Investigates whether undergraduate psychology students will give optimistic estimates of their life expectancy if they receive either no information or correct information about the average life expectancy. Reveals that both men and women in each of the two conditions estimated their life span at approximately their actuarial age. (CMK)

Outlines problems students have with understanding the abstract concept of chemical bonding as revealed in previous research. Describes the development of a two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument for assessing alternative conceptions about chemical bonding held by 14-16 year olds. Discusses the instrument and its findings for a group of…

Discusses the tendency of universities to focus on the disciplinarity of the humanities as opposed to promoting interdisciplinary connections within the field. Argues for interdisciplinarity instead in order to reinvigorate university humanities programs and provide students with the knowledge they need. Warns against improperly practicing an…

A correctional educator reflects on methods that improve instructional effectiveness. These include teacher-student collaboration, clear goals, student accountability, positive classroom atmosphere, high expectations, and mutual respect. (SK)

It is argued that, although thousands of evaluations have been conducted of social interventions, little has been done to cumulate those results to guide intervention architects. Building social intervention theory and meta analyses are suggested as ways to unify this knowledge and make it useful. (SLD)

Examined phonological short-term memory and new word learning in 5-year olds. Found that learning sound structures of new words was significantly, and to some degree independently, associated with aspects of phonological memory skill and vocabulary knowledge. Learning of familiar word pairs was linked with current vocabulary knowledge, not with…

Evaluated the effectiveness of a computerized interactive athletic training educational curriculum (IATEC) compared to traditional lecture. Undergraduate students with no formalized instruction in athletic training participated in traditional lecture, IATEC, or control groups. Following their education, students completed examinations. Although…

Argues that developmentally appropriate knowledge-in-use may be academically rigorous even when it does not mimic the more adult-like academic disciplines. Considers the creation of developmentally appropriate curriculum and ways to measure the academic rigor of learning outcomes without relying upon achievement tests grounded in academic…

Explores a tentative typology of young children's invented notations proposed in a previous study transferred across another group of musically naive kindergarteners. Extends the previous study by including notation of known and original song material. A modal dissonance was found in the children's notations of known and original songs. (CMK)

A short, 2-day, seminar-style program designed for adults with chronic aphasia and their families is described. Six-month follow-up data from 21 participant pairs found a significant improvement in functional activity level, improved knowledge of aphasia, and improved family relationships. Nonparticipant pairs (n=15) did not show any changes.…

Surveyed and conducted focus groups with Kenyan adolescents to investigate their health information sources, focusing on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), particularly HIV/AIDS. Respondents relied most heavily on health clinics for information on STDs, their most common health problem. Those with high knowledge of contraceptives were more…

Examined effect of a workshop on issues and prevention of child sexual abuse on the knowledge of mothers of kindergarten-age children while children attended a class on the prevention of sexual abuse in school. Found that mothers in the workshop improved their knowledge, while mothers who did not attend, but whose children did, showed no change in…

Examined in 2 studies 3- to 7-year-olds and adults' connecting a person's current feelings to past experience. Found that even 3-year-olds demonstrated knowledge about connections between past events and present emotions. Children 5 years and younger revealed cogent understanding in explaining why someone who experienced a previous negative event…

This overview of the relationship of reading vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension offers a vocabulary acquisition model that asserts that both breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge are critical to comprehension. The vocabulary/comprehension relationship and the acquisition of word meanings are compared for hearing and deaf students,…

This study examined 40 preschool children's knowledge of learning centers in their classrooms. Results revealed that children were more able to name an activity for each center than to name the centers, and were least able to describe the developmental purposes of the centers. Children's drawings of their classrooms suggest that they recognize the…