It is argued that learning and instruction could be conceptualized from a process-analytic perspective. Important questions from the field of learning and instruction are presented which can be answered using our approach of process analyses. A classification system of process concepts and methods is given. One main advantage of this kind of…

This study compares two model curricula--one from India and one from the USA. These two countries have played a starring role in the development of information technology (IT). Model curricula are useful tools for comparison of how different countries perceive and perpetuate ideas surrounding IT. Firstly, it was found that the Indian curriculum…

While almost any educator would agree that students deserve access to equal educational opportunities, many schools still sort students based on test scores or other criteria. There's a better way: one built on offering all students access to the best curriculum. In this first-ever practical book that shows how educators can make detracking work,…

For the second language student, proficiency is a measure of what tasks can be accomplished with acquired language and how well they can be accomplished. The necessity for specification of functional proficiency arose, and resulted in the publication of guidelines by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)'s guidelines…

This paper discusses the importance of considering the social context in which an instructional product will be used during the development process. It is contended that traditional instructional product development models are inadequate because they ignore social context. The use of inadequate traditional design models results in the development…

Curriculum developers must work hard to avoid the "what errors" of curriculum development. They must avoid failing to teach what should be taught and teaching what is no longer relevant and needed. Curriculum "what errors" are likely to occur when teachers design courses so as to teach what they know best, what they were…

This report considers a range of issues involved in doing case-study research with emphasis on the potential for and the problems associated with this approach in distance education. The report begins with an introduction to the case-study research methodology, noting that it is not widely recognized as an approach in distance education.…

Instructional Design Expert (ID Expert) is a prototype instructional design expert system which supports the instructional design phase of instructional system development. It differs from other instructional design toolkits in that it is built using a knowledge engineering approach, and has been implemented as an expert system. The system…

This paper explores the course-planning activities of faculty teaching introductory undergraduate courses, in order to assess influences on the process of curriculum revision. The findings of a survey of 2,311 faculty members in 97 institutions of higher education are previewed here, prior to publication. The study found that faculty from…

This paper, which updates and expands on the first edition (1981), begins by presenting a definition of instructional development (ID) and a discussion of its origins. A taxonomy for classifying ID models is then suggested, and it is noted that most ID models have been subjected to only a limited degree of testing. The 12 ID models that are…

Assistance for school districts, accreditation teams, and education service centers in the development and use of local curriculum documents is provided in this publication. District responsibility to develop local curriculum guides has led to a lack of standardization, which in turn has complicated assessment. State requirements and standards for…

Discipline-based art education (DBAE) can best be understood as a curriculum construct if it is seen in the context of traditional, major curriculum orientations. The three major curriculum orientations are child-centered orientation, society-centered orientation, and subject-centered orientation. DBAE is a contemporary construct of the…

This handbook is designed for use in conjunction with staff training seminars designed to provide teachers and administrators with a framework and procedures for designing and implementing effective applications of technologies in the curriculum. The intended outcome of the seminars is the development of comprehensive programs including the…

To explore the principal's role as instructional leader in school improvement strategies, this research brief focuses on characteristics of effective schools, a profile of effective principals, and a discussion with Dr. Steven Bossert, Associate Laboratory Director for Research and Development at Far West Laboratory in San Francisco, California,…

Instructional development, a systematic way of applying standards of critical thought to the design of instructional materials and programs, is advocated for its potential contribution to consistency of instructional purposes and actions, adaptability, and internal accountability. Steps in the systematic method, the evaluation problem, and choice…