The Elaboration Theory of Instruction is an alternative to organizing instruction in terms of a hierarchical task analysis. The hierarchical organization results in an instructional sequence that begins with highly fragmented, small pieces of the subject-matter content, which many educators have found to be demotivating. The elaboration theory…

This report discusses the highly decentralized Nordic model of distance education at the university level, which involves giving responsibility for carrying out distance education to the individual university departments. Meeting at the university and using the telephone are primary contact methods. The report includes a discussion of higher…

Volunteer teachers working with the Oregon State University Extension Service Home Economics Program have found the feedback lecture method of instruction to be effective in reaching nontraditional adult students ranging in age from the mid-40s to the mid-90s. This method provides guidelines for the volunteer-teacher--who may or may not have…

In response to the need for research methods training in the public relations undergraduate curriculum, this paper identifies the range of possible formats for a public relations research methods course (analyzing strengths and weaknesses for each) and recommends a hybrid format. The paper then identifies and compares different goals for research…

In order to meet the pharmaceutical health care needs of the elderly, pharmacy schools must better prepare students. A course developed by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the Health Sciences Consortium to provide pharmacy schools with a model for developing and revising other courses is described. (MLW)

Current changes in health care professions requiring practitioners to have more and better communications skills are necessitating the integration of writing into the health curricula of higher education programs. At Ferris State University, a number of models (in Optometry, Dental Hygiene, Health Systems Management, Nursing, Pharmacy, Medical…

Specific consultation problems that arise during the instructional development process in determining the nature of instructional products are considered, and clients' characteristics and projects are assessed along with a model for working with different types of clients. A list of skills needed by instructional developers to determine the…

This paper offers a critique of elaboration theory (ET) based on recent cognitive research and offers suggestions for updating the model to reflect new knowledge. It begins by summarizing the basic strategies of this model for sequencing and organizing courses of instruction: (1) organizing structure; (2) simple-to-complex sequence; (3) sequencing…

This paper describes a systematic approach to composition instruction and provides evidence of that system's successful implementation. The approach is based on Benjamin S. Bloom's Taxonomy and has five stages: presenting the student with reasons for learning the material, listing immediate and long-range instructional objectives, preassessing…

Presents a preliminary report on a survey of the American Library Association accredited schools of library and information science to determine the extent to which courses dealing with the economics of information are taught. The elements of a model syllabus for an economics of information course are presented. (Author/LRW)

From a practical, eclectic, and teacher-centered vantage point, this paper reviews previous attempts to classify curriculum development processes, proposes an analytic schema for examing such processes, and explicates an alternative process which has been found to be effective in working with teachers. First, critical distinctions are drawn…

Use of Robert Gagne's model of instructional design for teaching English as a Second Language is illustrated in a unit intended for community college students of varying linguistic and educational backgrounds. Students must be literate in English, have a prescribed level of listening comprehension, and be familiar with certain English vocabulary…

The Flexible Business Language Curriculum is a curriculum model designed for customization of foreign language instruction for businesses and commercial organizations. It uses traditional language content areas (grammar and functions) but in contexts less familiar to language teachers. The model is based on the communicative approach, with…

A university level course in political communication can strive not only to teach the applicable communication and political theory involved, but also to provide "hands on" experience through the use of a simulated election campaign model. The model would include (1) data on the candidates involved; (2) information on the district…

The way that department heads interpret the effort required by college faculty to teach classes was studied with a national sample of 491 department heads in 25 major U.S. universities. Based on the responses of department heads, a model was developed to relate the effort required to teach a class to the level, size, instructional mode, and…