Describes a research project that analyzes performance indicators such as customer/client satisfaction, student achievement, and student-skill improvement. Discusses the use of indicators as a tool to promote institutional improvement. (Contains 15 references.) (AUTH/NB)

This essay argues that one of the strengths of interdisciplinary studies lies in its ability to teach higher-order thinking skills. The author cautions, however, that using a creative thinking model for interdisciplinary studies goes against the way most students have been taught to accept and process course material. (Contains 35 references.) (NB)

Describes the origins of the Assistants to Infancy Montessori program from 1947. Focuses on the role of Assistants in helping parents provide a beneficial environment for children during pregnancy and from birth to age three. (Author/KB)

Discusses three different writing assignments used in calculus courses. The assignments represent personal, informational, and blended purposes. (Author/MM)

Describes the process of using collaborative technologies to team teach elementary science methods courses across three different institutions: a private liberal arts college, a small state university, and a large research university. Describes the project and the Internet-based collaborative technologies used at each site. (Author/MM)

Sleep problems may occur in up to 88% of children with visual impairments who have developmental disabilities. The use of oral melatonin has recently been used for the management of sleep difficulties in children with and without disabilities. Sustained-release melatonin may reduce nighttime awakenings and increase total sleep time. (Contains…

The following recommendations for promoting students' creative thinking are provided: provide better teacher training; use cooperative teams; combine media tools and teacher instructional skills; detect conditions that contribute to boredom; avoid continuous classroom routines; encourage students to take initiative for constructive use of…

This article provides a proactive functional assessment and intervention framework for addressing challenging behaviors in young children. A three-tiered model is described that outlines prevention on the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels and remediation strategies that may be used to ameliorate challenging behaviors demonstrated by young…

This article presents suggestions for classroom teachers to help prevent and reduce math anxiety for students, particularly students with learning disabilities. The use of a "mathitude" survey to assess dispositions toward math is discussed, as well as using journal writing, cooperative learning, the Internet, and bibliotherapy to address anxiety.…

Discusses reactions of foreign language departments with declining enrollments and hence less funds and the impulse to shift a focus on the means and purpose of instruction. Suggests that it is important to preserve face-to-face direct coaching in language learning and to expose students to the Western European heritage that shapes the experience…

Reviews recent research on incidental vocabulary acquisition in second language. Discusses key unresolved issues such as the actual mechanism of incidental acquisition, type and size of vocabulary needed for accurate guessing, degree of exposure to a word needed for successful acquisition, efficacy of different word-guessing strategies, value of…

Surveyed students and faculty at Louisiana State University about the use of animals for teaching surgery. Found that they favored the practice, finding it helpful for learning aseptic technique and suturing skills but less so for learning tissue handling, dissection, hemostasis, or anesthesia. (EV)

Discussion of the accountability of university libraries and assessment methods to show library effectiveness focuses on two assessment tools developed at Bowling Green State University: one program-level assessment which involved a student library skills assessment survey; and one class-level assessment which involved one-shot library instruction…

Reports on a pilot study conducted to determine whether the benefits of the case study method as a training framework for change initiatives in academic libraries could successfully transfer from traditional instruction to a virtual Web-based format. Presents results of a survey that evaluated the study and showed positive feedback. (Author/LRW)

Presents a framework for identifying important issues for instructional design and delivery in global settings. Highlights include cultural factors in global training; an instructional design model; corporate globalization strategy; communication and training norms; language barriers; implicit value differences; and technical and legal…