Describes the design and implementation of the first adjunct course (offering reading and learning strategies to students who are also registered in a credit-bearing content course) at a university, producing desired academic outcomes. Offers recommendations for designing such courses to support learners at risk, and discusses benefits. (SR)

Presents seven brief essays regarding the role of the textbook in basic communication courses. Addresses the proper function of a textbook, how instructors weave a textbook into their course, how students should be reading their textbooks, how students and instructors define the textbook's role, and what textbook features optimize and hinder the…

Describes a Community Analysis course that gives students an opportunity to apply urban theory through direct community engagement. Notes course objectives and organization (as a condensed special topic to allow travel, or within the regular semester). Identifies benefits/risks of community experiential learning for instructors and students.…

Describes a set of community-problem assignments for upper-level undergraduate public policy courses which require students to connect public policy analysis and scholarly research to a specific policy problem in a community. Analyzes student evaluations of the assignments and suggests modifications to fit different curriculum needs. (Author/DB)

Describes the role of the instructional designer in working with professors to translate their traditional courses and favorite teaching techniques into an online format. Examples are from the World Campus program, which pairs instructional designers at various institutions (such as Pennsylvania State University) with faculty members. (DB)

Applies the literature of bundling, tie-in sales, and vertical integration to higher education. Students are often required to purchase a package of courses, some of which are unrelated to their major. This kind of bundling policy can be utilized as a profit-maximizing strategy for universities exercising a degree of monopolistic power. (12…

Addresses the effects of a modularly assessed course on teaching style. Reviews the types of learning activities and the frequency of their use by using the data gathered as part of the A-Level Information System. Concludes that most modular courses were found to be taught in more didactic fashion than linearly assessed courses. (Author/ASK)

Introduces writing instructors to theories of instructional design that form the foundation to support effective student learning. Discusses how best to support students in online environments. Concludes with suggestions for faculty support and training for online course delivery. (SG)

Discusses the development of a national curriculum for forage instruction presented on the world wide web to provide instructors with related courses, a scope and sequence, content materials, web links, teaching methodology, and strategies. (Author/CCM)

A broad literature base on the instructional effectiveness of intensive and semester-length courses often fails to find significant differences between the formats. Of those studies that do find differences, most suggest that intensive courses are superior. However, many of the studies are theoretically or methodologically flawed, and none…

Education outside the classroom can be defined, in its broadest sense, as any structured learning experience that takes place beyond the classroom environment during the school day, after school or during the holidays. It can include, among other activities, cultural trips, science and geography fieldwork, environmental and countryside education,…

This article describes the development and assessment of a graduate level online art therapy class. An introduction briefly defines art therapy and the need for distance learning in this field. The challenges inherent in teaching art therapy online, including working with art media and developing appropriate interpersonal skills and group…

This paper presents guidelines for writing a syllabus for college courses for both experienced and novice teachers. The purpose of the syllabus in communicating course content, purpose, direction and requirements is discussed, as is the necessity of planning the course before syllabus writing. Major content areas of the syllabus are reviewed,…

Based on the assumption that good teaching helps students understand how to actively acquire, use, and extend knowledge in an ongoing learning process, this guide presents strategies for constructing learning-centered course syllabi. Following prefatory materials, part 1 reviews implications of shifting from traditional syllabi, which focus on…

Designed in response to the need for public relations education to produce well-trained, culturally sensitive practitioners for the workforce and the marketplace, an innovative semester-length course was launched in fall 1990 at Florida International University to enable public relations graduate and undergraduate students to explore the…