Argues that the organization and practice of higher education is based on faulty assumptions about the structure of knowledge and nature of learning. Proposes an alternative form of undergraduate education based on the principle that learning takes place through the activity of the learner, and emphasizing the individual nature of learning,…

Six suggestions for individualizing instruction include: (1) grouping kids for instructional needs; (2) reducing class size; (3) providing additional resources; (4) increasing the amount of instructional time; (5) utilizing support personnel; and (6) preparing personnel with skills needed for individualization. (DB)

This review of the literature finds an inconsistency between general education teachers' generally positive attitudes toward making instructional adaptations for students with disabilities and evidence that they are unlikely to alter their traditional whole-class instructional strategies. A lack of teacher training and limited school support are…

A study investigated the impact of the use of the Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach (VISTA) by seven individual student-planning teams on students (ages 5-13) with deaf-blindness educated in inclusive classes with individually determined support services. Greater implementation of decisions made using VISTA increased the likelihood of…

Offers strategies for modifying the regular class curriculum for high-ability students including lesson modifications, assignment modifications, and scheduling modifications. Three case studies illustrate these modifications. (DB)

Examines the relationship between attendance in personal contact programs (PCPs) and achievement in open distance education. The sample consisted of 83 secondary level students of National Open School (NOS), India. Findings indicate a positive correlation between attendance in the PCPs and learner performance. (AEF)

Detracking alone is not the best means of raising student achievement. Students with different abilities, interests, and motivation levels should be offered differentiated instruction that meets their individual needs. Unfortunately, only a small number of teachers employ differentiation in their classrooms. Training and instructional grouping…

First examines issues in the identification of mathematically gifted children in the context of V. A. Krutetskii's categories of mathematical ability developed in his 1976 work, "The Psychology of Mathematical Abilities in Schoolchildren." A case study model is then offered which involves continuous and interactive identification and…

Some children learn to read easily with phonics, and some do better with a whole-language approach. Principals should understand both systems and use the best of both, together with other effective reading programs. Teachers should balance their reading programs by providing structure for analytic students, reading to students, and relying on…

Teaching methods to develop the handwriting skills of children who have low vision are discussed. Difficulties are seen to result from problems with motor skills, visual factors, and mechanical difficulties. Stressed throughout is adaptation of the handwriting program to the particular needs of the individual child. (DB)

Effective heterogeneous cooperative learning helps students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Within heterogeneous groups, teachers can differentiate tasks by complexity and quantity, use high-achieving students' ideas, enhance individualized work, plan challenging peer-tutoring assignments, add enrichment options, vary criteria for…

Addresses the need for a change to constructivistic education in a computer literacy course. It was determined that a constructivistic approach was needed that would allow students to "cut their puppet strings" and become independent thinkers who constructed personal knowledge of database software, the Internet, and higher-order thinking…

Describes the six basic elements of personalized instruction: The dual teacher role (coach and advisor), diagnosing student learning characteristics, a culture of collegiality, interactive learning environments, flexible scheduling and pacing, and authentic assessment. (Contains 23 references.) (PKP)

Describes how two secondary schools implemented the six basic elements of personalized instruction: The Thomas Haney Secondary Centre in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, Massachusetts. (Contains 14 references.) (PKP)

This article describes a framework that allows teachers in inclusive elementary settings to interweave instructional strategies from a variety of paradigms to meet individual learning needs in inclusive mathematics classes. Factors to be considered are highlighted and an instructional continuum from more teacher-centered strategies to more…