A Web-based curriculum requiring critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills was developed. A multidisciplinary team of educators created the "virtual exchange." Students are assigned a scenario character to portray in their interactions with the other characters (students). They interact on the Internet to promote critical thinking…

Addresses the issue of foreign language instruction for elementary and junior high school children in Texas, and describes and assesses a five-week workshop that was designed to help teachers improve their language skills and instruct them in teaching methodology. (10 references) (GLR)

Presents a study addressing the confusion over social studies skills. Documents the historical background leading to this confusion by reviewing the professional and research literature from the early 1900s to the 1980s. Stresses the problem of imprecise terminology, pointing out that the citizenship, inquiry, study, and thinking skills movements…

Outlines three learning activities for elementary level comparative cultural studies, focusing on developing nations cultures. "School Artifacts Box" develops observation and inference skills. "Proverbs" directs students to compare/contrast African and Western proverbs. "Improvising Social Studies Media" suggests…

This paper reviews 27 studies that taught community skills to persons with moderate to severe mental handicaps and tested the generalization of these skills. The review, which analyzed the degree of generalization that occurred and the effect of different strategies used, concludes that the general case method is the most effective strategy.…

This position paper of the Council of Executives of American Residential Schools for the Visually Handicapped calls for stronger emphasis on instruction in literacy skills; individualized selection of the mode of reading, writing, and computing; technical assistance; continuing education; emphasis on literacy skill teaching methodology; and…

Three adolescents with developmental disabilities and severe behavior problems received eye-contact skill training using a contingency management approach in a community-based residential treatment center. The intervention produced significant increases in positive eye contact across two social settings. Staff reports of increased social…

Studies of deinstitutionalization for individuals with developmental disabilities show positive effects on skills, behavior, activity level, social interaction, and quality of life. Effects are clearest in adaptive behavior. Outcomes for individuals with severe or multiple disabilities are less positive. Implications for Australian policy are…

Study of children who go through a "silent period" early in the course of second language development found that most of the children engaged in extensive private speech, including: repetition of others' utterances; recall and practice; creation of new linguistic forms; paradigmatic substitution; and rehearsal for overt social…

The relative effectiveness of staff tutors and student tutors in teaching higher level cognitive skills to University of Limburg (Netherlands) law students appears to be similar, but staff tutors are felt to be better because they are experts in their field. (Author/MSE)

Proposes that higher education insist more on the education of its chemists and less on strictly instrument training. Lists several instances where education may have been more useful than the strict training military officers received. Discusses the role of chemists in society. (MVL)

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro student financial aid office undertook a program to train staff in effective listening. Training involved personal videotaping of staff members, followed by feedback to staff and a handout for students (appended) to promote more successful interviews. Initial response has been positive. (Author/MSE)

A study with 210 college freshmen investigated the effect of 3 aspects of the college experience (curricular exposure, formal classroom and instructional experiences, and out-of-class experiences). Results suggest that both classroom/instructional and out-of-class experiences make positive, statistically significant, unique contributions to gains…

A university education course in human sexuality and learning at the Queensland University of Technology (Australia) used a small-group cooperative learning approach to motivate and challenge students. Students found the small group discussion method effective in developing memory and thinking skills. (MSE)

An instructional approach used in a civil engineering curriculum at Queens University of Belfast (Northern Ireland) incorporates development of communication skills into active learning assignments. A "learning from disasters" exercise and two mock public inquiries illustrate the use and benefits of the technique. (Author/MSE)