A training program for instructional materials selection has been implemented by the Florida Department of Education. Nine instructional modules and a trainer's guide have been developed and are used for training members of state and district level instructional materials councils. Reactions to the program have been positive. (MES)

Suggests appropriate kinds of texts and ways foreign language teachers can lead students through readings that build understanding of the target culture. Examples presented regarding Spanish are applicable to other beginning language courses. (Author/CB)

Summarized is a study designed to indicate how secondary school science teachers in Great Britain choose and use industrially produced resource materials (IPRM). Among the types of IPRM considered are films, videos, and computer simulations. Suggestions are given for improving materials for schools. (RH)

Teenage consumers question the priorities of the media. They: (1) regard the media as another institution against young people; (2) avoid it because they find it depressing, (3) challenge time allocated for sports and weather, (4) question emphasis on violence, and lack of concern for details and fairness; and (5) advocate a reversal in the role…

Vocational counselors (N=73) gave views of the effectiveness of seven types of occupational information media for themselves and their clients: career leaflets, memos, career compendium, audiotapes, videotapes, career files, and tertiary education handbooks. Effectiveness of various sources was thought to depend on the target audience,…

Educators interested in applying technology to individualized educational program (IEP) development for handicapped children need to first, understand and explicitly state the local context in which IEP development occurs and then weigh the options in relation to criteria specifying ease of use, data features, program capabilities, and costs.…

This study examined the structure underlying preferences for content in books, motion pictures, and television programs. Multidimensionally scaled correlations revealed two dimensions; entertainment-diversion versus aesthetic-intellectual preferences and expressive versus instrumental behavior. Findings are discussed. (Author/MT)

There is an abundance of available and appropriate material that might serve as content for K-12 art courses. Discussed are eight guidelines that can insure effective content selection. Some problems of using role models in aesthetic education and concepts from aesthetic theory in art teaching are also examined. (Author/RM)

Ways in which teachers can help children in kindergarten and the primary grades develop some of the cognitive and affective capabilities necessary for a global perspective are discussed. Specifically examined are course content which fosters global knowledge and which shows how children can be taught to assume the perspective of others. (RM)

Educators may have many questions about the values and uses of microcomputers in the school environment. Cost, versatility of software available, and amount of computer literacy desired are issues that may be encountered during computer selection. (DF)

Argues there is a need to support traditional face-to-face teachers who are thrust into the public arena of distance education and suggests adoption of a team approach where subject matter and instructional design experts are equally responsible for distance education course development. Factors influencing this team approach are discussed. (MBR)

Describes process by which faculty member committee at Drexel University selected a microcomputer to be purchased by all freshmen beginning winter term, 1983-84. Considerations in decision (critical audience, computer power, degree of innovation, user interface, graphics, sound, growth capacity, cost to student and university, and source of…

Lists seven steps to help in making sound decisions when purchasing educational tutorial software. They include considering all possible options; ordering software on an approval basis; running programs from start to finish many times, focusing on a different aspect each time; and completing the software evaluation form that is provided. (MBR)

Teachers of French as a second language are warned that the television news magazine, while offering a convenient format and some important information for instruction, may be limiting in its perspectives and assumptions. Careful attention to the program's varied content is as important as attention to its style. (MSE)

Suggests procedures for developing instructional materials in a systematic way. (Author/RK)