In a study of intermediate level college economics courses, achievement levels of students taught by a problem-centered approach were compared with achievement levels of students taught by traditional lecture and discussion methods. Experimental students did no better than the control students. Additional research is suggested. (Author/DB)

A coordinated, multidisciplinary competency-based program in drugs, disease, and human behavior is described that uses basic and clinical health science personnel of both medical and pharmacy faculties. Implemented at the University of Southern California, it presents core information to both pharmacy and medical students. (LBH)

The right and left brain hemispheres have been found to be responsible for different processes. Educators are searching for methods of learning which utilize the right as well as the left brain. The activities in this article attempt to develop right-brain functions in Middle School students through metric measurement. (Author/MA)

Interdisciplinary collaboration with other professionals was the theme of a preservice training activity in England in which 18 students enrolled in a teacher training program for learning difficulties were paired with students of speech and language pathology to observe, discuss, and assess a severely disabled child in the school setting. (JW)

Personnel preparation in learning disabilities should stress a broad theoretical understanding of individual differences, interdisciplinary collaboration, and working with families. These goals can best be met by generic programs with specialization only in terms of severity of learning impairment. An outline for such a 2-year program is given.…

The challenge to coordinate physical education, art, and drama into a one week elderhostel project is described. The result was a creative performance by the participants their last day in the program. (Author/MLW)

The inability of university professors to communicate about shared concepts and concerns--e.g., meaning, self, integrity, an ideal of truth--is related to the fragmented university, departmentalized and bureaucratized. The impact of this on the humanity of those involved is sketched, and suppositions are advanced about the nature of education.…

Charts development and describes features of multidisciplinary health studies course emphasizing experiential learning being introduced as part of Munn and Dunning development program. Suggests methods for easing tensions generated when aspects of school-based development are introduced into centrally controlled curriculum change to develop…

Describes a program in a tenth-grade geography class for helping students who speak English as a second language develop better writing skills. Specifically examines the use of English as a second language (ESC) teaching techniques to accomplish this task. (RKM)

Citing recent studies which decry the historical knowledge and writing ability of U.S. students, Seiter states that writing can be used to introduce more social studies content into the classroom--mainly by using primary/historical sources as the basis for writing assignments. Highlights several ERIC resources which deal with improving writing…

Reviews the history of human development, and of family development and its interdisciplinary nature. Explores variations as well as the universality of the family life cycle and developmental tasks. Presents examples of the applications of family developmental concepts by a variety of practitioners in the family field, offering ideas on research…

An experimental interdisciplinary freshman course taught at North Carolina State University was intended to introduce principles of general systems theory; to provide examples through lectures and readings of applications of these principles in a wide variety of fields; and to introduce and provide practice in critical questioning and evaluation.…

Defines "language across the curriculum," discusses its history and theory and its implications for faculty training, teaching techniques, and curriculum change. (ARH)

Emphasizes the usefulness of integrating communicative and literary analyses to study the symbolic and pragmatic aspects of human relationships. Describes a health care course that teaches practitioner-patient communication through the application of communication theory to literary "case studies." Uses a scene from "The Elephant…

Collateral teaching offers an alternative to using commercially prepared social skills programs for learning-disabled students, by enabling teachers to instruct social skills that are required of their students as opportunities arise in normal contexts. Strategies for instructing social skills include coaching, modeling, reinforcement, cognitive…