Are you a graduate student in an applied psychology, mental health, or education program? Are you learning to apply your field's theories and methods in practice while anticipating conducting a final research or scholarly project? Or are you a faculty member advising, mentoring, and chairing dissertations or theses? This guide is for you.…

In 1970, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) radically revised its curriculum by replacing specific course distributions with a new program, emphasizing projects at various levels. In instituting this change, faculty were especially concerned to encourage engineering, science, and management students to recognize how their professional work…

Describes a summer research program that stresses follow-up on activities, and presentation of data at symposia and lectures. Provides information on participants, activities, student evaluations of the experience, and benefits. (RT)

Provides information on a program that seeks to increase the nation's supply of engineers and scientists by providing experiences with hands-on research. Describes activities, positive outcomes, and the evaluation of achievements. Concludes that participants and faculty members benefited from the experience. (RT)

In the 20 years since the inauguraion of "Jugend forscht" (Young Researchers) over 26,000 boys and girls have taken part in this annual Olympiad of young innovators. This brochure gives an insight into the diversity of themes dealt with by the "Jufos" (young researchers) and into their ability to achieve astonishing…

Explains a summer research program which is a part of a required junior and senior independent study program. Provides information on selection of applicants, activities, outcomes, and a list of names and student projects. (RT)

Describes a program that involved classroom instruction in advanced mathematics, a visit to the Mathematical Sciences section of Oak Ridge Laboratory, talks by faculty members on their interests, work with mentors on student research activities, and various recreational activities. Includes a list of projects and students participating. (RT)

Recounts a series of teaching exercises designed to develop a critical awareness of attitudes toward gays and lesbians. The first set consists of short, active-listening exercises between students. The second involves observation and comparison of public displays of affection between heterosexual couples and gay couples. (MJP)

Effects of project-based instruction were assessed in a study of 21 students (mean age 12) with learning disabilities who developed social studies projects from source materials using word processing tools alone or using multimedia presentation tools. Students in both groups acquired substantial content knowledge, but neither group differed in…

Describes the course content, student response, and instructional effectiveness of an undergraduate psychology and law course built around a series of active learning projects. Students chose either to attend a jury trial or to interview three people involved in the legal system. These formed the basis for papers and presentations. (MJP)

Examines the background and implementation of a student research project exploring the decisions of 16-year olds to leave or stay in school. Offers a critique of the methods of student researchers focusing upon five main issues, organization, time, equity, research style, and clashing cultures. (MJP)

Provides a series of guidelines for overcoming resistance and problems with cooperative projects in an introductory sociology course. These include coordinating common interests and common free time between team members, requiring allocation of various roles (presider, scribe, coordinator), and ongoing monitoring of the research teams. (MJP)

Maintains that cooperative learning produces higher achievement, more positive relationships among students, and healthier psychological adjustment than do competitive or individualistic experiences. Describes a cooperative learning core module complete with course content and assessment strategies. Discusses advantages, disadvantages, and student…

Reports on a study designed to assess the kinds of learning opportunities students had as they dealt with science content and the problems teachers faced in managing different kinds of assignments. Management strategies associated with these assignments are described and the effects of these strategies are considered. (Author/TW)

Describes an undergraduate seminar where each student's central task was to select a specific social movement/social change organization, collect data on it, and write a 20-page sociological analysis. The results were disappointing, with most students presenting a historical chronology accompanied by a compilation of facts. Discusses possible…