A summer course completed by 30 secondary students with high ability provided team-based, hands-on experience in the invention and design process. The group experiences are examined using three case studies. Implications of the course are analyzed with respect to group problem-solving by students with academic talents. (SW)

A new optometry-oriented program for the Macintosh computer has been written for the Neural Sciences Computer-Assisted Learning Package to include graphics and synthesized speech. It has 21 modules in 6 categories: anatomical drawings; diagrams illustrating physiological concepts; records from experiments; flow charts of neuroanatomical pathways;…

Discusses the increasing need for professional development and retraining in Australia, especially for inservice teacher education, and describes new methods that may be more effective than traditional methods. Highlights include open learning; the modularization of courses and programs; the adaptation of instructional materials; and distance…

Reviews issues associated with the development of information technology (IT) skills in higher education and considers the implications for library and information studies students. Highlights include graphical user interfaces; resources; documentation; staffing resources; teaching and learning processes; changing technology; new perspectives;…

The development and structure of 6 interdisciplinary world civilization courses by 14 faculty at San Jose State University are described. The curriculum provides a framework for investigation of common problems facing all cultures, analysis and assessment of attempted solutions, successful and unsuccessful, and evaluation of contemporary attempts…

Reviews early pedagogical influences and recent ideas on Web-based instruction and applies them to Web-based library instruction, including selected exemplary sites. Discusses educational theories, learner motivation, organization of library modules, and interactivity for learning and assessment. Suggests that interactivity is necessary for active…

Continuing developments in educational technology and increasing undergraduate numbers in the UK have facilitated the use of computer-based learning packages. One of the effects of the increasing use of these packages is the shift in teaching of material from being primarily lecturer-led to student-driven. This has a number of implications…

We developed web-based modules addressing fundamental concepts of introductory biology delivered through the LON-CAPA course management system. These modules were designed and used to supplement large, lecture-based introductory biology classes. Incorporating educational principles and the strength of web-based instructional technology, choices…

Closing the achievement gap in one of the most diverse school systems in the nation-- one in which more than 160 different nationalities are represented, 120 different languages are spoken and more than 26 percent of the students are living below poverty level-- is not a mission for the weak-hearted. It requires vision, perseverance and a…

The model organism, "Caenorhabditis elegans," in addition to being well suited to genetics and cell biology teaching applications, can also be useful in the physiology laboratory. In this article, the author describes how students in a junior level college Comparative Physiology course have made use of "C. elegans" in semester-long,…

A key factor in the transition to university is the enculturation of new students into both the discipline they are studying and effective study practices. Most significantly, students, whatever their chosen discipline, must learn to become autonomous learners. Too often this process is either left to chance or seen as a natural attribute of the…

This article describes how a small business school, as part of a strategic planning initiative to improve career services, added a self-directed career planning lab to an existing managerial communication course. The lab concept and the learning design are innovative because they met a student need without creating additional time demands on the…

The University of South Carolina is using assessment to bring about academic change in general education at several levels: the individual student; system-wide courses; and the entire general education program. The approach uses both qualitative and quantitative data, and has enabled faculty to collaborate both across disciplines and all eight…

At Humber College (HC) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Digital Electronics (DE) program utilizes a computerized learning infrastructure called Computer Managed Learning (CML). The program, which has been under development for several years, is flexible enough to build a unique program of studies for each individual student and allows for the…

The principles of andragogy, as explained by M. S. Knowles, in contrast to pedagogy, provide a frame of reference for a differentiated approach to inservice teacher education. Adults are self-directing and ready to learn when they experience a need to know or do something, are life-, task-, or problem-centered, are motivated by both internal and…