Provides 45 guidelines useful in selecting college-level textbooks. The guidelines are presented under five major categories: (1) course strategy and tactics; (2) point of view; (3) accuracy of content; (4) currency of content; and (5) packaging information. (JN)

Presents a procedure for curriculum change and textbook adoption using a step-by-step decision-making process. (MD)

Psychology instructors must decide between a large number of possible texts. Students were systematically involved in this decision-making process, with encouraging results. In addition to providing input that could not be obtained from other sources, it gave students a sense of control over their own education. (CS)

Six physics teachers describe their experiences in selecting physics textbooks. Issues addressed include fitting text to students, involving more people in the selection process, need for periodic text changes, text change resulting from physics curriculum study, making text fill student needs, and problems faced when asking for a new text. (JN)

This article outlines points to consider when reviewing textbooks and proposes a format to assist the educator in the selection process. The format includes establishing a philosophy and framework, forming a committee, including student representation, developing an outline, acquiring materials for review, and using an evaluation tool. (CT)

The study surveyed colleges to determine what texts were being selected for use in graduate level courses in gifted education. The types and levels of the courses, as well as the reasons for selection of the identified texts, were also determined. A summary of text content plus respondent comments is provided for the most frequently selected…

The success that the New Religious Right is having in censoring school textbooks and libraries is described. (MT)

If the textbook and material selection process is to be adequately supported in school budgets, curriculum directors, teachers, and administrators must be able to defend their requests with high-quality information. This article offers nine suggestions to help build a leadership structure and a database for making appropriate textbook selections.…

At some point in an educator's professional life, he may be asked to serve on an awards committee for current publications in his field. An educator's concern then is on how to do it without bias, and more importantly, how to do it when the texts may be very different from each other. One text may be theory-based; one may be a textbook; and…

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: Choosing the textbook for an introductory course can be a frustrating, haphazard, and time-consuming process. This year, members of the sociology department at Mercy College tried a selection process that eliminated at least the first two of those three problems. To begin, the department sent…

A three-part review process is proposed as an aid to textbook selection for college courses. After an introductory discussion of the importance of developing standards and criteria for selecting course texts, the three-phase process is presented. The initial phase involves the establishment of departmental criteria for textbooks, which may be…

Argues for a more principled and careful consideration of composition handbooks. Discusses the values and measures used to evaluate handbooks, what constitutes the act of writing, what constitutes good writing, and who writes and why. Lists questions to serve as a guide for instructors in handbook selection. (TB)

Describes how some textbook publishers pay professors to review their books and then assign them to students, increasing sales. Critics say the practice is unethical--and growing. (EV)

A form is presented for evaluating curriculum guides which was developed to compare curriculum guides and reflect teachers' interests and values. The form helps the teacher to evaluate characteristics of the guide and the degree of importance placed on each characteristic which allows for assessment based on values. (JD)

In the primary grades, maps are useful tools to help the young reader put stories into perspective. This article presents 18 quality children's books that contain maps or lessons about maps, as well as activities to use in the classroom to teach map skills. A table is included with ratings of the usability of the maps.