teaching methods: modeling of the contour drawing process and presentation of predrawn examples. Analysis of children's posttest drawings for visual information content indicated that predrawn examples were more effective than modeling as a teaching…

A five-step method of instructional program evaluation is described, which helps insure educators that their graduates will continue to gain employment and that courses will continue to teach skills sought by employers. The steps are self-identification, target groups, requirements, data reduction, and program development. (CT)