Investigated how 30 tertiary English-as-a-Second-Language learners, at advanced and intermediate levels, engaged in a text reconstruction task. The study examined the types of grammatical items that caused the students most concern, and the reasoning they used to arrive at grammatical decisions. (Author/JL)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of various external orienting tasks on learning, learner attitudes, and en route behaviors in the use of an educational hypertext system. Thirty-one sophomore students enrolled in three honors sections of an introductory military history course at the United States Air Force Academy served as…

The cognitive load and learning effects of dual-code and interactivity--two multimedia methods intended to promote meaningful learning--were examined. In Experiment 1, college students learned about the causal chain of events leading to the process of lightning formation with a set of words and corresponding pictures (Group WP), pictures (Group…

This study in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) was conducted in a Spanish as a foreign language classroom. The study investigates dyadic face-to-face collaborative dialogue at the computer from a sociocultural perspective. Protocols for analysis were obtained by the transcription of audio recordings of twelve dyads/triads completing…

The issue of multi-level classrooms and of the increasingly differentiated nature of students' learning experiences continues to be a major challenge for language teachers. It's safe to say that wherever two or more language teachers are gathered together, the "problem" of multi-level classrooms will figure somewhere in the conversation.…

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the applicability of task-based language teaching (TBLT) to state secondary foreign language classes. After discussion of method in general, TBLT is defined and its particularities described. Tasks are assessed as the basis for syllabus and then as the basis for method. In both cases, the proposals are…

Instructional Systems Design (ISD) is the systematic development of instructional strategies that are grounded in both learning and instructional theory. ISD is usually overlooked as a useful methodology in K-12 schools. ISD is extremely expensive in terms of the time required to develop instruction, and it often seems more appropriate as an…

Faced with uncertain budgets and increasing pressure from high-stakes testing, among other challenges, educators easily can fall into the trap of equating teaching with the presentation of information and then blaming students when outcomes are inadequate. To move beyond this simplistic approach, educators must continue developing as teachers who…

The purpose of this article is to explore the relevance of Plato's "Sophist" in the context of coaching. The "Sophist" dialogue focuses upon the role of the philosopher as a therapist of the soul rather than simply a conveyer or wholesaler of knowledge. This article provides a rationale for the coach to be more than a technical conveyer of skill…

This paper discusses the concept of "study reading" as used at a learning disabilities clinic at the University of Southampton, England. Study reading is defined as attentive reading to learn and remember, as different from reading that is performed simply to follow a narrative or browsing for one's own, self-set purposes. Results…

This article proposes two general instructional strategies that a course designer or materials writer may use to create a second language course that makes new demands on learners, yet contains feasible learning tasks. First, course designers can manipulate task components believed to determine task difficulty, components such as input text, the…

Contradictory research findings on teachers and teaching are frequently the result of overlooking or neglecting a systematic approach to teaching, using principles of human learning to enhance pupils' learning and their enjoyment of learning. In discussing teacher preparation, it is pointed out that task analysis is a crucial operation, in which…

This volume of the K-12 Social Studies curriculum for exceptional children covers the history of America, Kentucky, and Louisville/Jefferson County, from the time of American Indian settlements in these areas to the present. The curriculum guide provides: (1) objectives which parallel, as nearly as possible, the general education social studies…

The process of conducting a task analysis is one of determining exactly and in greatest detail what people do when they perform a certain job, or what they need to know when they enter a certain course of study. A task analysis is sometimes, but not always, preceded by a needs assessment to identify discrepancies between training or educational…

The text is designed for a course in the application of behavior modification techniques with handicapped children. The first part considers eight elements of the behavioral approach, including describing behavior precisely, recording behavior, arranging consequences, and teaching new behaviors. The second section, a practicum outline, provides…