Described is independent study research at Garden City High School (Garden City, NY) involving ten students studying seasonal beach erosion, salt marsh preservation, sludge leachate hazards in bays, and sewer outfall effects on barrier bays. Outcomes include better understanding of the scientific process and careful, accurate research. (Author/DS)

The Learning Exchange System, or Learnxs, was created in Toronto in 1973 as a three-year demonstration project concerned with the use of informal community-based learning resources for individual and group learning. The system produced a detailed directory of organizations, places, and individuals which could offer learning experiences. (JN)

The major difference between individualized and traditional instruction methods is the pattern of student interaction with the teacher, with the classmates, and with the learning materials. (JN)

A component of a freshman psychiatry course in which students are permitted to pursue independent study in any aspect of the human life cycle is described. Examination of student topics over a three-year period revealed that many chose areas of study relating to significant past personal experiences. (Author/MLW)

Instructions involving high-level questions and answers either were or were not given to fifth and sixth graders in three learning environments: cooperative, competitive, or independent. Students who received the instructions showed greater gains in recognizing and generating high-level questions. (GDC)

Describes the Career Oriented Pre-Technical Physics (COPP) curriculum. This curriculum, comprising 29 modules, uses a hands-on, practical, nature to stress the career-vocational aspects of physics. Students design their personal curricula and proceed at their own pace. Evaluative information, comparing this program with other physics curricula, is…

The authors discuss positive and negative implications of learning contracts for classroom oriented programs. They show how themes and purposes can be organized within learning contracts, using examples from courses at Empire State College in New York. For journal availability, see SO 505 438. (Author/AV)

The contract learning laboratory program utilized during the 1974-75 academic year is described, including specially-designed experiments and typical results. A student evaluation of the program is also given. (LBH)

The instructional effectiveness of two different presentation methods (lecture and self-paced or modularized) was examined using two groups of pharmacy students. Little or no difference was found in this study of junior and senior students at Oregon State University. (LBH)

Some of the effects of deafness are examined in the context of learning and suggestions are offered for identifying and alleviating them. Up to 200 Open University students could benefit from special services such as those described in the six case studies in this article. They all received transcripts of radio and television programs to…

Student response to student-centered learning at the Open University was surveyed in a questionnaire sent to all students completing a course called "Man-made Futures: Design and Technology." It was found that student projects are popular, regarded as difficult but satisfactory, and require tutorial support. (LBH)

This study investigated the perceived value (after several years) of a year-long independent study/mentorship course provided to 90 gifted high school students. Respondents reported that the course had improved their self-esteem; that the mentor was a significant influence and helped in "real life" learning; and that the course helped in career…

Presents accumulated insights for benefit of colleagues considering embarking on software development projects. Original purpose of project was to produce a set of grammar revision and extension modules allowing teachers to use computers as a means of ensuring that once a language point had been dealt with in class, students could be required to…

Since 1993, an Israeli junior high school has been conducting a regional computer communications class with a special multimedia-based curriculum. Students express what they know via text, videos, pictures, sound, and animation and demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge in research and documentary projects. Although staff encountered some…

Addresses issues arising from the application of a learning model to the Greek public administration system. Suggests a process of organizational self-learning that is capable of transforming a state bureaucracy into a self-referential organization. The process of self-learning is based on a repeating cycle of knowing, reflecting, understanding,…