Examines the attitudes of physiotherapy students toward the replacement of conventional lectures with self-learning packages at the Hong Kong Polytechnic. Highlights include learning processes; a comparison of physiotherapy students with other students; and correlations between evaluation questions and English language fluency. (Contains 10…

The Senior Program at the private Blake School (Minnesota) gives all students an opportunity to create, plan, and execute their own educational program, a structured learning experience that reflects the individual student's personality and interests. It was developed to engage students at the end of their senior year and to assist in the…

Describes Greek language preparation for English students participating in an exchange program as part of their primary teacher training. It is concluded that the self-directed preparation can be improved by an outline of the stages in the learning of Greek, the availability of required support materials, progress checks, and testing of students…

Examines factors that should be considered in designing an independent study undergraduate library skills course using computer-assisted instruction based on experiences at the University of Minnesota, Saint Paul. Highlights include the use of HyperCard, revising modules, interaction, simulations, student attitudes, lack of instructor feedback,…

Describes an on-going action research project in which information and communication technology (ICT) is being employed to equip students with the tools for autonomous learning. Results of surveys given to determine previous experience and attitudes towards ICT and language learning--both before and after intervention--are reported. (Author/VWL)

Gifted students are often described in the literature as being self-regulated, self-directed learners. Ten gifted primary students were interviewed in order to clarify the concept of self-directed learning in students of primary age. The students provided information on their knowledge of self-directed learning, explanations of the self-directed…

A distance education system may be viewed in terms of intrapersonal and interpersonal instructional dialogues that mediate the learning and instructional resources that enable such dialogues. Instructional resources include self-instruction texts, tutorial sessions, instructor availability, Web sites, and more. This study investigated the kinds of…

This study investigated the amount of structure preferred by college students in a learning environment and evaluated responses using a notion of conceptual level. The theory of conceptual level suggests that students at higher conceptual levels prefer more independence and less structure in learning while students at lower conceptual levels…

The focus and purpose of this study are two-fold: (1) to assess, by means of an evaluation questionnaire, the academic quality of and satisfaction with correspondence study programs--causes, instructions, and administrative staff--as perceived by the students who enroll in and complete courses offered by them; and (2) to examine the population…

Four studies conducted on junior and senior high schools which have used some form of modular scheduling suggest that a proper way to evaluate flexible scheduling includes observation of behavior, the measurement of attitudes and opinions, and assessment of pupil achievement. The studies reported were conducted on the Fresno Unified School…

The Empire State College does not have a traditional campus but operates from a variety of leased facilities located in major population centers and in smaller communities where there appeared to be a clear need for such a college. Who are the students attracted to an individualized, contract learning type of program and why do they seek out…

The purpose of this study was to determine criteria for helping students decide if they would profit more from traditional methods of instruction or from independent and individualized methods. Four areas were studied: whether traditional methods were superior to individualized methods; whether students preferred either method; whether there was a…

A critical analysis of a university dental school's 10-year experience with a self-instructional basic sciences curriculum is presented, focusing on development of the curriculum, positive and negative effects on students and faculty, materials and format used, costs, and other administrative considerations. (Author/MSE)

A problem-based learning approach emphasizing problem solving and self-directed learning was designed for third-year students entering vision therapy clinic rotations. The approach's use in a clinical setting, student and faculty response, and preliminary conclusions about the approach's advantages and disadvantages are discussed. (Author/MSE)

Describes the Star Project in which each student was allowed to select a topic in any area of interest and then to create a project around that topic. Students selected mentors (often parents) to monitor and encourage their progress. The article describes the project's successes and failures. (SM)