Reading comprehension is often a forgotten skill in secondary classrooms. Teachers of older students assign readings of different styles and levels, but don't teach the skills necessary to process different kinds of texts. This study examined which strategies are effective in giving students the skills necessary to read for understanding by…

In this paper we describe the development and refinement of "evidence rules" and "measurement models" within the "evidence model" of the "evidence-centered design" (ECD) framework in the context of the "Packet Tracer" digital learning environment of the "Cisco Networking Academy." Using…

Electrochemistry is found to be a difficult topic to learn due to its abstract concepts that involve three representation levels. Research showed that animation and simulation using Information and Communication Technology can help students to visualize and thus enhance students' understanding in learning abstract chemistry topics. As a result, an…

This research project described strategies to improve listening skills. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten and second grade students in a midsized midwestern city who exhibited inadequate listening skills, which interfered with comprehension accuracy. Current research addresses the problem indicating teachers have an incorrect…

Two experiments investigating the benefit of computer-based applications in geography education are presented. The computer-based methods employ concepts of visualization, including animation and interactivity, to facilitate active learning. These computer-based methods are compared with physical (i.e. tangible) models, which themselves can be…

Since imagery is a unidimensional variable, all measures of imagery, both questionnaires and behavioral, should be correlated; this, however, has not been supported by earlier research. Therefore, a new questionnaire on mental imagery--the Differential Imagery Questionnaire (DIQ)--was developed which taps four types of imagery: word imagery (WI);…

Three experiments describe the effects of imagery on learning a large and integrated body of information from a college lecture. It was hypothesized that high-imagery phrases would be more easily recalled and would promote recall of abstract verbal phrases in close temporal proximity to them. In experiment 1, 22 undergraduates attended a lecture…

This document presents a demonstration of how drawing affects writing, how writing affects drawing, and how both affect the thinking process of students. The third grade students participating in the studies were selected on the basis of their prior performance in reading and mathematics and their identified potential for achievement. The students…

This paper introduces the subject of communication apprehension and presents five group-based exercises for the basic public speaking course. The paper notes that communication apprehension can affect people's personal and occupational lives, and that visualization, skills training, and systematic desensitization are methods that can help control…

A discrepancy exists between children's ability to compute and their ability to solve mathematical word problems. The literature suggests a variety of methods that have been attempted to improve this skill with varying success. The utilization of manipulatives, visualization, illustration, and emphasis on improving listening skills all were…

This workbook for students in grades 3 through 5 is designed to help them understand how stress affects the body and to show them various positive ways of coping with stress in daily life. Fifteen lessons include definitions of stress, relaxation exercises, visualization techniques, problem-solving approaches, dealing with conflicts, the necessity…

This dissertation presents the results of an investigation of visual mental imagery as a strategy hypothesized to increase the amount of interaction with content material and therefore the level of information processing and acquisition, and to assist information retrieval on posttests. Four treatments were used in a crossed, randomized two by two…

The significant number of firefighter trainees experiencing performance evaluation anxiety during fire training school was addressed by the implementation of anxiety reduction and performance enhancement strategies. Audiotape recordings were chosen as the primary intervention medium to facilitate program effectiveness within an established fire…

This action research project report documents the action research project that was conducted to improve reading comprehension with second grade and third grade students. The teacher researchers intended to improve reading comprehension by using higher-order thinking skills such as predicting, making connections, visualizing, inferring,…

Thirty-five tests which measure cognitive abilities at the intermediate grade level and the related manual are intended to accompany the authors' 1973 monograph, "A Structure of Concept Attainment Abilities." Additional tests which measure these abilities (verbal, induction, memory, spatial, numerical, perceptual speed, evaluation, word fluency,…