Participant observation of an innovative art teacher's classroom technique suggested that, despite his popularity with students, this teacher did not fully engage his students' attention. His attempt at using cognitive dissonance to bring about attitudinal change in the classroom left many students baffled despite the effort expended to involve…

This article describes the development of a one-semester science seminar course for high school juniors and seniors in a suburban/rural Pennsylvania school district. It addresses scheduling considerations and planning activities, the role of the teacher in the seminar approach, use of community resources and guest speakers, standards and…

Using a standard economics course as a control group, tests the relative effectiveness of "Economics U$A," a telecourse on student achievement and attitudes in both on-campus and off-campus settings. Concludes that the telecourse can be used successfully in nontraditional courses, and that delivery format may have an impact on student…

A college-level course in business Italian was designed to incorporate not only language and business communication skills but also perspective on Italian culture. The curriculum includes study of research, literature, economic trends, and popular culture that reflect the broad and varied role of Italian culture in the modern world. (MSE)

A law school course in franchise law focuses on how various legal issues and categories interact within the context of the narrowly defined business relationship of a franchise. Four major topics included federal and state disclosure regulations, trademarks and service marks, common law contract issues, and antitrust law. Class exercises included…

A step-by-step guide to designing interdisciplinary courses is presented. Underlying theoretical rationales and expected educational outcomes are explored, and concrete suggestions and examples are offered. Steps include assembling an interdisciplinary team, selecting a topic, identifying disciplines for inclusion, developing the issues underlying…

This paper presents a French-as-a-Second-Language writing course for non-Francophone students at an advanced university level. Because this approach to teaching writing focuses on the writer (and on the reader's expectations), as well as on textuality, the organization (i.e., the architecture) of this course is as complex as writing. (32…

Describes the use of a microcomputer as a communication link to provide instruction simultaneously to graduate students on campus and off campus for a course on statistical methods at the University of Georgia. Topics discussed include course structure; problems; costs; academic results; student attitudes; and student course evaluations. (18…

Presents the underlying ideas of the Software Cost Reduction (SCR) approach to requirements specifications. Results of applying this approach to the teaching of programing to high school students indicate that students perform better in writing programs. An appendix provides two examples of how the method is applied to problem solving. (MDH)

Describes and evaluates the format and grading procedure of an Environmental Agronomy course offered at Colorado State University. Teaching methods include videotape use, field trips, and lectures addressing topics such as integrated pest management, land application of sewage sludge, pesticide degradation, and organic farming. Standard course…

Examines the role of television in media education and investigates methodological and organizational principles adduced for the study of media during Mediamix, a weekly television program for 10- to 14-year olds shown on TV Malta. Results of an evaluation of the series, including surveys of viewers and teachers, are reported. (Contains 23…

The design and evaluation of an optometry practice management course at Hong Kong Polytechnic are described. The course includes lectures and small group projects on specific ethics and management topics. A survey of participants found they preferred group projects, with elements of peer teaching and seminar approaches, to traditional lectures.…

Ways in which experiential learning theory can be used to teach introductory world politics at the college level are discussed. Student learning styles and modes are considered in course design and student evaluation, with the objective of creating a learning environment that facilitates active participation and reflection. (Author/MSE)

A study analyzed the functions of 25 publicly accessible college-course Web sites, then surveyed some of the sites' authors. All sites performed course-management functions valued by instructors; a small subset also demonstrated easily implemented, successful, and pedagogically interesting uses of the World Wide Web. Pages conveyed implicit and…

Use of the case study method to develop nursing students' skills in clinical decision making is discussed. The topic-development approach used in the course design included selection of appropriate cases, use of guidelines for analysis of cases, and development of interrelated formats for teaching. Students and lecturers reported satisfaction with…