This paper examines the argument that increased freedom of choice for students will rid education of undesirable coercion, compulsion, and conformity. Throughout her discussion, the author emphasizes that merely allowing a child to choose does not guarantee his capacity to choose. The capacity to choose presupposes not only the existence of…

A study sought to determine whether intermediate age children exposed to open classroom teaching strategy have a more positive attitude toward school than intermediate age children exposed to conventional teaching strategy. The hypothesis was that there would be no significant difference in attitude between the two groups. The study was limited to…

Carthay Center Elementary School, an urban school in Los Angeles, developed Individualized Instruction through Open Structure in order to meet the needs of a changing student population. The program attempts to excite children about learning and to reinforce basic academic skills. The child's interest, needs, and abilities are integrated into the…

The internal evaluator at Marcy Open School has the responsibility for developing support services, such as identifying problems and posing solutions, as part of a formative evaluation effort. The evaluator might alter the use of space and storage of materials in the classroom, suggest that excessive adult interruptions tend to reduce classroom…

Five short essays by the same author comprise this document on humanistic education. The essays deal with defining humanism, day care centers, the politics of educational change, learning facilities, and a parable about education. In the first essay, the author sets out to define humanistic education. Education should not be concerned as much with…

Individualized instruction is an educational program in which grade levels and time units are designed to permit the student to work at his own pace and level with the use of unipacs. The unipac, a "unique package," is a specially designed group of learning activities based on specific behavioral objectives chosen by the student. Unipacs consist…

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) has recognized the changing need within society to provide teaching resources to new student constituencies, which include working adults, housewives, former college drop-outs, and older persons, whether in mid-career or in retirement. To reach this constituency, state colleges…

This booklet describes the basic curriculum design and staff organization of Project LEM, an experimental open education program at Hillers Elementary School in Hackensack, New Jersey. The LEM open education plan is characterized by differentiated staffing, multiage and multiethnic groupings, personalized instruction, a structured schedule, a core…

To assess the potential for linking American teacher centers in a national information and resource sharing network, leaders of 44 teacher centers and teacher-education programs identified with the open-education movement were interviewed. Interviewees were asked if they would value an agency to increase their information and talent sharing, and…

Britain's Open University, a significant departure from the conventional university, is described, contrasted, and compared with its traditional counterparts. This paper examines the economic implications of establishing an open learning system in the United States, while emphasis is placed on the history and structure of the Open University,…

Although the literature abounds with speculation about open education, there are few experimental studies designed to test its effects. This research compared an open education program with a traditional program at the middle school level. Subjects were randomly assigned to comparison groups. Dependent measures included a self-concept scale, a…

An American professor reports on English Primary Schools. His comments are based upon observations made on a variety of English educational institutions as a result of his role as visiting scholar at the Institute of Education at the University of London. Highlighted in his report is the underlying value conflict between Plowden-oriented primary…

The Integrated Day Teacher Education Program is an attempt to create a model for teacher preparation which will make schools healthy places for teachers and children. It is sensitive to the criticisms leveled at teacher education by observers such as Silberman and attempts to lead teachers to share in decision making, participate actively in…

A foremost author on the subject of the British primary school movement addresses himself to teachers, parents, administrators, school board members, and to the general public outside Great Britain--to all those with a mind open to the possibility of change but with a strong determination not to change unless good cause can be shown for it. He…

This report describes work done on the project, "Individual Characteristics and Children's Performance in Varied Educational Settings," up to June 30, 1974. This research addresses two issues: the interaction of individual student characteristics with aspects of educational environments, and the relative educational benefits of…