Describes the development of the University of Washington's Center for Instructional Development and Research, highlighting the interface between communication and instruction. Provides examples of the application of communication concepts that influence daily operations, permeate instructional development activity, and provide a foundation for…

Recommends restructuring of schools to foster more effective learning and development of higher order thinking skills. Emphasizes instructional strategies, teachers' roles and responsibilities, and accountability. (FMW)

Identifies a series of questions asked by language program personnel in the early stages of planning an evaluation of a language program. Answers to the questions offer working definitions of language programs and components, audience, evaluation purposes and priorities, evaluators and their roles, internal and external evaluation, and evaluation…

Summarizes results of two workshops conducted at 1987 and 1988 conferences sponsored by the National Society for Performance and Instruction which involved skills in estimating training development costs. Baseline and adjusted estimates are explained, results are compared with a similar workshop conducted in England, and recommendations for…

Discusses the practice of parental involvement in the teaching of reading. Questions whether the way this involvement is currently evaluated is as productive as it could be. Suggests alternative kinds of evaluation which might better serve a formative function in helping teachers plan their actions. (KO)

Examines some basic considerations in planning instruction that connect social studies, science, and mathematics using an exemplar unit to illustrate one approach. Provides an eight-step strategy for developing and teaching the integrated units. Concludes that the integrated approach increases both the quality and quantity of learning. (LS)

Discusses issues to consider when developing a faculty training program for interactive distance education. Topics include the technology; administrative considerations; the concept of an instructional team; and instructional planning, including the use of copyrighted instructional materials and teaching styles. (LRW)

Describes an elective, noncrisis course on death and dying which targets fifth graders. Discusses both the psychological theory behind the program and the ways that life and death values can be clarified. Program tries to allow children to grieve previous losses and helps children to develop appropriate grieving behaviors. (RJM)

This interview study examines the collective advice, concerns, and recommendations of 15 past presidents of ISPI (International Society for Performance Improvement) regarding essential skills for performance technologists, the application of instructional technology, instructional systems development, and ISPI's role in the preparation of…

Provides a meta-analysis on the effect of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) over a range of study features with a focus on the effectiveness debate. Suggests that what accounts for the typical learning advantage of CAI is the better quality instruction provided by CAI materials. (Author/AEF)

A survey asked regular and special educators to rate the importance of 228 items potentially valuable for creating learning environments. Results indicated a high degree of consensus about variables considered important in learning environments, with 40 variables receiving the highest average ratings. Regular and special educators' judgments were…

Establishes the connection between educational technology and distance education, instructional design, and delivery. Concludes that, although technology has had minimal influence in traditional classrooms, it is inextricably from distance education. (SK)

The Competent Learner Model integrates direct instruction and behavior analysis practices to bring teachers to mastery of formulating, delivering, and monitoring effective instructional programing. The model focuses on the knowledge and skilled responding necessary for individuals to become competent learners, and employs a coaching format to…

A technique found useful in a college literature appreciation class is to have students write their reactions to or questions about the day's class, anonymously, on note cards, for the teacher's perusal. The exercise provides information about what is or is not being learned and allows tracking of student development. (MSE)

In learner-centered classrooms, teachers and students together construct, evaluate, and revise the ways they will go about meeting curriculum goals. This type of planning differs drastically from the Tyler Rationale, a technocratic planning framework that has guided the production model of schooling for nearly 50 years. Suggestions are offered for…