Describes four ways to earn college credit: credit through correspondence and independent study, credit by examination, credit for noncollegiate sponsored instruction, and credit for past learning experiences. A list of references identifying other alternatives and degree programs is also included. (BM)

An independent studies program (ISP) in the basic medical sciences developed at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry involves 16 students as a learning team working with 10 medical teachers as a teaching team. The program offers an alternative to the lecture-laboratory-conference traditional format. (Author/LBH)

Reports on an experiment carried out with Swiss high school students who had had four years of French. The students were allowed to design their class work individually. On the basis of a questionnaire, which is provided here, the experiment was judged very successful. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Los Angeles' International College is a small, private, unaccredited college with 174 students and without classrooms, library or student center. Its chief assets are the intellects and worldwide reputations of many of its tutors who work closely with student apprentices. (LBH)

The Humanities External Degree Program at California State University, Dominguez Hills, is a fully accredited, interdisciplinary program offering both a bachelor's and a master's degree and waiving all attendance requirements. Its curriculum, procedures, and emphasis on independent study are described.

Describes a self-instructional system called PACT (Programmed Audio Cassette Training) adapted by the U.S. Civil Service Commission for relatively low-cost training of large numbers of employees or trainees. Included are a chart of PACT's benefits for both learners and management, with a detailed cost comparison methods study. (MF)

The Hawaii Open Program for the Excluded (HOPE), under the sponsorship of the University of Hawaii's College of Continuing Education, is described. Reported are its study guide format, Bachelor of General Studies degree, problem areas, university faculty reaction, successes and trends, and future outlook. (LBH)

Describes a teacher's metamorphosis from a controlling kindergarten teacher to one who recognized that children already have a great deal of language and print awareness and who could assist them in self-directed learning by giving their language instruction a context. (HTH)

A few medical schools have introduced a significant innovation--the problem-based curriculum. Students meet in small tutorials and consider biomedical problems that they cannot solve without acquiring new information and skills. This experiment at Harvard gives "respectability" to the curriculum. (MLW)

Investigates the extent to which the content of 55 college vocabulary texts is consistent with current research and theory on vocabulary instruction. Recommends less reliance on memorization and more emphasis on deep understanding and independent vocabulary development. (SKC)

The limited studies conducted thus far indicate that interactive videodisc technology can be of great help to foreign-language learning. The sophisticated technology and the potential for development of effective learning materials offer advantages over other approaches. (MSE)

Educators are urged to encourage gifted/talented students to teach themselves foreign languages. This essay discusses the lack of language requirements in schools, linguistic insensitivity or laziness shown by Americans, individuals' linguistic potential, goals of multilingual development, the appropriate time to introduce foreign languages, and…

Recommends teaching both mental imagery (an unobtrusive, natural text processing strategy) and summarizing (an efficient text reorganization strategy) to students who do not spontaneously use them. (NKA)

The reprinted 1978 article with a 1988 update advocates a combination of enrichment and acceleration to meet the needs of gifted youth. It presents a three-stage enrichment model to develop: (1) divergent and convergent thinking abilities; (2) creative thinking and problem solving strategies; and (3) independent learning abilities. (VW)

A study was conducted to investigate student perceptions of independent study instruction by analyzing student evaluations of program procedures, instructors, instructional materials, assignments and examinations, and student self-assessments. It also investigated students' reasons for enrolling and not completing their independent study courses…