Student response to student-centered learning at the Open University was surveyed in a questionnaire sent to all students completing a course called "Man-made Futures: Design and Technology." It was found that student projects are popular, regarded as difficult but satisfactory, and require tutorial support. (LBH)

High school students in the SAXophone (Students All over the world eXchanging over the phone) Project use videoconferencing to discuss local culture, science, literature, and environmental issues. A virtual field trip and other activities, planning, and future projects are described. (AEF)

Since 1993, an Israeli junior high school has been conducting a regional computer communications class with a special multimedia-based curriculum. Students express what they know via text, videos, pictures, sound, and animation and demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge in research and documentary projects. Although staff encountered some…

Describes a history unit for middle school students focusing on their own communities. Describes getting organized, introducing the unit, and possible student projects. Adds a note of caution. (SR)

Business students at the Polytechnic of Wales (United Kingdom) helped to organize, market, and assist in the daily running of the 1991 Aspects of Educational Training Technology (AETT) conference. Tasks included preparing mailings, contacting local businesses, writing instructions and introductory letters to delegates, and preparing the conference…

Focuses on ideas and strategies to help students identify appropriate resources for specific research tasks. Highlights include three processes for working through assignments, brainstorming and narrowing the list of sources, using a checklist of primary sources, and other considerations. (AEF)

Describes a writing assignment in which students are required to research, individually, an aspect of their college and present results as an alumni magazine article. A second, collaborative assignment brings the class together to write about a significant campus issue. Benefits include better knowledge of the college, its programs, and its…

Describes a unit where children first master the basic concepts inherent in restaurant transactions, then organize and run a classroom restaurant. Discusses project accomplishments and extensions and ways to modify the model to fit the needs and strengths of children in any classroom. (JRH)

Describes an art lesson in which students sketch drawings of flowers and use watercolor paper and other materials to paint a landscape. Explains that the students also learn about impressionism in this lesson. Discusses how the students prepare the paper and create their artwork. (CMK)

Describes a program developed at Bloomsburg University (Pennsylvania) to prepare graduate students to be technologically savvy and to teach them the business aspects of instructional technology and electronic learning. Discusses partnerships with instructional technology professionals; collaborative student projects; a request for proposal…

Discusses the guidelines for two class projects used in an undergraduate cognitive psychology class: (1) Museum of the Mind, where students created interactive museum-like displays; and (2) the Cognition Book, an edited book about cognition. Finds that students enjoyed the former activity but learned more from the latter. (CMK)

Provides historical information on the art technique called marbling. Includes floating paints on water and transferring the patterns formed in the water to paper. Discusses how teachers can teach this technique with materials that fit their budgets. Describes the process in detail. (CMK)

Presents an instructional resource that explores works of art by African Americans from the U.S. Civil War to the civil rights era (1859-1945). Includes reproductions and background information for each art work and artist along with questions and related art projects. (CMK)

Discusses types of art materials that children enjoy using in their artworks. Explores the art materials such as tasty art supplies, such as candy; peeled supplies, such as pencil shavings; sticky art supplies, such as Band-Aids; and fast-food supplies, such as forks and spoons. (CMK)

Introducing new software to students can be done effectively if teachers provide a brief introduction; show a finished project; build a chunk of the finished product; give student pairs the steps to complete their own chunk and coach as needed; and give students a computer-based tutorial, guiding them through the same procedure. (PEN)