This paper summarizes and critiques the literature concerning the development and use of time-compressed, intensive course formats in colleges and universities and suggests directions for future inquiry. The paper begins with a discussion of the origins of intensive courses and their development over time. Briefly reviewed are related educational…

The course outlines presented in this report are intended to be used to teach astrophysics to nonscience majors at the junior and senior college level. An extensive set of notes are included which can be useful to an instructor as guidelines for presentation. Additional equipment and references for use in teaching astrophysics are suggested. (SA)

Compared two group career decision-making courses with a comparison group on such factors as occupational certainty and satisfaction, appropriateness, and information-seeking behavior. Results were mixed, but generally the 20-session course was favored by study participants over the 10-session course. (Author/TE)

The Summer Language Houses (SLH) in French, German, and Spanish at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been extremely effective in teaching language skills and encouraging students to continue language study. The five-week intensive language programs at the second-year level emphasize oral communication but provide practice in all language…

Formal and informal educational options available to older persons are briefly described, with attention to classroom courses, correspondence/home study courses, credit by examination, summer/weekend learning vacations, external degree programs, discussion groups, and self-study. Classes may be offered at public and private schools, community…

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a 5-hour- on-the-job writing course compared to a 30-hour college business communication course. The short business English refresher course focused on grammar, punctuation, and spelling; audience analysis; and direct, negative, and persuasive letters and memos. The college course focused on…

Describes the Multiple Abilities Program at the University of Alabama, in which preservice teachers team with general and special elementary education classroom mentors to teach students with average and above average abilities and students with mild learning or behavior problems. The program involves preservice teachers in developing enrichment…

Through the efforts of the faculty of the College of Law of the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Saskatchewan Program of Legal Studies for Native People was established in 1973. In planning for the program, certain problems were considered: the number of persons of native ancestry able to meet the minimum requirement for admission to…

Maintains that direct instruction can improve significantly undergraduates citing of primary and secondary sources. Students were tested concerning definitions of primary and secondary sources, judgement of citation acceptability, and identification of samples. Students receiving posttest instruction showed marked improvement. Recommends early…

Results of a review of approximately 60 studies relevant to improving college teaching are considered, and a proposal for a study is presented. The interventions can be classified into four categories: workshops and seminars, grants for faculty projects, feedback from ratings by students, microteaching and minicourses, and protocol materials. It…

Describes an interdisciplinary minicourse on dinosaur fossils, morphology, ethology, and energetics. Suggests and provides examples of hands-on activities for junior high school- through college-level students. (DS)

Information is provided on nearly 500 short-term professional development programs offered in the United States that are open to or intended for non-U.S. students. The programs, which range from 2 weeks to 1 year in length, require at least an associate's degree or a corresponding level of academic or nonacademic study for admission. The programs…

Curricula for interdisciplinary courses that enable second language classes to employ the arts are proposed. At the University of North Dakota, mini-courses provide one-semester credit and are given for 2 hours 1 day a week over a period of 8 weeks. Some of the courses are cross-listed with other departments. Two of these courses, Joan of Arc and…

Grant projects sponsored by the California State University during 1980-1982 to improve writing and critical reading across the disciplines are discussed. Seven campus writing projects and two critical reading projects were supported by the Academic Program Improvement Fund. Four of the writing projects used faculty workshops and training…

The paper reviews the design of a model for teaching about work in social studies. Developed in 1974 at an inservice economic education workshop sponsored by the Illinois Council on Economic Education, The World of Work Economic Education Program orients existing curriculum materials around fundamental economic principles. It was hypothesized that…