The intent of this paper is to examine the current educational literature relevant to interdisciplinary instruction. Its focus is to provide educators with information to facilitate planning for effective interdisciplinary instruction, particularly at the secondary level. Current research literature indicates that using an interdisciplinary, or…

Increases in class size, time constraints, and class material have pressured educators to develop better ways to present instructional material; this pressure has led to numerous teaching innovations, including many in the area of individualized instruction. This paper focuses on a history of critiques of individualized instruction in the 20th…

This book is designed to provide specific and practical suggestions for teachers and tutors of adult students. It is divided into two major parts. Part 1, which is devoted to adult learning, includes information on the characteristics of adult learners, their expectations and motivation, and issues related to equal opportunities and access. Part 2…

Educators, business and government leaders in the public sector are attempting to provide a kind of comprehensive, effective education for all students by designing a new approach to education which will: (1) eliminate the educationally embarrassing general education track which leads students into an academic and vocational dead end; (2) improve…

Developmental research, as opposed to simple instructional development, has been defined as the systematic study of designing, developing, and evaluating instructional programs, processes, and products that must meet criteria of internal consistency and effectiveness. Developmental research is particularly important in the field of instructional…

Instructional design issues related to the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of instruction are gaining increased recognition at the tertiary level in health science educational areas such as pharmacy. However, what has been lacking in the available literature on pharmaceutical education is a comprehensive review aimed at characterizing…

The National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools was formed in 1987 by the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the National Council for the Social Studies to study the state of social studies in the schools and to make recommendations for curricular change. The Commission's curriculum report,…

Developing instruction is a critical part of the education process. For instruction to be effective it should be organized and well planned. Development of an effective program should include careful consideration of the need for instruction, the audience, and the course content. Instruction delivered via telecommunications can be even more…

Current research suggests that culture strongly influences students' learning patterns, communication styles, perceptions, and behavior. This research summary details ways that teachers can improve student learning by becoming aware of cultural differences and employing culturally sensitive instructional methods. Concentrating on how students…

This study of the patterns of communication in the field of instructional technology examined the reference lists provided with each article or review in three journals for a period of five years to determine: (1) who the most cited authors in the field are; (2) whether invisible colleges exist in the field; and (3) if invisible colleges do exist,…

Planning for instructional use of microcomputers should start with the curriculum, not with computers. Planning is a necessity and it should be a fluid process. A planning model offered by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium starts with an analysis of current curriculum to identify the content, skills, and attitudes that are considered…

An alternative to ability grouping for instructional purposes exists. Cognitive developmental grouping (CDG), sometimes labeled "tracking" or "pacing," organizes students in terms of similar learning styles and takes into consideration the child's intellectual maturation rather than performance within a particular curriculum…

In the last 10 years, an approach to electronic distance education called audiographic computerized telelearning using standard telephone lines has come to the fore. Telelearning is a cost-effective system which optimizes existing computer facilities and creates a teaching-learning environment that is interactive, efficient, and adaptable to a…

The ability to bridge together geographically-distant populations for training is made possible through teletraining, a human performance system which integrates telecommunications into the planning, design, and delivery of training programs. Typically, teletraining uses standard telephone lines or digital communication services to provide…

A practical approach is offered to incorporating desired instructional components into teaching styles of college faculty, in ways that increase their overall effectiveness. The first part of the book places the improvement process in a context, focusing on the impediments to improving college teaching, techniques for encouraging faculty…