In this article, Charlie Taylor offers a commentary on Yang et al.'s 2021 "Reading in a Foreign Language" article, "Text Difficulty in Extensive Reading: Reading Comprehension and Reading Motivation." In their study, Yang et al. analyzed the effects of text difficulty on the reading comprehension and motivation of high school…

Literacy educators and researchers have long recognized the importance of increasing students' writing proficiency across age and grade levels. With the release of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a new and greater emphasis is being placed on writing in the K-12 curriculum. Educators, as well as the authors of the CCSS, agree that…

In this article, the author argues first, that critical-thinking skills do exist independent of disciplinary thinking skills and are not compromised by interaction effects with the major; and second, that standardized tests (e.g., the Collegiate Learning Assessment, or CLA, which is his example throughout the article) are the best way to measure…

This paper presents a critical analysis of two recent studies on error correction, Ellis, Sheen, Murakami, and Takashima (2008) and Bitchener (2008) and argues that neither study constitutes evidence for error correction based on discussion of the comparability of participants, design issues, and analysis flaws in both studies. The paper further…

The summer of 2006 saw the eyes of the world, including those of Canadians, transfixed on Germany as 32 teams from across the globe competed for the World Cup of football--but due to the lack of capacity to support the development of world class Canadian players and teams, Canada perennially cannot mount a team able to qualify for World Cup…

Today, contrary to Euclid's view of things as they are, people are told that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Nowhere apparently has the concept of the whole been ignored more than in the teaching of reading. The "see and say" (holistic) approach, introduced in the early fifties, still dominates the classroom. Readers and…

Argues that "low-tech" instructional television works as well as expensive high-tech systems. Asserts that good teaching with appropriately designed and operated technology is as effective as traditional instruction and more cost effective than more technologically sophisticated delivery systems. (SK)

In this article, the authors call for an end to an approach to teaching which makes a nonsense of pupils' learning of mathematics. They decry the over-regulation of instruction techniques based on Ofsted inspections, showing how much class time may be lost to prescribed events like warm-ups and lesson recaps. To illustrate their assertion, they…

Discusses parallels between Bloom's taxonomy for cognitive learning outcomes and hypertext design, and argues that hypertext designs should be consistent with desired learning outcomes. Bloom's taxonomy is explained; hypertext designs are described and diagrammed; and the need for more research connecting hypertext design and effective learning is…

Suggests that children often get confusing or conflicting instruction that possibly exacerbates initial problems. Reviews approaches to teaching children with reading problems. Concludes that effective phonics instruction for children with reading problems is both novel and systematic. Recommends a two-pronged solution: provide one clear and…

Examines traditional techniques for teaching second-language vocabulary and compares them with the use of language games for vocabulary presentation and revision to determine which approach is more successful. (Author/VWL)

Analyzes observational research in traditional remedial classrooms and published Reading Recovery procedures to formulate 15 guidelines for evaluating and improving any remedial reading program. Discusses the extent to which traditional remedial programs and Reading Recovery programs follow exemplary teaching practices known to be associated with…

Reports the results of a study conducted at the University of York (England) that was designed to test the effectiveness of a concept mapping tool in aiding student learning from a hypertext-based computer-assisted instruction system. Effects on learning are compared with standard notetaking through results of a posttest. (Contains 17 references.)…

Discusses research on the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) and proposes computer modeling as a tool to redirect CBI research toward more theoretically relevant and prescriptive research. Limitations of media comparison studies and media replication studies are described, and computer modeling in CBI research is reviewed. (48…

Considers the role and effectiveness of virtual reality in simulation-based training. The theoretical and practical implications of verity, integration, and natural versus artificial interface are discussed; a three-dimensional classification scheme for virtual reality is described; and the relationship between virtual reality and other…