The lack of research concerning instruction in veterinarian-client relations necessitates this examination of relevant studies in communication skills instruction in medical education. Issues discussed include the transfer of cognitive knowledge to actual behavior, evaluation of student performance, and course evaluation. (JMD)

Relationships between student attitudes toward Edward Keller plan psychology courses and student ratings of specific teacher behaviors and class characteristics were investigated in a study of 563 senior high school students enrolled in Keller plan courses. Practical course value and teacher enthusiasm were positively related to the students'…

A conceptual model for the meaningfulness and value of a course of study as judged by students in higher education is developed. It suggests that in a course, perceived meaningfulness and value are related to the perceived learnings in the cognitive-subject matter, affective-personal, and behavioral domains. (Author/LBH)

Images drawn from popular media as well as professional stereotypes impede the integration of the pharmacist into the health care team. A course at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, designed to study stereotypes, is described. (Author/MLW)

Problems and benefits stemming from involving students of English for special purposes in course evaluation include: lack of understanding about the larger educational context; overexaggeration of minor criticisms; shared responsibility for instruction; and increased teacher-student communication. (CB)

Reports on an analysis of student evaluations of an introductory college-level physical geology course over a five year period. Indicates that instructional and pedagogical traits were assessed as being of importance in contributing to the satisfaction of the students with the course. (TW)

The design and evaluation of two cross-cultural workshops, one for teacher trainees in English as a second language (ESL) and one for teachers and administrators in a school district, are described, and the relationship of the specific evaluation methods to course improvement is discussed. (MSE)

Reports some aspects of an evaluation of the Alternative Nuffield Physics Certificate of Secondary Education subject. Discusses the relevance and implications of problems that may recur in the General Certificate of Secondary Education program. (CW)

Review of research efforts in the area of distance education highlights the theory and basic character of distance education, course development, communication, evaluation, methods of research, and formulation of a research discipline of distance education. Sixty-two references are provided. (LRW)

Describes the development and evaluation of a pilot course in Spanish, which was designed specifically for social workers and which emphasized communicative activity. In general, students rated the program favorably, although several suggestions for improvement were made. Potential applicability of this kind of course to other professions is…

Why history is useful to decision makers in business is discussed, and a graduate level course that teaches the uses of history in decision making to Masters of Business Administration students is described. Student and faculty evaluations of the course have been overwhelmingly positive. Areas that need improvement are discussed. (RM)

Describes how a public service company developed a four-day course designed to evaluate trainees' learning ability and upgrade their study skills. Examines the structured group pretest of trainees' entry study skills, the benefits of being a goal-oriented trainee, the PREP (preview, read, examine, prompt) Study System, memory recall, and test…

A course in communication skills for medical students at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is described. Three issues are examined: the effectiveness of behavioral scientists and physicians as course instructors, the value of videotaped role-playing exercises, and the value of trained actors and medical students as simulated patients.…

Describes a meta-analysis of 42 controlled evaluations on effectiveness of computer-based education (CBE) in secondary schools. Results indicate computer-assisted and managed instruction and CBE used with disadvantaged students was generally effective, while computer-enriched instruction was less effective in raising student examination scores.…

Description of database management systems course being taught to students at School of Library and Information Studies, University of California, Berkeley, notes course structure, assignments, and course evaluation. Approaches to teaching concepts of three types of database systems are discussed and systems used by students in the course are…