Consumer Education Materials Project. Final Report.

Overview & Synopsis

This final report of the Consumer Education Materials Project (CEMP) undertaken by the Educational Services Division of Consumers Union, discusses project methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations. Project objectives were to suggest parameters for consumer education programs, to illustrate effective teaching techniques, to identify other resources, and to demonstrate techniques for incorporating materials into existing programs. Two kinds of procedures were followed simultaneously, one field-oriented and the other, the more successful, based at CEMP headquarters, using conferences, questionnaires, and telephone interviews to identify programs. The results of the project were six case studies of consumer education at different levels: early childhood; elementary; secondary; junior and community colleges; teacher education; and adult consumer education. Concluding remarks noted four common problems. The greatest shortcoming was found to be the absence of classroom-tested materials for student use. The CEMP staff recommended promotional efforts, workshops for educators, and development of student materials. Appendices contain the case study forms, questions on teacher education programs, evaluation sheets, and extracts from the interim report. Related documents are SO 006 860-865. (Author/KSM)