This report surveys the opinions of parents, students, teachers and a few administrators regarding various aspects of the Family Life Education program at Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia. The results indicate that parents and students were generally in favor of the content of the course but would like to see family…

Presents findings of a survey of Australian distance education students who were enrolled in foreign language courses in higher education institutions. Distance language teaching and learning are discussed, and highlights of the questionnaire used in the survey include student profiles, course components, facilities and support services, and…

A study found that a first-year medical school course in interviewing skills can significantly improve students' communication skills and confidence. (MSE)

Describes a study of medical students' training in orthopedics. Discusss discrepancies between course content and duration and the deficiencies that exist in basic knowledge of anatomy relevant to orthopedics. Recommends that orthopedic courses should appear earlier in the curriculum and practice should be emphasized. (TW)

A competency-based evaluation (skills test, minimum competence standard, attitude survey) conducted to measure effectiveness of large scale basic library skills workbook program showed that workbook instruction made statistically significant improvement in test scores, but failed to raise more than 53% of students to a minimum-competence level.…

Students evaluated the educational applications of introductory courses. Social science courses had the highest average rating, followed by introductory psychology, arts/humanities courses, and natural science courses, respectively. Application items rated as most helpful were understanding yourself, understanding others, and coping with problems.…

Reviews over 50 textbooks grouped into three categories: (1) workbooks; (2) sentence style books, most of which use sentence combining as the fundamental type of exercise; and (3) copy books, which are used by directly copying passages with signals for particular changes. (EL)

An increasing number of community colleges are exploring the use of telecommunications and other emerging technologies as instructional media. Distance learning has emerged as the educational modality that combines the need for quality educational programs with the demand by students for flexibility and access. The Florida community colleges have…

Participant observation of an innovative art teacher's classroom technique suggested that, despite his popularity with students, this teacher did not fully engage his students' attention. His attempt at using cognitive dissonance to bring about attitudinal change in the classroom left many students baffled despite the effort expended to involve…

Describes a pilot study intended as the basis for the Oxford Education Research Group Project which examines the values of teaching English literature, teachers' opinions toward and practices in their work, and the lack of knowledge about alternative approaches or student perceptions of the benefits received. (CK)

An experimental study was undertaken to examine: (1) effect of early course evaluation feedback to instructor on subsequent end-of-course class evaluations by students and instructor, and (2) stability of course evaluations by students and instructor. Instructor behaviors and opinions of course value and teaching ability were identified.…

Initial efforts at the University of North Carolina to develop a social science curriculum that is relevant to medical practice are reported. Descriptions of course content, format, teaching strategies, and course evaluation are included with a focus on the question of relevance. (Author/JMD)

A method for obtaining medical students' evaluations of multiple-instructor courses is described. Objectives of the evaluation method are: to increase response rate; to reduce administrative problems; to obtain evaluations at the time of the lecture; to avoid overburdening students; and to avoid confusion. (MH)

A University of Portsmouth (England) study assessed the utility of students' group assessments of courses in generating appropriate feedback. It considered the effectiveness of student consultation meetings, usefulness of the results in course development, how this group process compares with schoolwide course evaluation surveys, and how students…

University students in two advanced introductory psychology courses were offered simultaneous enrollment in a community service-learning course. Students selecting the option did not differ from nonparticipants demographically, or in self-reporting personal development gains or final grades, but did report enhanced ability to apply concepts…