During the past two decades, there have been several highly visible developments in education, including behavioral objectives, criterion-referenced test interpretations, the mastery model in instruction, performance-based instructional programs, competency testing, and accountability. This paper is an attempt to weave these various developments…

The process of conducting a task analysis is one of determining exactly and in greatest detail what people do when they perform a certain job, or what they need to know when they enter a certain course of study. A task analysis is sometimes, but not always, preceded by a needs assessment to identify discrepancies between training or educational…

Based upon the concept that each step in the development of an educational program for students is directed toward a known goal, this detailed curriculum guide provides program goals, grade and course level objectives, and learning outcomes in language arts for kindergarten through grade 12. The prefatory section of the document briefly presents…

A minicourse that uses a problem-solving approach to teach physical therapy skills was developed for the Physical Therapy Program at California State University, Fresno. Clinical supervisors and faculty helped to identify competencies and write behavioral objectives, and physical therapy students provided input to help design the minicourse. An…

The Priorities in School Mathematics Project (PRISM) was designed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to collect information on current beliefs and reactions to possible mathematics curriculum changes during the 1980's. The first component of PRISM was a survey of preferences for alternative content topics, instructional goals,…

Important factors to consider in selecting instructional objectives and in designing objectives-based instruction are listed and discussed. Each factor is stated as a question, so that the factors can be used efficiently in selecting appropriate objectives and in designing effective instruction. The eleven factors are: (1) Is it really important…

It is not only possible but immediately imperative that the substance and experiences pertinent to the education of teachers be identified, defined, and organized--with teaching behavior and teaching performance skills used as the focal point--so that teacher education can contribute maximally to teacher effectiveness. Educators must immediately…

This paper explains the need for pluralism as a principle by which to bring reason and order to the complicated field of curriculum. Pluralism implies that a function of the curriculum specialist is to uncover the assumptions and analyze the arguments of curricular statements. In exemplifying such a process of analysis, the paper has shown that…

In 1973, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education John C. Pittenger declared legal education a curriculum priority of the Department of Education. A major component of this curriculum development was the formation of the goals of legal education. The goals were formulated in terms of student competencies. This publication lists these competencies,…

College theater programs should be evaluated and criticized on criteria that take into account the purposes of the programs and that have realistic bases for judging the effectiveness of instruction. The impact of college theater is based on its diversity as a training laboratory, as a part of a liberal curriculum, as a community theatre, and as a…

This expanded issue of the Research Review examines six alternatives to current patterns in the community college. In the first article, the authors offer guidelines for formulating institution-building capabilities, developing curricula, and designing a Personal Development program according to a Life Skills Education model. The second paper…

This document on course goals in the social sciences is one part of a critique series dealing with the development and evaluation of course goals in six subject matter areas for grades K-12. The series provides an initial pool of course-level goals that are expected to be of considerable value in assisting educators with goal definition related to…

This framework is designed to help Idaho schools develop their comprehensive health education curriculum and program and formulate realistic goals for themselves and their students. The guide outlines major shifts in emphasis represented by the proposed framework, such as a shift from focusing on separate areas of content to focusing on making…

Review of research indicates that, when asked about their perceptions of general education, college students show lack of understanding, clarity, and purpose relative to their general education courses. These findings, and an exploratory study of faculty enactment of educational goals in the classroom, suggest some considerations for college…