A two-week elective to introduce medical students to primary care internal medicine was developed and evaluated. Course time is divided between conference sessions and office experience. Evaluations by students consisted of a questionnaire of conference topics, the student's ability to carry out course objectives, and the preceptor's teaching…

Forecasting activity at Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Maryland, is centered in a program called "Focus on the Future." All constituencies of the college and representatives of the external community are invited to attend workshops and participate in an analysis of issues that will affect the college's future development. (MLW)

Explains how a five- to seven-minute daily reading of popular children's books fostered aural comprehension and literary appreciation in students. (HOD)

This guide provides a rationale for public issues discussions, defines what public issues are, provides guidelines for directing discussions, summarizes roadblocks to productive discussions, suggests sample activities, and poses guidelines for using resource people. A list of organizations and published resources is appended. (JDH)

Research on teachers' question-asking practices indicates that strategy utilizing both initial and follow-up questions helps students develop the ability to reason for themselves. Five types of follow-up questions discussed are questions seeking: (1) clarification; (2) evidence; (3) greater specificity; (4) a more appropriate focus; and (5)…

Investigates whether third- and fourth-grade children respond differently to conflict with friends and acquaintances. Results support the view that conflict between friends promotes more social development than conflict between nonfriends. Discussion among friends disagreeing on answers to social problems resulted in more mature solutions than…

Ten effective discussion techniques that Phil Donahue, as talk show host, uses on his television show are discussed and related to a teacher's role as discussion leader in the classroom. Additional options unavailable to Donahue but available to teachers are also outlined. (JMK)

Describes the group evaluation procedure in higher education with its incorporation of unstructured and focused interviewing of small student groups, along with evaluator's and students' roles. Its theoretical basis, the clarification of data and data feedback through use of this method, and its advantages are discussed. Fifteen references are…

A survey of medical students in self-help groups revealed that social affiliation and an opportunity to express feelings in a "safe" environment were primary attractions. Nonprofessional faculty contact, support from fellow students, and stimulating discussions about medicine were the main benefits. (Author/MSE)

Orientation programs for students about to enter secondary school were the topic of discussion in this article. The needs of transfer students and suggestions for making their adjustment as pleasant as possible were considered. (RK)

Extracts from a conversation with the author of "Teaching Styles and Pupil Progress" and a group of distinguished educationists on the validity of the book's research, its effect on teachers, the implications for public policy, and some new directions for educational research. (Editor/RK)

Video and DVD clips give participants an opportunity to explore values and ideas, learn about one another, and, in the process, build a stronger learning community. "Energizing Staff Development Using Film Clips" is a collection of film and television clips that staff developers can use to encourage discussion and reflection on pertinent, common…

This study examined the relationship between the quality of classroom talk and academic rigor in reading comprehension lessons. In addition, the study aimed to characterize effective questions to support rigorous reading comprehension lessons. The data were collected as a part of the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) pilot. The IQA is a…

A panel of 11 human resource development (HRD) practitioners (2 session chairs and 9 panelists) participated in an innovation session devoted to critical thinking in HRD. The session objectives were as follows: (1) share knowledge, views, and beliefs about the relevance of critical management theory and research to the HRD community; (2) provide a…

This study was designed to supporting teachers on developing teaching norms based on classroom-learning community in which students are willing to engage in discourse. A collaborative team consisting of the researcher and four second-grade teachers were set up. The collaborative community intended to generate norms of acceptable or appropriate…