This book, one in a five-volume series dealing with perspectives in American education, discusses the need for, the role of, and current developments in alternatives in education. The series is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the educational process and the relation of education to human welfare. Chapter one provides an…

The work reported here is exploratory and investigative in nature, but it is expected to lead to a systematic research program designed to test the validity of propositions about the innovation process. Part 1 is introductory. Part 2 sets the stage for discussion of the Research for Better Schools, Inc. (RBS) field research. Part 3 enumerates the…

The general emphasis of Project LONGSTEP was on the identification of changes in student achievement that occur as a result of exposure to intensive educational innovation. This volume explores the possibility that growth in student achievement test performance and positive changes in school-related attitudes were highly associated with highly…

An Institutional Goals Inventory at Frostburg State College presents respondents with 90 prestructured goal statement questions and twenty-six locally prepared questions. The 90 goal statement questions compose twenty goal areas. Goals areas are: academic development, intellectual orientation, individual personal development, humanism/altruism,…

This book contains the six Patten Lectures presented by Tyler at Indiana University in 1974-75. In the lectures, he examines education in the United States and identifies some of the continuing problems, some of the reforms, and some of the needs and possibilities that lie ahead for education. The volume represents an eyewitness history of U.S.…

This paper identifies and defines skills associated with the commentary-discussion method of teaching in an effort to improve student learning in precollege psychology courses. First, the author examines the range of teaching methods from formal lecture to open discussion and identifies commentary-discussion as the most widely used technique. In…

Students and faculty at the University of Arizona College of Medicine found the three-year medical program to be an unsatisfactory educational experience due to excessive intensity of classroom work, insufficient vacation time, and inadequate time to teach basic science. Measures of student performance showed no differences between three- and…

Discusses reasons for enrollment growth at institutions of higher learning, including instructional quality, departmental diversification, instructional innovation, and publicity and recruitment. (AM)

The value of part-time versus full-time higher education is examined in relation to six themes: demand, access and equity; maturity and adult development; employment and activity; residence; cost-effectiveness and productivity; and flexibility and innovation. It is suggested that higher education is seriously undervalued in Britain. (MSE)

The report filed by senior European university administrators after their visit to U.S. universities examines the movement toward entrepreneurialism and the related issues of administrative organization and change, planning and financial management, client relations, delivery systems, technology transfer, government-school relations, and the…

Reports on a study that investigated the effects of various instructional practices on programming proficiency focusing on characteristics of Pascal classes. States that instructional practices involve extensive on-line access, explicit instruction, and extensive feedback. (ML)

Two studies addressed various issues concerning the use of microcomputers in the classroom. One focused on the attitudes and concerns of teachers regarding the use of innovation, such as microcomputers, in instruction; the second explained the integration of Logo learning environments into the mathematics curriculum of primary schools in Belgium.…

Presents survey and case data from a study of knowledge use in United States schools and concludes that well-designed government-supported dissemination activities that focus on reaching schools rather than individuals may be one approach to capitalize on both internal and external pressures for school improvement. (MLF)

Discusses the role of communications technologies in distance education; the communication needs of distance education; problems confronting New South Wales (Australia) in providing distance education on the primary and secondary levels; and solutions to those problems by way of technology. The specific case of an electronic mail system is…

Describes the goals and outcomes of the "We Love Science Day" programs that resulted from the inservice course, "Creative Integration of Science in Elementary Education" for Pennsylvania teachers. Provides samples of the hands-on activities that were offered to students, parents, and teachers. Includes a calendar of…