Because of problems involved in traditional impromptu contests, which require contestants to speak on topics that they know little or nothing about, administrators of the Big Sky Intercollegiate Forensic Tournament at the University of Montana modified the traditional contest structure in 1969 to permit impromptu speeches on sub-topics of general…

A historical account is given of how a conventional university first-year undergraduate course in zoology has been replaced by a self-instructional one. Advantages and problems are weighed, and successful student achievement and interest are described. (LBH)

Advantages and disadvantages of the Keller Plan in medical education are reviewed. The author's advice is based in part on his experience using the method in a course in histology at the University of Dundee, Scotland. (LBH)

This booklet details the findings of a survey, conducted by the Committee on Learning Skills Centers of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, concerning the utilization of learning skills centers to teach composition in institutions of higher learning. Responses from 38 public two-year colleges, 2 private two-year colleges, 18…

Both failures and successes have been experienced in the application of the computer to the teaching of introductory chemistry at Simon Fraser University. Chemistry teachers looked to computer assisted instruction (CAI) to improve instruction because CAI effectively dealt with chemical concepts and their practical application and with the wide…

This book presents techniques for helping undecided college students set and implement educational and career goals, focusing on a developmental advising approach and career development concepts. Chapter 1 addresses the origins of indecision, the characteristics of undecided students, and program interventions. Chapter 2 focuses on administrative…

Progress on the University of Texas personalized system of instruction (PSI) project is described. Twelve courses in the College of Engineering and five in other colleges were developed for PSI under a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Each of those courses has now been offered at least once, thus making it possible to begin evaluating…

Illinois State University operates a self-paced, competency-based teacher education program known as the Professional Sequence. It is based on the General Model of Instruction used at other universities and is organized around a series of self-instructional packages. Student progress is charted by a set of computer programs called the Surveillance…

At Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, individualized undergraduate programs are designed by the students. Educational objectives are stated in terms of competencies achieved through life and work experiences, or during enrollment at the university. Two issues were central to this study: (1) the criteria to be used in judging the…

Summaries of studies or experiments dealing with some aspect of independent study are compiled in this report. The papers include: (1) "The Future of Self-Directed Study," by Howard E. Gruber; (2) "Freshman Seminars at Harvard," by Eric W. Shaw; (3) "Independent Study in Honors Programs," by Philip I. Mitterling; (4)…

The Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities (UECU) was developed as an alternative form of postsecondary education, fostering the development of university without walls programs at a number of institutions and initiating its own undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Its commitment is to personalized, self-directed, lifelong…

The way that academic advisers, counselors, faculty, and administrators can help undecided college students set and implement educational and career goals is described. The focus is a developmental advising approach and career development concepts. Origins of indecision, categories of undecided students, and model programs for counseling and…

Factors involved in the planning, development, and review of degree programs, as well as features of traditional and alternative approaches to improving degree programs, are examined. After considering terminology and different philcsophies of education, attention is directed to the importance of program structure and the necessity of considering…

The University of Michigan's Occupational Teacher Education Program was designed as an alternate approach to traditional occupational teacher preparation. The project had as its objectives: (1) the identification and validation of occupational teacher competencies, (2) the provision of across-the-board occupational teacher education, (3) the…

Metropolitan State University, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, is a competence-based, baccalaureate-degree-granting institution created in 1971 to serve adults. The Operational Models Project was designed to improve the university's program for assessing experiential learning. Specific purposes of the project were: (1) to describe a program for…