A small center stressing voluntary participation makes information available to teachers for improving sources and ideas for creation of their own curriculum materials, while programmed workshops supplement the work of the center by exploring single topics in depth. (JD)

Based on a database of over 500 resources, this paper explores the educational alternatives that exist today between the cracks of mainstream education and culture. It presents information about the growing numbers of schools and education centers that call themselves learner-centered, progressive, and/or holistic. Sources of data for this summary…

Teacher-child interaction in an open classroom was observed and teacher behavior and its resultant effectiveness was rated by means of a coding system developed early in the observation process. (JB)

Article lists a series of questions to help teachers determine whether or not their attitudes are compatible with an open education program. It also gives plans to set up and maintain open education techniques in the classroom. (GB)

Paper represents an attempt to systematically describe the behavior of the teacher in an informal, or open classroom. (Author)

Thoughts are presented from two administrators about the procedure they followed and the problems they encountered in implementing an open education program. Advice is given to those who are about to become involved with open education. (Author/DN)

A teacher of children with multiple handicaps and the mother of a child in the class describe changes made as they worked together to create a more open and child-centered classroom. (RH)

Reviews data on (1) the adequacy and allocation of American educational resources; (2) students' achievement compared to foreign students today and American students in the past; (3) the impact of open versus traditional schools; and (4) public assessment of current education. Indicates recent declines in effort, achievement, attitudes, and…

Ten 'informal' and ten matched 'comparison' classrooms were observed using the Pupil Activity Scan. Year-end testing indicated no differences in language development, problem solving, fine motor-figural perception, role taking, or understanding of classification, but informal classroom pupils appeared to be lower in reading and mathematics…

The author defends the progressive teaching methods of the British Primary school against recent calls for "literacy" and "evaluation." He asserts that language and writing develop best from personal exploration and student-teacher trust, not from rote learning and surveillance. (SJL)

A framework to describe, classify, and compare a variety of teacher education programs is offered. Examples of how the framework has been used for types of school organizations are given, along with an explanation of how the framework can be applied to alternative approaches to teacher education. (MLW)

The Open University of United Kingdom's Postgraduate Certificate of Education program is an 18-month, part-time course that annually trains over 1000 graduate teachers via electronic conferencing and open learning methods. The program provides every student and tutor with a Macintosh computer, printer, and modem and builds on face-to-face contacts…

Discusses the history of open-air schools using an evaluation of Belgian schools. Expounds on the complex relationship between educational space and the educational act, and between traditional and progressive education. Demonstrates that open-air schools provided the same education as traditional schools and were not a real alternative for…

Examined age and gender mixing among students, ages 4-19, at an ungraded, self-directed, democratically structured school. Found that age mixing was more frequent for 12- to 15-year-olds than for younger or older students, and that gender mixing was less frequent for 8- to 11-year-olds than for any other age group. (MDM)

Presents the characteristics and development of self-learning material (SLM) in distance education. Discusses teaching with programmed learning; structure of SLM; and how SLM helps in self-study. Discusses the advantages of print materials as accompanying programmed instruction, because they are portable, well-structured, compact, and easily…