Bureau of Measurements and Tests, State Normal School, Emporia, Kansas.
The readings which are most useful in this connection are to be found in current educational periodicals. The student will find the latest scientific studies in such journals as the following:
School Review. Published by The University of Chicago Press. This is a journal dealing chiefly with high schools.
Elementary School Journal. Published by The University of Chicago Press. This contains very full reviews of elementary tests.
Journal of Educational Psychology. Published by Warwick and York, Baltimore, Maryland.
Educational Administration and Supervision. Published by Warwick and York, Baltimore, Maryland.
Educational Review. Published by the Educational Review Publishing Company, Easton, Pennsylvania.
School and Society. Published by The Science Press, New York City.
[CHAPTER XVI]
METHODS
Meaning of the Term “Method”
The problems of instruction are by no means solved when a subject has been selected and placed in its proper relation to the other subjects in the curriculum. There is still the problem of presenting the subject to the class in such a way as to appeal to the attention and interest of its members. The special term which is applied in educational writings to the organization of material for class instruction is the term “method” or “method of teaching.”
In contrasting American schools with European schools it was pointed out in an earlier chapter that the American method is the textbook and recitation method, while the method of the European schools is predominantly the oral or lecture method. The subject-matter of instruction can be treated by either of these methods.
Meaning of the Term “Device”
Another term which has been used in educational discussions to distinguish between the more general modes of procedure and certain details of classroom work is the term “device.” A classroom device is some special piece of equipment or some particular way of dealing with a class that can be described as appropriate to a single classroom situation or to some topic of a given subject. For example, if a teacher of Latin has verb forms printed on cards for the purpose of drilling his classes in the recognition of such forms, his cards are spoken of as devices. Again, if one calls the roll by assigning a number to each member of the class and then requiring each number to be given in its order, it is said that one has a time-saving device.