Researchers examined Hong Kong teachers' and principals' perceptions of using classroom observation for faculty development and evaluation. Surveys indicated that the current practice was mainly for evaluation. Elementary teachers were least likely to welcome observers. All respondents wished for a model of peer observation and coaching. More…

Discusses problems related to the separation of subject matter and method in the education of social studies teachers, examining the rethinking of subject matter and methods education and explaining that in order to have effective social studies instruction, there is no alternative to the thorough education of teachers in the subject matters of…

This paper answers several frequently asked questions about constructivism, including how to define it, how to plan the curriculum, how to assess student understanding, what to do with the information, where to begin, how students work in a constructivist classroom, and why constructivism is important. (SM)

Discusses possibilities and dangers involved with using hypertext for learning; explains how it is similar to and different from other forms of information generation, organization, storage, and retrieval; examines its influence on the information it organizes; and explores problematic issues (including the potential for bias and distortion within…

The six chapters of this theme issue attempt to define conceptual and methodological issues in the evaluation of integrated services systems and to begin to synthesize some of these issues. An introduction to these evaluation issues is followed by case studies and a discussion of implications for program and policy development. (SLD)

Shows how a writing exercise requiring students to write to themselves five years into the future has a dramatic effect on them and helps them, perhaps for the first time, to think about their futures. (TB)

The Nominal Group Technique, in which groups of students jointly evaluate a course, is proposed as an alternative to individual course evaluation questionnaires for student assessment of college teacher performance. Evaluation of a new course by three cohorts of students using the technique is reported. Strengths and weaknesses emerging in the…

Describes the design and implementation of TACHIR, a tool for the automatic construction of hypertexts for information retrieval. Topics include a three-level conceptual model; navigating among documents, index terms, and concepts; the use of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and the World Wide Web; evaluation of TACHIR; and future possibilities.…

Describes a mass communications program at Texas's San Antonio College that invites Pulitzer Prize recipients to give guest lectures. Includes a list of the speakers who have lectured since the program's inception in 1978, a description of the speakers' accomplishments, and a description of program activities. (MAB)

Adults with severe mental illness (n=44) were administered measures of job interviewing skills, psychiatric symptoms, work history, and quality of life before and after a 3-month Job Finding Club. Results suggested that participants with a lower quality of life were more likely to complete the program, and that quality of participation was…

Describes a castle-building exercise in which students first learn about castles and then, using a map of the school, show on paper how they would convert the school into a castle. (TB)

Teacher teams add new dimensions to learning and a much- needed sense of family and community. Teams have four domains: response to student needs, curriculum integration, teaching strategies, and flexible scheduling. Barriers include scheduling problems, insufficient planning and implementation time, sporadic cooperation among core and elective…

This article discusses three major issues in the education of students with autism: the field's reliance on controversial treatments; the issue of full-time inclusion of students with autism in general education classrooms; and preparation of personnel to serve students with autism. Suggestions for meeting these challenges are provided. (Author/PB)

This study extended use of the One-More-Than technique by using a "cents-pile modification"; one-, five-, and ten-dollar bills; and mixed training of all dollar amounts. Three high school students with moderate mental retardation each learned to use the technique to count out nontrained amounts and to make community purchases. (Author/PB)

Thirty-six adults with moderate to severe mental retardation received either general case programming, rule learning, or attention control instruction in a table-setting learning task. General case programming and rule learning were successful in promoting generalized table setting. Only general case programming facilitated maintenance of…