Determining which brand of a product is the best buy for a specific use is the challenge of this Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) unit. The challenge is general enough to apply to many problem-solving situations in mathematics, science, social science, and language arts at any elementary school level (grades 1-8).…

This Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) unit challenges students to find ways to help themselves and/or others adapt to new situations (including school and community facilities). The challenge is general enough to apply to many problem-solving situations in mathematics, science, social science, and language arts at…

This Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) unit challenges students to improve the safety and convenience of a pedestrian crossing near a school. The challenge is general enough to apply to many problem-solving situations in mathematics, science, social science, and language arts at any elementary school level (grades…

In this set of four booklets on collecting data, primary grade students learn how to record data, do an experiment, make an opinion survey, and choose a sample. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended, long-range investigations of real problems. In most instances students…

In this set of six booklets on collecting data, intermediate grade students learn how to collect good data, round off and record data, do an experiment, make an opinion survey, and choose a sample. The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended, long-range investigations of real…

This guide was developed to assist instructors in electronics technologies in presenting broadly applicable nontechnical (often called quality of work life--QWL) skills, such as interpersonal and group process skills, problem solving and decision making, planning, communications, reasoning skills, and organizational management skills. The guide…

These activities help high school students develop an understanding of nuclear weapons within the context of human beings making choices. Students learn to evaluate information and to identify the political stand or bias in what they hear and read. To record their own growth and change, students are encouraged to keep a journal. Teachers can…

Ninety-five papers from an international conference on improving university teaching are presented. Topics, which relate to the theme of the conference, "The Social Dimensions and Demands of Teaching and Technology," include the following: computer-based teaching and information exchange, the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of computer-assisted…

This curriculum guide was developed in British Columbia for four purposes: (1) to define a contemporary perspective on employment preparation education; (2) to present an array of learning topics, with sample tasks and resources for instruction; (3) to present a flexible structure for course design; and (4) to provide administrators, coordinators,…

Previous research on online discussions has focused on university students learning higher level subjects. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether online discussions could be used effectively by secondary school students attempting to learn introductory level topics. Forty-­five male students, ranging in age from 13 to 15 years…

While problem-based learning (PBL) has been found to be effective with gifted and average students (Hmelo-Silver, 2004), little is known about its impact on students with special needs. This study examines the perceptions of middle-school students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities and of their teachers regarding the value of…

Our department has redesigned its electrical engineering and computer engineering programs completely by adopting a learning methodology based on competence development, problem solving, and the realization of design projects. In this article, we show how this pedagogical approach has been successfully used for learning compiler design.

This overview focuses on the work of Applied Linguistics in North America with an emphasis on publications in the past 6 years. Follow a brief interpretive section on the nature and status of Applied Linguistics, the article reviews a number of major areas of research in Applied Linguistics. These areas include second language acquisition (and its…

A concise framework of basic concepts and generalizations for teaching economics for K-12 students is presented. The guide summarizes the basic structure and substance of economics and lists and describes economic concepts. Standard guidelines are provided to help school systems integrate economics into their on-going courses of study. Designed to…

This unit on decision-making and discussion skills is the second of five units in a ninth grade social studies course (course described in SO 010 891). There are two major objectives: (1) given a problem, the student will make value judgments using decision-making skills; and (2) using proper discussion techniques, the student will analyze a…