Explores the use of student-constructed concept maps in conjunction with written interpretive essays as an additional method of assessment in three undergraduate mathematics courses. Evaluates the benefits of using concept maps and written essays to assess the "connectedness" of students' knowledge. (Author/CCM)

Assesses high school students' environmental knowledge and attitudes using a questionnaire administered before and after exposure to a 10-day environmental-science course. (Author/CCM)

Nurses (n=240) attended a continuing education program on AIDS and mental health, including counseling and legal issues. Pre/posttests highlighted the need for training in the treatment of infection and the psychological impact of AIDS on clients and families. (SK)

Studied the process by which university teachers arrived at positive perceptions of computer assisted instruction (CAI) through a survey completed by 63 college teachers in Singapore. Results show that knowledge of CAI is a dominant factor influencing the perceived usefulness of CAI. (SLD)

Israeli older adults (n=361) completed the Worry Scale and the Facts on Aging Quiz. Those with higher educational attainment and those who were better informed about aging had lower worry scores. (SK)

To evaluate teachers' knowledge about attention deficit disorders (ADHD), a questionnaire was distributed to 180 elementary teachers in a New Jersey district. Of 154 respondents, 128 (83%) indicated they had received negligible formal training in ADHD as undergraduates; only 3.9% had extensive training. A majority had recently taught at least six…

The views of Dutch women on the implications of the analysis of the human genome were studied by questionnaire and interview. Although a serious lack of knowledge about the topic was found, interviews produced a broad range of problematic issues. Attention to gender implications of gene technology is needed. (Author/EMK)

From case histories of 74 adolescents, six constructs (family, dynamic, cognitive, somatic, generic, developmental) were distilled to explain how their occupational knowledge is formed. The developmental process of knowledge acquisition is influenced by family circumstances at birth, cognitive-conceptual attainment in preschool, and vocabulary in…

Surveyed the extent to which a sample of academic staff at Monash University in Australia are familiar with general intellectual property concepts and the provisions of their university's intellectual property statute. Found a level of ignorance in this area that may require attention. (EV)

A survey of physicians (n=113) concerning their knowledge about child sexual abuse found several areas of inadequate knowledge, including assessment of chlamydia infection, Tanner staging, and documentation of historical and physical exam findings. Factors associated with better knowledge scores were physician participation in continuing medical…

Examined toddlers' awareness of partners' knowledge states when communicating with them. In two studies, the parent either witnessed or did not witness placement of an object the child asked for help in retrieving. Subjects named the object and location and gestured to its location more often for parents who did not know the information than for…

Discusses common features of the scientific change problem in epistemological research and conceptual change problem in didactic research, analyzing the role of analogies and metaphors within scientific knowledge. These ideas are confronted with images of scientific learning within pedagogical and epistemological constructivism. Maxwell's views…

Survey responses from 71 health professionals, benchmarking data from 8 hospitals, continuing education program evaluations, and focus groups with nursing, allied health, and primary care providers indicated a need for professional continuing education on women's health issues. Primary topic needs were identified. The data formed the basis for…

Nutrition knowledge and dietary intake among 184 Hispanic teenage girls were assessed before and after a nutrition education intervention involving five weekly lessons. Intervention participants increased their nutrition knowledge by 50 percent and showed modest improvement in dietary behavior. Contains 16 references and data on subjects' dietary…

Studied the use of prior knowledge state assessment for enhancing learning through a series of experiments involving college students (n=112, n=1,159, n=1,081). Results show that beginning students are especially willing to use prior knowledge state assessment and appear to benefit more from its use. (SLD)