Although pupils with disabilities are spending more time within the general education classroom, teachers have shown variable levels of willingness and interest in modifying their instruction to meet the needs of these pupils. Studies have indicated that simple modifications are the most likely to be implemented. This study surveyed resource…

This article describes how to construct a laser level. This laser level can be made using a typical 4' (or shorter) bubble level and a small laser point. The laser unit is detachable, so the bubble level can also be used in the conventional way. However, the laser level works better than a simple bubble level. Making this inexpensive device is an…

In a special interview, Vice Director Zhu Muju of the Basic Education Department of the Ministry of Education in China, talks of environmental education. In this interview, the director discusses: (1) how environmental education classes are offered in elementary and middle school; (2) environmental education teaching materials should be designed…

Although learner-centeredness has been widely applied in instruction in the world, this approach has only been cautiously adopted in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching at some institutions in Vietnam. Taking a social constructivist view, this case study explores how a learner-centred perspective is employed in EFL teaching at a teacher…

This article reports on the practitioner research conducted by the English participants in a European Co-operation Programme project entitled "Lateral Language Learning." The project was based on the belief that there is much that teachers of a first foreign language can do to prepare their students to access other languages in the…

A research project examined the production of post-literacy materials through field visits to South Africa, India, Germany, and the Netherlands. In every country the many materials that could be used for the practice of literacy fell into two main groups: special materials (post-literacy and easy reading materials) and real materials (extension…

This history of literacy journalism may be summarized as follows. Conceived in the early 1950s through the enthusiasm of Frank C. Laubach, the world's only graduate program for literacy journalism was started when his son, Robert Laubach, came to Syracuse University to study journalism. He was the student/instructor of the first class in 1951 and…

A project was undertaken to design an information dissemination newsletter to meet the professional development needs of Pennsylvania's adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) practitioners. It was decided that an 8- to 10-page-long newsletter would be produced for 5 months that included information/articles from as many sources as could be…

All National Home Study Council (NHSC) schools need public relations (PR) programs that are focused on the success of the school's graduates and the educational rigor and quality of its instruction rather than on the school owner's personal success or the success/size of the school. PR can be handled by schools' marketing departments. PR programs…

Adults differ from traditional-age college students in that they are self-directed, they have a rich bank of experiences upon which to draw in learning, they are ready to learn, and they value competence. Adults may learn equally well by performing different learning tasks. Second language learning activities and instructional materials can be…

This document contains a final report and a handbook from a project to develop a comprehensive text on Pennsylvania government structure and taxes written on a lower (fourth- to eighth-grade) reading level for adult basic education students. The report describes how available government publications were researched, and a five-unit handbook that…

This paper begins by summarizing basic assumptions about effective teaching and learning, noting that these assumptions apply to all teaching, regardless of the delivery mode and/or technology used. Instructional design principles are then discussed in terms of the planning, preparation, and organization of interactive video-based teaching…

This paper presents an architecture for creating, retrieving, and adapting materials on the World Wide Web for learning purposes. There are two major components in the architecture: Authoring Server (AS) and Courseware Server (CS). Associated with the architecture for running dynamic courseware, certain mechanisms are also imposed. These…

The purpose of this project was to develop a prototype expert instructional design system (ID Expert) which would demonstrate the feasibility of a consultation system for use by inexperienced instructional designers. The prototype gathers information from the designer and then makes recommendations for instructional design decisions. The output of…

A practicum project was conducted to develop a method to enhance the knowledge base of targeted adult cancer patients entering into a treatment plan that included chemotherapy. The educational component necessary for informed consent by the patient had not been consistent; therefore, a videotape was developed containing general information common…