The University of Technology, Sydney (Australia) graduate certificate program in local government management grew from a desire for program flexibility and relevance and resulted in a partnership with local government. The one-year program has a variety of delivery modes, with both delivery and content negotiated by participants, employers, and…

Describes an award-winning multidisciplinary, multimedia unit on Native Americans that was developed through participation in the Earthwatch Institute programs. Explains the Earthwatch program; collaboration between library media specialists and classroom teachers; and use of The Big6 process for information problem solving and the development of…

Results from questionnaires administered to 296 gifted and mainstream eighth-graders from Singapore and clinical interviews found that regardless of academic ability, children "high" in practical intelligence displayed a heightened sense of self and a keener awareness of the hidden curriculum and larger goals of the school. (Contains…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been recognized as an important educational strategy and has been adopted in many medical schools. There is confusion, however, about what constitutes PBL. Describes 11 steps in the continuum between PBL and information-oriented learning, task-based learning being the final step at the problem-based end of the…

Argues that community, field-based, service-oriented projects can be a powerful way to address concerns of scientific literacy. Based on a case study of two ninth-grade students, it is recommended that an ethic of care and responsible action be an exemplar for schools and teachers. Contains 22 references. (DDR)

Investigates factors influencing language-switching behavior in the thinking processes of a bilingual person engaged in second-language writing, based on review of literature and a case study in which an individual performs three tasks using think-aloud protocols: text composition in English (second language); written translation from Chinese…

Describes a teaching unit composed of two Web-based activities which draw upon authentic, primary sources available on the Library of Congress American Memory Web site (http://memory.loc.gov). Discusses the problem-based learning framework, the "prompt," links to selected information sources, and testing the unit. (AEF)

This study of 16 Singapore child care centers found that children spent most of their time engaged in adult-led group, cognitive, and daily routine activities. Findings also suggest that good quality centers offer a variety of cognitively stimulating activities, such as literacy activities, academic and problem-solving tasks, and verbal…

A Virginia science and technology high school restructured its ninth-grade curriculum by clustering three core courses in an integrated program. Students work with resource managers at Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge to gather data on species inhabiting the area. They prepare well-researched reports and present them to peers, faculty, and…

Investigated development of ability to recognize, anticipate, and plan the replay of recorded action sequences. Effects of an educational intervention on this ability were evaluated for two- to five-year olds. Results suggest that representational competence is a teachable concept and that a complex mediating structure allows children to…

Provides activity structures for and gives examples of problem-solving projects to be used with educational telecomputing. Highlights include information searches, electronic process writing, sequential creations, parallel problem solving, simulations, social action projects, and instructions for accessing information about these and other…

Focuses on the implementation and development of a pioneering action research project in a Sino-British English program. The article describes the project's goal to introduce the notion of action research into China, to encourage reflective teaching and classroom research among trainee teachers, and to bridge the theories studied with classroom…

While foundation support for higher education is expected to remain strong, fundamental changes in giving strategies are influencing which institutions and program types are funded. Trends include increased attention to precollegiate education, less direct support to historically black institutions and more to initiatives supporting cultural…

The study investigated the use of case-based pedagogy to develop critical reflection in prospective teachers. Analysis of students written analyses of dilemma-based cases found patterns showing evidence of students open-mindedness, sense of professional responsibility, and wholeheartedness in approach to teaching. (DB)

Presents several strategies used by teachers committed to providing varied teaching and learning approaches in the middle school; strategies include learning inventories; question posing by young adolescents; projects; and interactive and reflective learning by students. Also discusses the need for professional development for teachers who are…