The Chancellor of the California State Colleges calls for such innovations as achievement-based degrees, greater flexibility in terms of length of courses and requirements, student responsibility for independent study, and credit for work and life experience. (JM)

Results of evaluative studies indicate that learning by independent study does not compare favorably with results of the usual lecture-discussion techniques. (IR)

Material in research and writing skills was integrated into departmental curricula in a Polish university. The intent was to develop students' skills in analyzing the content, reasoning, and forms of technical literature, and simultaneously practice planning written assignments, defining terms, organizing bibliographies, and using footnotes…

Paper consists of two parts: (1) postgraduate distance studies at university level in technical college pedagogics, in which technical college teachers are qualified as creative personalities and undertake academic work aimed at distance education of a high value; and (2) research of the participants concerning distance education at technical…

School should provide students with balance in the curriculum, intellectual independence, formulation of problems, cultivation of sensibilities, affection for subject matter, critical thinking, and excellence in teaching. (MLF)

The acceptability and effectiveness of a professional continuing education course using independent study of professional journal articles to fulfill mandatory continuing education requirements is examined. Results show the course to be a satisfactory method of independent study and acceptable to pharmacists of all practices, experience, or…

An elementary school was used in a case study for a directed room program in order to exemplify an individualized, self-guiding curriculum with a hierarchy of instructional objectives. The individualized curriculum was designed to shift the responsibility for learning from the teacher to the student. (JN)

Proposes three concerns for an effective professional development program. First, both the institution's and individual's goals must be incorporated. Second, the program design should be grounded in adult development theory. Finally, implementation strategies must capitalize on the adult staff member as a self-directed learner. (Author/RC)

Six theoretical positions on human learning are identified as relevant to the development of self-direction: modeling; reinforcement; curiosity motivation; competency motivation; attribution theory and personal causation; and humanism. Four approaches to educational practice associated with self-direction are identified: experimental learning;…

Analyzed the biographies of twenty acknowledged experts without formal training beyond high school in search of commonalities that might suggest ways people become effectively self-directed in learning and accomplishment. Patterns of education and personality characteristics are discussed. (Author/CC)

Groups of adolescent, math-anxious girls were either tutored in mathematics, tutored with self-instruction to reduce anxiety, or received no treatment. Tutoring and self-instruction resulted in increased ranked preferences for math, while math achievement increased more for the self-instruction group. (Author/GK)

The Quality Circle is a simple management technique in which workers in the same production area meet to solve company problems. The Quality Circle has been applied to elementary and secondary schools in Japan to help students to develop creative problem solving skills and independent study skills. Recommendations are given for implementing…

Describes the University of Illinois' independent study approach for presenting fundamental concepts of librarianship to entering master's program students. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are contrasted as it evolved from four formal courses and an intermediate team-taught approach. (RAA)