The psychological benefits of a high school tutoring program were investigated. Results gathered from questionnaires answered by high school students tutoring junior high school students, both before and after the tutoring experience, indicated that tutors' empathy, altruism, and self-esteem increased as a result of program participation.…

This article discusses how four direct observational principles have contributed to the development of assessment and tutoring strategies for individuals in English and Maori language reading tutoring programs. The assessment strategies generated from observations of reader and tutor interaction have provided strong support for learning to read in…

Known primarily for its tutoring and testing of grade-school and high-school students, for-profit Sylvan Learning Systems has developed interests in distance education, teacher education, English-language training, and college-level study outside the United States. The company is consciously stepping up its presence in areas associated with higher…

A report is given of the development in Australia of telephone tutorials for small group instruction of isolated students with and without the assistance of loudspeaking telephones. The following topics are covered: (1) why use telephone tutorials; (2) location of telephone tutorial centers; (3) equipment; (4) unit and staff selection; (5) pilot…

Explores the applicability of "scaffolding" (adults providing support for children in tasks they cannot learn on their own) in the Reading Recovery program. Reading Recovery is an intervention program consisting of daily half-hour lessons taught by a teacher trained to diagnose and respond to reading disabilities. (MJP)

The School of Education, Training and Development at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg offers a Bachelor of Education (Honours) to practising teachers who already have a four year teaching diploma. The programme is delivered through interactive learning materials and Saturday tutorial sessions. However, interviews and a student survey seem…

The Talk to a Literacy Learner (TTALL) program was developed in response to a New South Wales (Australia) government initiative, and is designed to focus on parents and the strategies they use to interact with their children as they read and write. An 8-week parent workshop on literacy development and a community tutor program trained selected…

A study investigated the ways in which the provision for adult literacy in Northern Ireland has developed since 1975. Questionnaires were circulated to program organizers, tutors, and other personnel to determine (1) enrollment patterns, (2) program organization and the evolution toward "adult basic education," (3) personnel resources…

A new member of the mega-Universities, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) introduced a course team approach for developing effective course materials for distance students. BOU teaching media includes printed course books, study guides, radio and television broadcasts, audiocassettes and occasional face-to-face tutorials. Each course team…

The choices involved in setting up an open learning system are discussed, and the case for the mixture of interaction and independence is established. Problems involved in effecting the synthesis between activities in which the student works alone and those which bring him into contact with others are detailed. (AF)

A study of 170 foreign university students in the Netherlands shows that while their success rate was similar to native students', it took them more time to complete examinations, and language proficiency and home-country selection procedures were major factors in achievement. Implications for foreign student policy are explored, and a mentor…

Describes the Consortium for Distance University, founded in 1984 to establish a distance teaching university system in Italy. The Consortium is comprised of multinational companies, universities, and semi-governmental organizations with support from the Italian Ministry of Education. Discusses its objectives, services, history, learning…

A pilot project at the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) used the CAUCUS computer conferencing system on the CAMPUS 2000 education network to train teachers to assess young adults with severe learning difficulties. Despite problems with student attrition and system failure, computer conferencing was felt to be a useful medium for providing…

The Perach Tutorial Project, in which university students tutor Israeli children from socially disadvantaged areas in mathematics and reading, was originally designed for pupils in grades 5-8. This study investigated its use with children in grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 tutored for the regular one-year period or for two years. At each grade level, 11…

Directed at personnel responsible for distance education in India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the training materials in this publication have been compiled with the help of distance educators in each of these geographical regions. The materials are classified into three categories and presented in separate sections…