We present an analysis regarding generic skills on engineering program offered in a public state university in Mexico (UABC). The university implemented a new educational model changing rigid programs to flexible programs based on competencies. The goal is to determine generic skills related to the four pillars of learning: learning to do,…

This inventory of adult basic education and basic skills programmes takes the form of 35 system descriptions, covering 32 countries (all EU Member States as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey). Its main goal is to support mutual understanding and dialogue between countries. The document has been drafted on the basis of a standalone…

This paper attempts to identify some tools to help practioners think about, debate and plan Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills (WLES) programs. Such tools are necessary so that discussions between practitioners aiming to clarify good practice and successful approaches can get beyond mere descriptions of what happened. In order to compare and…

Competency-based education asks educators and the public to give up decades of habits and assumptions regarding the structures and methods of schooling. (Author/IRT)

A review of the literature regarding mastery learning suggests that mastery learning can benefit gifted education programs in two ways. First, the process provides information to determine if gifted students have mastered essential elements for a particular subject area, a necessary but often overlooked step before proceeding to enrichment.…

Peter Drucker discusses current issues in education such as teacher development and encouragement of alternative methods of learning/teaching. (GW)

This paper analyzes what is meant by basic education. The author presents six principal usages of the term that are based on the kinds of education offered and their purposes rather than on whether they take place in or out of school. Examples of the six usages are given. Variations in terminology are generally more than purely semantic or…

This report describes the developmental education program at Jefferson Davis Community College (JDCC) (Alabama). Approximately 59% of JDCC's student population must take pre-college, or developmental, courses in math, reading, English, and study skills. JDCC's developmental program includes computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in reading, math, and…

Follow Through is a large compensatory education program that operated in scores of communities across the United States throughout the seventies. This study was conducted in an attempt to obtain a more definitive answer to whether different educational approaches actually lead to different achievement outcomes. (Authors/JN)

Describes the use of a polyfunctional system, partially based on modular learning, in developing educational methods aimed to improve the living conditions of people in depressed areas of the world. Notes that the system should consist of series of preconstituted constant learning elements, echoing typical situations and open to adaptations…

Examines theories on which basic skills education for the minorities has been based, namely: (1) cultural deprivation; (2) integration; and (3) cultural difference/cultural pluralism. Discusses approaches for teaching English to students who speak other languages and suggests that the bilingual/bicultural approach provides the most benefits.…

This book, published in 1941, is a collection of articles that emphasize the value of teaching the "tool" or basic skills: reading, elementary mathematics, language arts, "and their subdivisions." The book emphasizes the value of using the environment and experiences of rural children in teaching these subjects. Chapter 1…

Examines the potential usefulness of intensive interaction as an educational methodology with pupils whose learning difficulties are compounded by autism. Review of empirical case-study evidence together with questionnaire and interview data from teachers suggests that this intensive approach to developing fundamental social and communication…

The monograph summarizes findings of effective schools research, information on the characteristics of effective classrooms, and descriptions of the methodological and conceptual issues related to school improvement projects. The impact of the school effectiveness literature on classroom instruction is discussed, and implications for the…

Despite the demonstrated need for better basic skills among adolescents and growing public concern over the condition of urban junior high schools, only a small proportion of ESEA Title I money is used to help students beyond the sixth grade. This study was designed to determine what Federal, State and local resources are being used to assist…