Whether or not an innovation in education is accepted is often dependent upon its direct affect on the stability of the adopter. A framework of organizational theory provides structure and meaning for a study on differing positive/negative responses of distinct groupings of educators toward the adoption of innovative practices. Educational change…

This report describes a program designed to promote relevance in the lower division curriculum at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, Texas. It was decided that the best means to be used is a multidisciplinary course that utilizes the method of problemsolving as the basis. Therefore, a course combining the social and behavioral sciences…

A proposed plan outlined in this speech divides the school year into three instructional units of 12 weeks each during which time student attendance is required. Three interim units of 15 work days and five vacation days are scheduled in April, August, and December. These interim units are designed to be used by students for remedial work,…

Some 3,000 students from varied backgrounds are now enrolled, under the auspices of 20 colleges and universities, in programs that constitute a distinct alternative to usual college offerings for undergraduates. These programs are called Universities Without Walls (UWW). The structure of each unit of the UWW has been devised by a team of students,…

With the recognition that different kinds of students desire different kinds of educational experiences, many colleges and universities have been moving to develop innovative programs in the undergraduate domain. One approach that has been gaining in popularity is based on the "living-learning" concept. This concept is an attempt to blend, rather…

This document is composed of two papers studying the conversion of a traditional teacher education program to a performance based teacher education (PBTE) program at the University of Washington. The first paper describes the conditions and process necessary to bring about a change in teacher education. Emphasis is placed on the organization of…

Both students and social scientists criticize the American educational system because (1) course content is not presented in a manner relevant to real-world situations and (2) course structures typically have characteristics that inhibit rather than promote individual motivation to learn. This case study describes a student-originated course…

Contributions derived from ESEA Title III funds to the new environmental thrusts in American education are portrayed in this quarterly journal. These funds have provided opportunities for development of innovative, model environmental education programs in many local school districts. Responding to new educational needs, the projects have sought…

The author calls for a "cultural revolution" and urges a radical examination of the social myths and institutions by which we presently live our lives. He scores the present educational structure in America as a sacred cow which suits people for a life of consumption rather than action. In its stead he proposes a "deschooled"…

Written by four teams of doctoral students at Ball State University, the scenarios presented describe a hypothetical sequence of events, procedures, or new patterns involving the English curriculum of the future. The scenarios are: I. An English Curriculum for the Year 2000; II. MED-85, a Humanistic Communications Scenario; III. A.D. Two Double-O…

This speech presents a model for implementing educational change. The author conceptualizes seven temporally sequenced stages of educational change, including (1) agreement to begin; (2) establishment of an organization; (3) selection of problems and goals; (4) study of available solutions; (5) pilot trials; (6) adopt, adapt, reject decisions; and…

The Center for the Teaching Professions at Northwestern University was established in 1969 as a response to the concern expressed by our society about the quality and importance of teaching and its relationship to the vitality of the learning process. The efforts of the Center are all directed toward the goal of improving teaching in any context…

The author, Chairman of the National Commission on Non-Traditional Study, points out that the community college has a unique but undeveloped opportunity in the area of non-traditional study. The traditional view that only private institutions are and can be innovative must be altered since: (1) the line dividing public and private institutions is…

This paper provides a progress report on a study of a new dental school that departs from the traditional approach to professional socialization by channeling its students into clinic experience early in the first year of training. Based upon data from the first 2 years of a 6-year longitudinal investigation, the study focuses on the first class…

This fictitious scenario embodies all the characteristics and dimensions for a fully developed competency-based teacher education program envisioned by the authors. A single program and its implications for students, faculty, and the institution are presented. Specific areas of the program covered 1) a fundamental description of the competency…