Based on an extensive review of literature on the depth of comprehension approach, a study was conducted to induce various degrees of depth of processing at the semantic inferential level through orientation tasks. It was hypothesized that the most superficial reading would occur for "error correction" and the deepest reading would be done for…

Results indicate that transfer of learning depended on the congruence between students' previous learning in the experiment and subsequent instruction. (Author/BJG)

During writing conferences, many teachers impose their own ideas and attitudes on the student's essay, and often are not sure how else to help their students arrive at changes that will improve their writing. Understanding or assessment of a student's prior knowledge about the topic can be very helpful to a teacher in shaping the conference and…

Reading is a process of forming and evaluating hypotheses to account for the data in a text. Because of its complexity, the task of reading requires strategies for controlling the proliferation of hypotheses. Four of these strategies are (1) jumping to conclusions, (2) maintaining inertia (refusing to abandon a hypothesis in spite of contradictory…

A study sought to determine the usefulness of the learning women acquire through life experience to entry level jobs in selected occupations. Methodology included sending sixteen sets of nine questionnaires to women in women's centers displaced homemaker centers, and counseling centers in seven states (131 replies, 91 percent response). The…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) the relationships between prior knowledge and passage recall; (2) the effect of a prereading activity (PReP) on available knowledge; and (3) the effect of the PReP activity on total comprehension scores. The subjects were 161 sixth grade students from a middle class suburban Long Island, New York, public…

The importance of prior knowledge of informational content and organization for search performance on a database was evaluated for 17 undergraduates. Pretraining related to content, and information did facilitate learning logical search principles in a relational database; contest pretraining was more efficient. (SLD)

Use of adult undergraduate students' work experience in recruitment, admission, and curriculum design is examined, and it is suggested that institutions must shift the emphasis in admissions from the quantity of prior experience to the quality of learning resulting from it, and organize curricula around that learning. (MSE)

Describes the development of a new type of selection procedure, the activity/achievement indicator, and compares it with the behavioral consistency method of training and experience evaluation. Reports that total scores from these two methods correlated at r=.58. Discusses implications. (Author/CH)

Argues that vocabulary is best taught by helping students experience the meaning of words. Offers research background and four teaching methods to use with intermediate grade students. (FL)

Discusses List-Group-Preview, an activity that combines eliciting prior knowledge with guiding students through a new textbook chapter. (FL)

The authors explain their decision to create portfolios to obtain credit for prior learning. They discuss basic elements for an outline, major headings for the resume, contents of the narrative portion, documentation, faculty review of the portfolio, and advantages and disadvantages. (CT)

Explores research on the efficacy of previewing before reading to build background knowledge. Offers guidelines for presenting a preview to students. (HTH)

Notes that by examining the interactive processes involved in comprehending, researchers are concluding that readers use their prior knowledge to actively construct meaning from printed material. Reviews research in metacomprehension and discusses its implications for college reading instruction. (FL)

When teaching a lesson, do students remember the information the next day? The next week? Will they retain that information long enough to use it on a high-stakes test and, most importantly, will they retain it well enough to make use of it in their lives beyond school? "How to Teach So Students Remember" offers seven steps to increase students'…