The Nontraditional Study Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia provides opportunities to adults in farming and agribusiness to earn degrees in agriculture without returning to campus through extension courses and other independent study formats. A survey of student attitudes indicated that students were very favorable toward the program.…

The National Heart and Blood Vessel Research and Demonstration Center has developed a program called the Cardiovascular Curriculum Education Project, designed for secondary school students, which consists of self-instructional education units on cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors. Describes its three major components and method of…

Faculty members at the University of Missouri-Columbia did not feel that the nontraditional degree was of less rigor than a traditional degree and was in general favorable to the idea of innovative degree programs. They were skeptical about any rewards that they might accrue by participating in the program. (Editor/LBH)

A unit on adult learning with an exercise based on the theories of Malcolm Knowles and Allen Tough is described. After students in the class see that they actually planned and directed much of their significant adult learning, they are eager to join in the process of modifying course objectives. (MLW)

Adds mapping and summarization to the K-W-L (know, want to know, learned) strategy to produce a reading-thinking strategy, equally helpful to remedial and nonremedial high school students for content area textbooks. (NKA)

Describes the concept of "hypermedia," by which readers select and link segments of text, audio, video, or other media in a way that helps them to explore and understand information. A case is made for the use of "hypermedia" in helping students learn and understand language through its provision of massive doses of…

States that the task of the school is to motivate and enable people to continue their education throughout life. Proposes that this goal be met by arousing students' interest in reading while they are being taught to read. Presents the criteria for a good school library and discusses ways in which student interest may be aroused. (GEA)

Suggests ways of diagnosing problems in students' study habits and offers strategies for improving study skills and test taking strategies. (SRT)

A pharmacy doctoral program's independent-study component in pathophysiology, supported by computer-assisted instruction and self-evaluation, has the advantages of self-pacing, reduced faculty time commitment, and increased ability to work effectively with physicians. Disadvantages include student feeling of isolation, imbalanced content, and…

This article focuses on four issues: the learner's readiness for self-direction in learning, the teaching and learning process advocated for work with self-directed learners, policy considerations related to self-directed learning, and ethical issues relative to the implementation of self-directed learning concepts. (CT)

Proposes an alternate approach to language learning for the American classroom based on notions of learner independence and community involvement. This method, in-situ exploration, utilizes native-speaking mentors and a five-step "Learning Cycle." (Author/SED)

Discusses methods by which a teacher of English as a second language in a foreign country can teach himself/herself the language of that country. Such methods include keeping a diary, studying grammar, using the mass media, and engaging native speakers in conversation whenever possible. (SED)

In an Ohio State study, medical students pursuing an independent study program and students in the traditional program performed similarly on part 1 of the National Board of Medical Examiners examinations and in their required clerkships. Differences identified resulted in curricular changes.(Author/MLW)

Outlines a path analytic interpretation of data collected in light of the theoretical formulation of a dynamic model of memory. An investigation of industrial trainees' capacity to differentiate various ferrous and nonferrous metals is described which emphasizes the role of relational, strategic, and empirical knowledge in cognitive skill…

Argues that the propensity and capacity of many adults to conduct self-directed learning projects is now well proven, and that researchers should now infuse a spirit of self-critical scrutiny into this developing field of research. Advances four criticisms regarding the current state of self-directed learning research. (Author/CT)