Discusses the need to modify visual media for hearing-impaired students and describes a study of college students that examined the effects of modifying captions and providing supplementary instruction on the comprehension of a technical film. Effects of instruction, levels of captioning, test types, and reading ability are examined. (25…

Describes computer-based study of undergraduates that examined the consistency of macroprocessing, or cognitive processing, of instruction in different content domains. Presentation modes are explained, pretests and posttests are described, and the implications of the results for the investigation of individual differences in learning are…

Reports on the design considerations involved in the development of a series of interactive videodisc modules in pre-calculus mathematics. Topics discussed include math deficiencies and anxieties at the college level; videodisc and microcomputer technology; instructional design; learning theories; and the results of two field tests in secondary…

Major visuospatial and verbal abilities were assessed for 197 10-year-olds in Hong Kong and 170 10-year-olds in the United Kingdom. The Hong Kong subjects resembled their Japanese counterparts in having high Searman's "g," exhibiting abstract reasoning ability, high spatial ability, high perceptual speed, and low word fluency. (SLD)

Explores the development and application of syllabus and textbook design principles in the creation and use of an English-as-a-Second Language textbook that completely replaced the use of a structurally based course in Sri Lankan schools. Course components, the structural and functional syllabus, testing problems, and materials team training are…

Describes the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages oral proficiency interview and its applications as a measure of French language competence in Canada. Suggests that, as a curriculum-free, criterion-referenced assessment, this test could provide a common national yardstick for both student achievement and teacher qualification.…

Investigates the development of dynamics concepts with one group aged 12-14, and other group aged 14-16. Collects data from Assessment of Performance in Science tasks, Piagetian tasks, and classroom science curriculum. Discusses the interaction of cognitive development and classroom experience in the development of concepts. (Author/YP)

Looked at both "wrong words" found in translation texts and "different words" found by comparing vocabulary elicited by Norwegian students and native English speakers in response to test questions. Aims of the study were to establish how learners make wrong lexical choices and what effects these have on discourse; and see to…

Reviews emerging applications of microcomputers and hypermedia to assessment. Use consists mainly of computerized test administration of multiple-choice tests drawn from item banks. Significant advantages are possible in several areas including immediate feedback to students, formative evaluation with remediation possibilities, and monitoring…

Argues that affective outcomes should be addressed instructionally and that student affect should be assessed formally. How student affect should be measured is considered. It is suggested that self-report measures be used and that Likert-type inventories usually meet the needs of classroom teachers. (SLD)

Notes that achieving school readiness for all children by the year 2000 will require a reconceptualization of the concept of readiness. Reviews some of the relevant history of readiness as an area of inquiry, and details the issues surrounding readiness, including school readiness versus learning readiness, and chronological age of entry versus…

A study of 28 medical residents' skills in evaluating research compared student evaluations of a journal article with 1 developed by means of a Delphi technique utilizing 5 experts. Residents' scores were not significantly associated with residency year or self-assessed critical appraisal skill. The method is proposed as an objective means of…

Studies the social interactions of two bilingual ethnic minority children during informal work and play settings in a kindergarten program. Finds that their literacy learning is hampered by isolation, the staff's apparent lack of interest in the children's home language and culture, and the staff's unawareness of cultural biases in the testing and…

Contends that teachers assign essay writing to help students improve their critical thinking skills. Discusses six criteria of a well-written history essay. Includes a five-essay assignment strategy, designed to be implemented over the course of an academic year, to help students improve essay research and writing. (CFR)

Analyzes the academic records of 191 nonnative students who took a writing examination in 1991 to assess their performance on the writing examination of Georgia State University. Results indicate that questions remain about the relationship between English proficiency and academic preparation and about responsibilities for academically weak…