The study reported in this document was conducted to measure the impact of the New Zealand Fire Service's new fire safety program on elementary school students. Firefighters in each fire station and voluntary fire brigade in New Zealand were responsible for arranging a visit to every elementary school within their area to present a learning…

This keynote address begins with a discussion of the difference between words and action, directed specifically to the practitioner's task of meeting the communication needs of children and youth with severe disabilities. Brief overviews of current perspectives and practices are provided, considering such areas as how communicative acts are…

The purpose of this research project at San Francisco State University was to develop and evaluate integrated assessment and intervention strategies to locate the "at risk" older driver and remediate deficits in knowledge or skills about driving and traffic safety. The identification of the "at risk" older driver should suggest…

Perception and effects of foreign language publications in engineering research are examined. Through the use of both survey and archival sources, including coverage in major scientific and technical databases as vended by DIALOG, various aspects of the foreign language barrier were measured. A foreign language barrier is said to exist when…

A study examined the effects of controlled language ("primerese") on children's reading. Four primerese stories from basal readers were rewritten to make the language less controlled and more natural, and the effects of these changes on several aspects of oral reading and comprehension were examined. Sixty first graders were divided into…

In order to empirically examine the impact of an overseas study experience on university students from the United States, a study of all University of Evansville students from a one-year period who had participated in an overseas study program in England was undertaken. The study used a four-part survey questionnaire designed to address specific…

The knowledge structure of nursing, nursing concepts, and interaction patterns were studied at three nursing schools in Sweden. Attention was focused on six classification systems: communication pattern; personally directed content of talks; interaction structure and role behavior; content of instrumental versus emotional nature; disciplinary…

To examine the consequences of responsiveness in dyadic interaction, explore the effects of irrelevant response on listener processing and retention of content, and determine the impact of irrelevant responses on listener perception of speaker attributes, 108 college students were asked to read a debate between two fictitious political candidates…

A study investigated the effects that writing skills, sex, preparation, and knowledge of the composing process have on writing apprehension. Subjects were 42 male and 42 female high school seniors from rural or small city schools who were considered by their English teachers to be average or above average students. In addition to indicating sex…

Introduction: The study explores the social processes that influence the construction by academic (information behaviour) researchers of the meaning(s) and significance of an author and her work prominent in the literature of their field (Brenda Dervin). Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews, based in part on the "Life-Line"…

In 1989 a study was conducted at Pima Community College (PCC) to assess students' knowledge of basic physical science concepts. A three-part survey instrument was administered to students in a second semester sociology class, a first semester astronomy class, a second semester Spanish class, and a first semester physics class. The survey…

The model workshop manual is intended for use with state and local special education and sex equity staff. The manual contains a model workshop format, information on problems faced by disabled students, and suggested workshop activities. A sample workshop agenda, accompanying materials and resources developed, compiled, and field-tested at two…

A study investigated the composing process to examine why different types of instruction have different effects on composing products. The study contrasted three treatments: (1) presenting students with models (the traditional method); (2) the general procedures approach stressing freethinking process; and (3) a method stressing task-specific…

The acquisition of knowledge is concomitant to the writing process and, as such, is a key factor in composition pedagogy. Writing is not just a skill with which the student presents or analyzes knowledge, rather, writing is essential to the very existence of certain kinds of knowledge. Much of writing instruction, however, consists mainly of genre…

This paper describes the effects of science teacher subject-matter knowledge on classroom discourse at the level of individual utterances. It details one of three parallel analyses conducted in a year-long study of language in the classrooms of four new biology teachers. The conceptual framework of the study predicted that when teaching unfamiliar…