Considers the possibility of applying instance theory to the study of second language. Instance theory emphasizes the storage and subsequent use of individual experiences over the creation of abstract principles. Suggests that the theory can be applied to the study of second languages, only if it is used in conjunction with a theory of universal…

Investigated specific patterns for a reactive approach to form-focused instruction: corrective feedback and its relationship to error types and immediate learner repair. Data is drawn from transcripts of audio recordings made in four French immersion classrooms at the elementary level, totaling 18.3 hours and including 921 error sequences.…

Examines methods for improving developmental students' proofreading skills. Discusses several theories and analogies for understanding the activity of proofreading. Suggests that educators should utilize methods that encourage students to invest time and energy in the proofreading process as it provides a meaningful and complex educational…

Two studies with a total of 82 students (grades 5-7) with learning disabilities found that, unaided, students corrected 9% of their errors; with spelling checkers, they corrected 37% of errors. Spelling checkers failed to identify about 30% of errors. Students usually selected the correct word from spelling checker suggestions. (Author/DB)

Effects of differentiated feedback on the oral reading rate of three secondary students with learning disabilities were studied. The study found that visual feedback increased the overall reading rate more than verbal feedback or miscue analysis. Using both visual and miscue analysis feedback yielded the greatest reading accuracy. (CR)

A theory of how people detect and correct their own performance errors during skill practice is proposed. Blame assignment, error attribution, and knowledge revision are identified as three cognitive functions in explaining error correction. The theory is embodied in a computer model that learns cognitive skills in ecologically valid domains. (SLD)

Examines theoretical trends in the area of augmented information feedback from teacher/coach to student/athlete, focusing on: the guidance hypothesis; student self-evaluation; feedback style and student achievement; student-controlled versus instructor-controlled feedback; and learning in the absence of augmented feedback. Practical suggestions to…

A study compared the effects of immediate self-correction, delayed self-correction, and no correction on the acquisition and maintenance of multiplication facts by a fourth-grade student with learning disabilities. Results indicate that both correct response rate and accuracy were higher when self-corrections were immediate rather than delayed or…

A British study involving 17 children with autism, 17 children with learning difficulties, and 17 controls (ages 7-13) investigated whether children with autism could correct errors on a computerized task. The children with autism were more likely than the others to fail to correct external and internal errors. (CR)

Having groups of students write simultaneously at the blackboard is an underused but extremely valuable exercise. The activity itself gives students control of air time; and product, public writing, invites comparisons that lead to self-correction, student interaction, and peer teaching, making it easier for the teacher to be a resource.…

Discusses the need for libraries to clean up their catalog databases to eliminate duplicate entries, update bibliographic or authority records, and correct errors. Reviews pertinent literature and considers methods that include human review as well as software and matching programs. (LRW)

This study investigates the role of cultural beliefs and practices in teaching. The focus is the process of socialization by which students learn to deal with mistakes. Analyzed are teacher-student interactions surrounding mistakes videotaped in 30 Italian and 30 U.S. eighth-grade mathematics lessons. These are complemented by interviews with…

Structural equation modeling (SEM) offers a flexible method for studying the patterns of interdependence in partners' behavior, which lie at the heart of interactions and relationships. Although SEM has been applied to the study of distinguishable dyads, in which partners are distinguishable by type, such as male and female, it has rarely been…

Error correction research has focused mostly on teachers' strategies and their effects on student writing. Much less has been done to find out about students' beliefs and attitudes about teachers' feedback on errors. This study aimed to investigate L2 students' perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about error correction in the writing classroom.…

Textbooks and websites today abound with real data. One neglected issue is that statistical investigations often require a good deal of "cleaning" to ready data for analysis. The purpose of this dataset and exercise is to teach students to use exploratory tools to identify erroneous observations. This article discusses the merits of such…