The University of Missouri-Columbia Law School has implemented a first-year course in dispute resolution integrating topics in torts, property, civil procedure, contracts, and criminal law and taught by teachers in all of those areas. (MSE)

Considers new modes of course organization that are based on computers, videodisc players, compact disk players, and other components of interactive technology. Topics discussed include student control of content and pace, ways of learning, mastery courses, learning cycles, hypercourses (non-linear courses), and student organized courses. (17…

Discusses an undergraduate course for developing interest in and skills for research. Provides a course outline and briefly describes each part of the outline. (YP)

Offers some revisions and alternatives to Heath and Atkinson's 1988 model for designing a course on the family treatment of alcohol and drug problems in order to make it generalizable to a greater number of contexts. Suggests the two papers together could serve as a guide for self-study in the area for clinicians. (Author/ABL)

Reports findings of a class exercise in which students are asked to discuss their perceptions of college classes likely to result in high and low classroom motivation. Identifies eight characteristics that encourage motivation: (1) enthusiasm, (2) relevance, (3) organization, (4) appropriate difficulty level, (5) active involvement, (6) variety,…

Attempts to clarify the role of grammar in second-language instruction. It is suggested that changes in language teaching have encouraged the view that grammar is one of several dimensions along which learners need to progress to achieve greater proficiency but that it should not be dominant. (22 references) (CK)

A University of Idaho introductory course in political science describes basic concepts, institutions, and processes of politics and relate their importance to students' daily lives. The course is comparative in organization and structured to promote critical and analytical thinking about politics. (MSE)

Reviews the resurgence in the use of literature in the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom and reports on a writing class at a technical university in Singapore. The course included both reading and oral report components. Only general guidelines were given on principles of organization and presentation. Results indicate improvement in student…

This study compared the effects of multiple versus single deadline contingencies on distribution of unit-mastery test taking by students in four university classes taught using the personalized system of instruction. Rate of test taking was most uniform when multiple deadlines were imposed throughout the course. (Author/DB)

Argues that the oral communication needs of the massive influx of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) sojourner students can be met more effectively in exclusive sections than by mainstreaming them into regular sections. Considers the problem of ESL students' noninvolvement because of personal fears, cultural differences, and classroom practices.…

Data from 20,000 student ratings of 224 undergraduate courses at the University of Canterbury (England) were analyzed to explore the relationship between the ratings and course characteristics. The ratings were found to be stable and significantly related to academic field, class size, percentage of full-time students, academic year of the course,…

A University of Redlands (California) calculus course was redesigned to include computer demonstrations and homework assignments in which the computer could play an important role. Comparison of results of this instruction with that using traditional methods suggest the approach using computers has merit. (MSE)

Discusses two upper division writing-intensive courses, Sociological Theory and Sociology of Religion, offered at Millsaps College (Mississippi). Argues that greater emphasis on writing in the upper-division sociology courses allows students to become better learners and better sociologists. (DB)

Describes a physics-curriculum project that utilizes hypermedia and an historical, conceptual approach. Argues that textbooks are often boring and are inadequate tools for student learning. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

Concludes that creating online instructional sites by hand with the help of an HTML editor is generally preferable to using "course-in-a-box" software because instructors can select the components needed to support their pedagogy and construct successful learning experiences for their students. (RS)