Over the past two decades, the presence and use of technology in the workplace and in schools has increased dramatically. At the same time, the importance of test-based educational accountability has also increased. Currently, formal testing programs are used in 49 states. Some observers have raised concerns that the testing programs that make…

In 1998, when University College Northampton (UCN) selected WebBoard as its campus-wide virtual learning environment (VLE) and encouraged its adoption, e-learning became a central feature of the French Department's learning and teaching strategy. By September 2003, all the campus-focused modules in French had become VLE-resourced. In April 2004,…

This study was designed to investigate the status of teachers' use of fitness tests in school-based physical education programs. Full-time physical education teachers (N = 325) in 10 states participated. A questionnaire was developed specifically for this study to collect data. Various methods were utilized to lend evidence for the reliability and…

A paradox is building in American sociology around the practice and teaching of statistical methods. On the one hand, this is a time when the quantification of the discipline is well established, when statistical applications in sociological research continue to reach new heights of sophistication, and when the accumulation of such skills remains…

College students were exposed to two pairs of mathematics assignments. Assignment Pair A included a high-effort assignment containing 18 long three-digit ? two-digit (3?2) multiplication problems with all numerals in each problem being equal to or greater than four and a moderate-effort assignment that contained nine long problems and nine…

Biological phenomena can be investigated at multiple levels, from the molecular to the cellular to the organismic to the ecological. In typical biology instruction, these levels have been segregated. Yet, it is by examining the connections between such levels that many phenomena in biology, and complex systems in general, are best explained. We…

The purpose of the present article is to give an account of the emergence of knowledge pertaining to the transition from arithmetic to algebra in the course of a debate in a grade 7 classroom. This debate follows two other instances of work: (1) the adidactic interaction between each student and a given problem, (2) the adidactic interaction of…

Teachers can implement effective strategies to assist test-anxious students. By being aware of the types of student with these traits, they can develop, modify, and implement various strategies into their teaching repertoires. Furthermore, teachers who employ formative factors, habitual prudence, purposeful learning experiences, and test-wise…

A variety of assessment methods and instruments can and should be used to evaluate the performance of individuals and groups. Some possible assessments are described, including (1) adaptive testing; (2) anecdotal records; (3) assessment centers; (4) behavioral checklists; (5) behaviorally anchored rating scales; (6) checklists; (7) computerized…

A study examined teaching methods for vocabulary at the first grade level. The study compared teaching vocabulary in context and teaching vocabulary in isolation. Subjects were 32 culturally diverse first-grade students from varying socio-economic backgrounds. The sample consisted of 14 boys and 18 girls, heterogeneously grouped. Two teacher-made…

This study examined the effects of two variations of the Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) on university students. STAD is a system of cooperative learning which features small heterogeneous teams of 4-6 members who tutor each other on the material in the course and prepare each other for weekly quizzes. Students take the quizzes…

This is the first report from a 5-year study of the classroom level effects of state assessment reforms. The first year examines changes in the teaching of writing and mathematics in Kentucky elementary and middle schools as a result of the Kentucky Instructional Results Information System and the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). This report…

G. L. Anderson reported finding an interaction between drill and meaningful methods of instruction with fourth grade student ability and achievement. The reanalysis overturns Anderson's conclusion that there is an aptitude treatment interaction within classes. (BJG)

Every developmental education teacher would probably agree that motivation to complete assignments is one of the biggest obstacles to getting students to practice necessary skills. Short stories and other types of recreational reading might help motivate students, but they need to learn specific skills to help them cope with college textbook…

This report is essentially a "map" of the available reports prepared to evaluate the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) over a nine-year period. These evaluations were conducted during the development and pilot testing of CSMP by an evaluation staff independent of the program developers and guided by an external evaluation…