This paper proposes the incorporation of folk dances into the German curriculum on all instructional levels, from kindergarten to college. Learning and performing folk dances provides students not only with cultural information about foreign countries but also with specific structural features of the foreign language. The teacher can select…

Preserving a literary-based curriculum, creating a sensitivity to the literature, and encouraging communicative skills relative to the literature are significant goals in foreign language study. Therefore, a program involving strategic interaction and cooperative learning techniques applied to the study of literature fosters communication and…

Some of the teaching practices of 10 foreign language teachers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are reviewed in this study of second language (L2) instruction. Focus is on how idioms are taught in university German foreign language courses, which textbooks and reference materials available in the German and English fields highlight…

This digest discusses the dilemma surrounding foreign language requirements at colleges and universities and students with learning disabilities. Many students and professionals question the reasonableness of foreign language requirements for students with learning disabilities, but, according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,…

This paper represents the initial stage of a project established to describe and understand the rationale and processes of certain educational systems in Israel and other countries, and to spread the acquired knowledge as a useful practical contribution. The problem in the study is to understand the conditions prevailing and the methods to be used…

The use of portfolio assessment by composition instructors in the Department of English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is described. Based on a survey of instructors, conducted in the spring of 1994, the paper examines: (1) who determines what goes into the portfolio, (2) how students are assessed throughout the term, (3) features…

C. L. Olson (1976, 1979) suggests the Pillai-Bartlett trace (V) as an omnibus multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test statistic for its superior robustness to heterogeneous variances. J. Stevens (1979, 1980) contends that the robustness of V, Wilk's lambda (W) and the Hotelling-Lawley trace (T) are similar, and that their power functions…

The Concept Attainment Model is described as a teaching approach that helps students develop skills for inductive and deductive thinking while learning subject matter in any field in a constructive and meaningful way. A definition and overview of the model are presented, with guidelines for using the concept-attainment approach to design and…

Critical thinking in the fine arts is defined as a reasonable and reflective thinking that is focused on what to believe and to do in relation to the fine arts. It is a process designed to help students develop awareness, appreciation, and understanding as they think clearly and critically about the arts and learn to express their ideas in a…

Research was conducted to illustrate how the profile approach to measurement could be used to define "standardized fits" between literacy task difficulty and adult proficiency. To provide understanding of this type of standard, the study began by comparing clothes anthropometry to educational measurement; in the former, the concern is…

Children's picture books, for example Allan Say's "Grandfather's Journey," can provide fresh materials and approaches to teaching reading to students in intermediate grades. One approach for preservice teachers learning to use children's literature might be to begin by planning possible uses for one or more literature selections and then…

This paper is a case study about the role of evaluation and its effect on a foster care program's adoption services. It presents examples of the dilemmas often faced by the evaluator who must identify problems and design action plans to correct program deficiencies. HeartShare Human Services of New York is an 80-year-old nonprofit agency that…

Using small learning groups in graduate education is a way to prepare learners to meet the challenges they face as professionals and to enrich and facilitate adult learning in ways that cannot be accomplished as well by members working alone. This technique also helps graduate students develop the skills needed to work productively as group…

Combining award-winning literature with effective instructional approaches, this book discusses how to select and use nearly 100 Newbery titles (representing almost one-third of the entire Newbery collection) to spark student interest and enthusiasm for reading. Chapters in the book discuss instructional approaches which include literature…

The American College of Higher Studies (ACHS) in Thessaloniki, Greece, is in the process of expanding and improving its library's collection and facilities in order to meet American regional accreditation standards. An evaluation of the college's Anatolia College Library with regard to collection, staff, services, administration and facilities was…