The paper describes the "Early Social Communication Scales" designed to assess social and communication skills typically acquired in the first 30 months of life. Stressed is the role of the tester as an interactive partner for the infant. Reliability data suggesting reliability over time with the same partner are presented. (Author/DB)

The article describes an alternative approach to team training in special education which emphasizes transactional and ecological perspectives. Components, problems, and eight-year evaluation data on the approach are discussed. (CL)

Basic manual transcription procedure is outlined and three methods of generating transcripts are considered separately: completely manual preparation, manual and computer combined, and online processing and monitoring by computer. Factors such as initial equipment investment, person hours, cost of copying and modifying transcripts, and reduction…

Discusses interaction analysis, a procedure for objectively recording and analyzing the verbal interchange between instructors and students, which can aid instructors in setting goals for improving their instruction. Specific topics covered include instructor behavior when working with students, a process for objectively analyzing teacher…

Investigates the use of clauses expressing relational processes by young children interacting in a free play situation and using English as a second language. Concludes that the use of language to explore and express relations in the environment is an important aspect of child-child interaction. (MES)

Notes that the study of language attitudes is rich in a history stretching across several decades and social scientific disciplines. Points out that beliefs about language use can bias social interaction and decision making and that more study is required to increase understanding of the language attitude process. (74 references) (Author/CK)

Discusses how the interviewee first became interested in the application of sociocultural theory to second language acquisition, and what he sees as the appeal of such theory to studies of second language discourse. Discusses current research efforts regarding second language acquisition and describes an experimental language learning classroom.…

This article describes a new construct for coding the social communicative performance of school-aged children as they interact with peers and teachers in the classroom. The Social Communication Coding System (SCCS) allows clinicians a way of describing how children actually spend their time during the school day by observing ongoing behaviors…

Recently, there is a growing interest in the automatic analysis of learner activity in web-based learning environments. The approach and system SIAM (System for Interaction Analysis by Machine learning) presented in this article aims at helping to establish a basis for the automatic analysis of interaction data by developing a data logging and…

This study examined the office hour consultation between teaching assistants (TAs) and undergraduates from the participants' viewpoints. A total of 40 consultations involving five TAs from the economics department of a major American university were videotaped and transcribed. After dividing the consultations into three sections, namely initiating…

Describes a perspective designed to examine the structure, function, and process of interpersonal communication to locate the major sources of problems in particular interactions. States assumptions of the perspective, defines the elements and processes of interpersonal communication, suggests ways to use the framework, and describes current…

Presents the Grid for Processing Experiences and Events in Group Work so as to broaden the repertoire of group work leaders as they help members derive personal meaning from group experiences. Focuses on grid dimensions, levels of interaction, using the grid, application during a session, and eliciting sharing and discussion. (RJM)

An observational technique for assessing the social interaction skills of elementary age students with disabilities is described. The procedure focuses on three interaction elements: (1) initiating the interaction, (2) turn taking, and (3) responding to the interaction. The method of data recording and analysis is delineated. (DB)

Notes that the ecological perspective on observation of learning focuses on the processes of interaction while attempting to unravel them from the inside out. Concludes that this approach requires a new look at basic assumptions about its role in the construction of theory and practice, i.e., evidence of learning will require new ways to document…

Describes "walking office hours," an activity in which students (n=64) in introductory health topics and human resources management classes each took a one-half hour walk with the professor around the campus. In both classes students unanimously reported higher "comfort levels" with the instructor following the walk. (DB)