This article discusses what schools and colleges currently teach about capitalism and suggests that curricula include a broader base of information about other economic systems and the liabilities of capitalism. Topics are proposed for inclusion in the curriculum, and an outline for a high school course in comparative economics is presented. (PP)

Defines the open classroom approach as a pedagogical strategy which emphasizes student interests, student responsibility, and informality without ignoring traditional curriculum content. Outlines the major features of the open classroom approach and suggests ways it might be applied to the elementary math, language arts, social studies, and…

Student teachers given microteaching and traditional observation treatments were compared with a no-preparation control group. Results revealed that students taught by student teachers trained through microteaching achieved higher mean mathematics scores and demonstrated higher frequency counts of participation in classroom activities. (Author/GK)

Describes a survey measuring 27 publishers' ratings of types of social studies instructional materials, topics, orientations, and factors important to textbook selection. Findings show retrenchment of traditional curriculum and instruction, some growth toward psychology, sociology, and economics, and domination by hardcover text. (CK)

Neville Bennett's "Teaching Styles and Pupil Progress" has attracted widespread attention for its major conclusion that formal teaching styles foster greater pupil progress than more informal ones. Examines the adequacy of the research on which this claim is based. (Author/RK)

Investigates whether parents, teachers, and principals agree on the basic reading issue of whole language versus traditional skill literacy development. Finds that the three groups responded in essentially the same manner to items in the survey--they favored a broad, eclectic approach to emergent literacy development. (RS)

Discussion of networked learning environments and learner characteristics focuses on personality type as determined using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. Investigates the relationship between personality type and student participation within a networked learning environment using asynchronous threaded discussion for a university course run both…

Discusses blended learning strategies and reports results of a two-year empirical study that concludes that blended learning methods boosts employee productivity over single-delivery options. Highlights include examples from a variety of companies that included scenario-based exercises; realistic business situations; mentors; classroom…

Describes a meta-analysis that indicated a slight student preference for a traditional educational format over a distance education format in higher education, and little difference in satisfaction levels, even when considering presence and type of interaction. Discusses meta-analysis as a method for synthesizing literature. (Contains 53…

Compared the quantitative problem-solving skills of conceptually-taught and traditionally-taught introductory physics students. Found that students taught conceptually through peer instruction performed significantly better on quantitative exam questions for two out of three exams. However, the conceptually taught students were not as satisfied.…

Describes a pilot study that compared three course formats in an undergraduate course: traditional format, Web-based section, and a hybrid that mixed traditional and Web-based methods. Discusses student performance, student satisfaction, instructor experiences; and implications and recommendations for Web-based courses. (LRW)

Compares a traditional approach to teaching spelling to a new approach which emphasizes competent independent spellers, learning the language system through practice, and student self-pacing. The new approach emphasizes strategy development, useful generalizations, proofreading, and appreciation of the history and structure of English. (RJC)

Provides a Chinese perspective on the debate concerning industrialization theory and distance education. Argues that higher education in China has a "craft-like" nature and China's Radio and TV Higher Education (RTVHE) represents one of the most industrialized forms of education in the world. Notes that RTVHE is in transition from…

Compared the performance of (n=710) college students taught precalculus using a graphing calculator approach to the performance of students using the traditional approach. Students in the first group scored significantly higher than the others on a comprehensive final exam. (16 references) (Author/MKR)

The impacts of independent study and the lecture approach on student test scores and study time were compared for 205 medical students studying surgery. Learning objective, multiple-choice, and essay questions were developed for selected topics related to surgery. Findings support increased individual active learning strategies and decreased…