The scientific and technical publications summarized in this report describe research on intelligent instructional systems sponsored by the Personnel and Training Research Programs, Psychological Sciences Division, of the Office of Naval Research. Abstracts of the following papers are presented: (1) "Understanding Reflective Problem…

Designed to explore what is being done to help learning disabled (LD) readers develop comprehension skills, this paper reviews research in teaching reading comprehension to LD students and develops generalizations from the research to guide reading comprehension instruction for such students. The 10 generalizations presented and discussed in the…

The monograph addresses the issue of research on learning disabilities (LD) and proposes directions for research in Iowa by means of four articles, a report of a survey of needed research, and six brief response papers. The first paper, "Issues on the Identification of Learning Disabled Children" (S.W. Ehly), discusses the problems of…

This paper outlines, from the perspective of three school principals, the complexities involved in implementing a curriculum innovation, "4MAT," begun in Ontario in 1984. Curriculum project considerations include: leadership skills necessary; importance of support systems for principals; role of research; role of the principal; project…

The use of the inquiry approach in the teaching of elementary science is examined and advocated in this publication. The position that an inquiry approach is the best way to teach and learn science is upheld and its influence on the development of positive attitudes towards science is stressed. Section titles include: (1) "A Tale of Two Teachers"…

This experiment examined the effects of headings and adjunct questions embedded in expository text on the delayed multiple-choice test performance of college students. Subjects in the headings-present group performed significantly better on the retention test than did the subjects in the headings-absent group. The main effect of adjunct questions…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of behavioral and cognitive organizing strategies and varied processing intervals on factual and inferential learning. A total of 49 upper-division undergraduate and graduate students, who were randomly assigned to either a cognitive, behavioral, or individual orienting strategy group, received…

Based on results of a project undertaken in Finland over many years, this definition of transfer is offered: Transfer is both a facilitating and limiting factor which provides one basis for the learner to form and test hypotheses about the second language he or she is learning. Theory and research on transfer are discussed as they relate to item…

The origins of inquiry activities are discussed in this historical review and assessment of science textbooks. Approximately 80 texts (dated from 1822 to 1910) were analyzed specifically for inquiry teaching strategies. No significant patterns were detected, either by subject or time, which could support an identifiable birth of inquiry. After…

In this paper, the verbal interaction strategies and explanation behaviors of three fifth-grade teachers teaching science units are used to illustrate relationships among curriculum materials, teacher talk, and student learning. Experimental studies with these and other teachers indicate that, if teachers become more sensitive to their students'…

The impact on learning performance of a notetaking strategy called the Directed Overt Activity Strategy (DOA) was evaluated on three types of instructional tasks: spatial learning, simple concept learning, and complex concept learning. One hundred volunteer freshman psychology students from Ohio State University used either the DOA or their own…

There is a risk that some students will progressively slip further behind the pace of instruction across grade levels, particularly in the second through fourth grades. A combination of factors are related to instructional risk: (1) structure of skill development across more than one grade level; (2) organization of textbook lessons that provide…

An Ontario program providing sets of problem-solving activities for native French speakers helps students in grades 7-12 enrich their language proficiency in both French and English. The guides developed as part of the program emphasize language as a tool for thought, social interaction, and artistic expression, and focus on the integration of…

The rationale and procedures involved with the instructional strategies of concept mapping and Gowin's Vee Mapping are provided in this paper. Specific directives are outlined for building concept maps and vee maps. Examples of both types of these maps are given and explanations are offered on their form and use. Concepts and activities…

The report describes and evaluates the use of a set of learning tools called database managers and their creation of databases to help teach problem solving skills in social studies. Details include the design, building, and use of databases in a social studies setting, along with advantages and disadvantages of using them. The three types of…