The University of Michigan Dearborn's school of engineering established a center for engineering education and practice that combines teaching, research, and practice in collaboration with industry. It funds projects each year to answer real questions in the engineering community, enhance the school's curriculum, and provide hands-on experience…

This article describes a system recently introduced in Britain for training and certifying social work field instructors. The system addresses concerns about the quantity of competent field instructors and the quality of social work field education. Its impact on field education in the United Kingdom and implications for social work programs and…

A number of Appalachian initiatives aim to recruit rural doctors. West Virginia's three medical schools require all students to spend time working in rural clinics, where they develop an understanding of and connections to rural communities. In two rural Tennessee counties, East Tennessee State University maintains teaching medical practices…

This article describes a sequential criterion-referenced assessment tool that can be used by social work students in field work and field instructors in evaluating student progress over a semester, a process benefiting both groups. The system provides students with periodic self-administered, self-scored tests. Development and sustained use of the…

Describes Indiana State University's baseline day program, which helps establish a strong beginning upon which student teachers can build. Student teachers take full responsibility of the classroom for 1 day within the first 4-10 days of their assignment. Evaluations of student and cooperating teachers indicate the program benefits all involved.…

Presents the Nevada Science Teacher Enhancement Project (N-STEP) in which 50 high school teachers worked with research scientists, educational faculty, and high school students on authentic, field-based research projects in the geosciences, biological sciences, or social sciences. Indicates improved satisfaction of teachers and students with their…

Interviewed elementary teacher preparation program graduates within urban schools serving poor, diverse students. Overall, fieldwork contextualized in real classrooms significantly influenced what teachers carried from preservice programs to classrooms. Respondents suggested bolstering classroom management and parent communication components of…

Describes the development of a Technology Teaching Lab that was designed to provide elementary education preservice teachers with instruction to create technology-enhanced lessons and to use the lessons in their field placement. Discusses planning the lab, integrating the lab component into methods courses, and evaluation. (LRW)

This article describes a course-specific model for organizing field experience in the teacher education program at Morehead State University. Students in an elementary social studies methods course had class and field experience within the same public school. Guidelines for effective collaboration between the university and the school are…

A teacher education field experience which emphasizes a collaborative partnership among supervisors, student teachers, teachers, and pupils, is described. Aspects discussed include student teachers' perceptions of the course's effectiveness, course activities, and links between the university and the schools. (Author/CB)

Examines value of higher education field studies. Describes agricultural field programs in California and Sri Lanka, examining relationship of classroom work to field work. Details students' reflections. Emphasizes experiential learning as valuable for both student and teacher. Concludes field work fosters realistic, meaningful interpretations of…

In this article, the reflective practitioner is first defined conceptually and operationally. Implications for structuring teacher preparation programs that enable reflectivity are then discussed. (Author/IAH)

A survey of 335 registered Ohio pharmacists concerning specialized continuing education investigated practitioner interest in 28 specific course topics, perceived importance of certain program attributes (e.g., academic credit, instructional format, experiential components), and preferences for seasons, days, and hours of course offering.…

Based on a review of literature on social work field learning and analysis of current data on student performance criteria, eight learning objectives for field study were identified. The objectives reflect traditional concepts and contemporary demands on the profession. A student field performance evaluation method using the objectives is…

Study described what and how preservice teachers learned during a field-based elementary physical education methods course. Interviews, observations, and written work indicated they felt the development of pedagogical content knowledge was salient in learning to teach. They linked inadequate pedagogical content knowledge to problems observing and…