The design, development, and evaluation of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program in first-year college chemistry is described in this report. The program was centered around the concept of chemical equilibrium and used a systems approach with explicitly stated guidelines. The purpose of this experiment was not to measure the effectiveness…

Presents case study on personal computer teleconferencing to compare its cost effectiveness with that of on-site training. A model is described that uses a checklist for decision making in three areas: (1) initial considerations, (2) planning considerations, i.e., design elements, and (3) technical considerations, i.e., review and selection…

Regional surveys of 32 Scottish schools, case study of 153 fourth-year pupils in 1 school, and post-school sampling of 68 individuals revealed similarities in organization but differences in aims, approaches, and attitudes toward leisure education. School-sponsored programs had little influence on leisure time use of adolescents or in post-school…

Describes a microcomputer-based simulation developed to provide elementary teachers-in-training with experiences in realistic instructional interactions with computer-defined students prior to actual classroom encounters. The system's hardware and functional operation are discussed; components of the program's interactional cycles are described;…

This study examined undergraduate foreign language programs at five institutions that were diverse in size, type, and geographical location. At each site, interviews were conducted with four students, two faculty members, and one program administrator; two classes were observed; and related documents and program literature were collected. Using…

This brief paper describes a special, informal seminar for international students that used an adjunct instruction model to focus on technical terminology in the field of instructional technology. Foreign students are enrolled concurrently in two linked courses--a language course and a content course with the two courses sharing content base and…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

Compares rationales and outcome research for five areas of programming for maltreated and other at-risk adolescents: adolescent competence and skills development programs, family- and parent-focused programs, social integration programs, multiple component programs, and neighborhood transformation programs. Finds that several program models have…

This article describes the problem-solving model (PSM) used in the Minneapolis Public Schools to guide decisions regarding intervention in general education, special education referral, and evaluation for special education eligibility for high-incidence disabilities. Program evaluation indicates students received special education services earlier…

The QUILT (Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking) program tested the hypothesis that well-designed staff development would positively affect teachers and students. QUILT increased and sustained teacher use of classroom questioning techniques to produce higher levels of student learning and thinking. QUILT participants…

Important features of practicums for teachers of elementary school language immersion programs include: mentoring and peer coaching; guidance in self-analysis, observation, and reflection on teaching practices; and experience with realities of immersion. A period of induction beyond the practicum is also recommended. (19 references) (MSE)

Assesses the range of variation among the predominant types of professional development programs for principals in the 1980s. Highlights divergent trends in organizational processes and program content that characterize these programs, and identifies their varying potential for reaching competing policy goals. (JB)

Discusses what has been learned about building school/community partnerships through the "Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation Program," a national demonstration program of service-learning in health-professions education. Issues include: the challenge of distinguishing service learning from clinical experience; community attitudes…

Practicum experiences and feelings of preparedness to teach were compared for 88 Ontario student teachers in either the fourth year of a "concurrent" undergraduate preservice program or a 1-year "consecutive" graduate preservice program. The two groups did not differ in teaching self-efficacy or the number of classroom…

Details the work of Claudia Vangstad who expanded the range of the MRI approach to transform a school culture. Vangstad significantly increased her effectiveness not by limiting applications of the MRI problem-solving approach to individuals, but rather by expanding the range of approach to include larger units: psychoeducational groups,…