The six editions of this newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University on issues connected with critical thinking. Topics addressed include alternative program designs for critical thinking instruction, a philosophical exploration of what critical thinking is,…

Several articles of interest to teachers of English as a second language (ESL) are included. In "Syllabus Design and the Adult Beginner," Keith Johnson discusses the various choices the course organizer must make to make a syllabus communicative. Among the ideas for "Developing Writing Skills" offered by Patricia A. Denham are…

Alternative instructional delivery options such as self-paced and flexible enrollment courses are designed to increase enrollment, promote retention, and encourage student success without lowering academic standards. The Fast Track Associate's Degree Program, developed by a team of faculty, staff, and administrators at Richland Community College,…

Five papers are presented that deal with the theory and methodology of suggestive learning. The psychological basis of suggestopedia and its application to language instruction are outlined by Gabriel Racle in "The Key Principles of Suggestopedia." An outline of the organization of a classical suggestopedic language course is appended to…

This paper reviews the research on the effects of class size on educational quality in higher education, and discusses the characteristics of the students and kinds of course organization that facilitate effective large-class teaching. It notes that while early research found that class size mattered, newer studies have shown that factors other…

The six editions of the newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University. Topics addressed include: active learning; lecture variations; lecture techniques; grading student participation; leading discussions; overcoming silence; discussion challenges; course…

Intensive foreign language courses are discussed in terms of historical background, categorization of types, definition of components of intensive instruction as practiced at present in academic settings, and advantages and special problems of intensive instruction. Practical considerations for the implementation of intensive options cover the…

An issue of the journal devoted to teaching foreign languages to students with special educational needs, resulting from a New York State Board of Regents plan to require foreign languages of all students, contains these articles: "A New Challenge: The Foreign Language Learner with Special Educational Needs" (Harriet Barnett, John B. Webb);…

This annual journal issue contains 24 papers on issues of faculty development, instructional improvement, knowledge and teaching, and communication in higher education. Many of the papers were developed for the annual conference of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education (POD). The papers are: (1) "Teaching…

This module is one of a series of more than 125 performance-based teacher education (PBTE) learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational instructors. The competencies upon which these modules are based were identified and verified through research as being important to successful occupational teaching at all…

This document consists of the three 1989 issues of "The Teacher Trainer," a journal for language teacher educators. The following articles appear in these issues: "From a Garage to a Teachers' Centre"; "Taking Risks--Being Unprepared?"; "Teacher Echoing and More"; "Teaching Lemon as a Foreign Language:…

This module is one of a series of more than 125 performance-based teacher education (PBTE) learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational instructors. The competencies upon which these modules are based were identified and verified through research as being important to successful occupational teaching at all…

This industrial arts program of a studies guide is the product of a research project designed to (1) ascertain programs and curricula trends of senior high school industrial arts in the fifty states, (2) develop a philosophical rationale for senior high schools in North Dakota secondary schools, and (3) develop a master plan and program of study…