College-level student inquiry projects are not easy to evaluate within the parameters of the academic grading system. One form of rubric-guided assessment has specific advantages in addressing both performance and product by allowing weighting of criteria, flexibility of criteria and standards based on the project, defining the major aspects of…

Describes the outcomes of an intensive one-month mathematical modeling course and the use of posters in peer assessment of student work. (Author/ASK)

Explains how students developed Hypercard stacks to report the results of their study of vent science. Describes each step in the project process that included projects related to geography, technology, physics, chemistry, and biology. (DDR)

Discusses the implementation of a student portfolio project in two high school history classes. Presents background arguments for employing portfolios; outlines the creation and evolution of the assignment; explains the assessment and individual interview process; and assesses the success of the assignment. Includes the assignment requirements…

Describes a research assignment (called "photo-elicitation") in a graduate course on the role of photography in society in which students interview people similar to the subjects in the photographs to discover how the photographs affect them. Includes material from one research project interviewing three recovering drug addicts responding to Larry…

Describes school-based service learning at the middle school level and the rationale for implementing service-learning projects. Differentiates various types of projects, provides guidelines and ideas for implementing projects, and describes relevant organizations at the community, state, and national levels. (KB)

Explains how teachers can take advantage of the Internet to create classroom projects. The process involves locating collaborating partners via the World Wide Web, then determining which projects would be worthwhile to students. Presents guidelines for organizing a classroom project, discusses classroom considerations, examines teacher…

A study of a multiage intermediate program (combined grades 3 through 5) revealed that, despite teachers' strong beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices and student-centered methods, they had difficulty putting them into practice. Decision making and classroom planning were teacher centered and often based on national and state…

Discusses how the Reggio Emilia approach was introduced to college students and faculty, laboratory schools, and the community. Describes field experience courses and curriculum design courses. Discusses the concept of building curriculum from the interests, questions, and problems posed by students. (DLH)

Describes the project-based curriculum structure at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Massachusetts) which aims at giving students a global perspective and the skills to work collaboratively across disciplinary borders. Focuses on one of three required project experiences, integrating technical knowledge with humanities and social sciences, which…

Cross-disciplinary teams formed by 29 engineering and 45 business/statistics/human ecology students conducted quality improvement projects. Different levels of commitment and interest were apparent; most had difficulty scheduling meetings with team members, clients, and instructors. Nearly all spoke highly of the learning experience. (SK)

Describes three instructional stages of television research for the classroom: (1) establish students as experts; (2) provide a solid research procedure; and (3) require written reports and oral presentations of research findings to the class. (SR)

Offers 50 diverse suggestions intended to offer students new ways to think about a piece of literature, new directions to explore, and ways to respond with greater depth to the books they read. (SR)

Illustrates the use of learning contracts with students involved in science projects. For the learner, the contract is a worksheet to help plan the project as well as an agreement that outlines the tasks to be performed. (DDR)

Presents an open-ended project tailored for a senior kinetics and reactor design course in which basic reactor design equations are used to model the digestive systems of several animals. Describes the assignment as well as the results. (DDR)