Assessed effects of sleep restriction and extension on 9- to 12-year-olds' neurobehavioral functioning. Found that modest sleep restriction led to improved sleep quality but to reduced reported alertness. Children who extended sleep improved significantly from baseline their performance on the digit forward memory test and reaction time on the…

Three experiments obtained same-different judgments from children and adults to trace normal development of local and global processing of hierarchical visual forms. Findings indicated that reaction time was faster on global trials than local trials; bias was stronger in children and diminished to adult levels between ages 10 and 14. Reaction time…

Discusses the importance of the strategic use of lesson time to impart learning to students of English as a Second Language. The article touches on the definition of teaching, wasting time in the classroom, overuse of English or of the mother tongue, and interaction patterns in the classroom. (one reference) (CK)

A collaboration between composition instructor and librarian is a logical means for students to see the direct connection between writing and research and to learn critical thinking. A list of 10 questions for evaluating research sources is provided, and a model for integrating critical thinking and library skills in a single, 1-hour session is…

Discusses the basic concepts of andragogy, or the teaching of adults. Topics include differences between children and adults; characteristics of adult learners, including time perspective, motivation, being self-directed, and experienced in life skills; and effective program design for adults. (LRW)

Illustrates the advantages of laboratory research into second language acquisition (SLA) by describing two studies of acquisition of second language syntax. The first, conducted in Wales, addresses the question of whether human morphological abilities can be understood in terms of associative processes, and the second presents a bootstrapping…

Evaluation of a proactive behavioral approach to teaching prosocial behavior was evaluated in six urban elementary physical education classes. Results demonstrated positive across-grade trends in student leadership and teacher-independent conflict resolution behaviors, marked decreases in student off-task behavior, less teacher-directed and more…

Guidelines for assessing the classroom environment for optimal student performance cover physical environment, time/instructional management, behavior management, and teacher effectiveness. Vignettes illustrate classroom problems and suggest management solutions. A checklist identifies instructional methods and conditions that positively affect…

Presents national data on the 40-and-older student population, focusing on their methods for gaining access to postsecondary education, experiences while participating in education and training, and outcomes. Reports that the proportion of these students increased 235% between 1970 and 1993 and that the majority attend part-time and live…

Proposes a dynamical systems approach to parsing in which syntactic hypotheses are associated with attractors in a metric space. The experiments discussed documented various contingent frequency effects that cut across traditional linguistic grains, each of which was predicted by the dynamical systems model. (47 references) (Author/CK)

Examines teachers' use of and students' reactions to cooperative learning, and the quality of the group cooperation from a sample of Dutch primary schools. Reports that students' social skills, on-task behavior, and self-esteem improved, while students reported a positive attitude toward cooperative learning. Includes references. (CMK)

Destructive behavior of 9-year-old with learning disabilities was evaluated in a functional analysis. The effects of extinction, negative reinforcement, and negative reinforcement combined with access to preferred activities were compared on behavior and task engagement. Engagement occurred most and destructive behavior occurred least when…

Discusses active learning and cooperative learning strategies and suggests how they may be applied to library instruction. Highlights include active learning versus the lecture mode; student involvement; retention of information; class time needed; planning required; and selecting a teaching technique based on objectives and student needs. (LRW)

Describes a freshman-level library research instruction program developed at Maryville College. Discusses information literacy and the general education curriculum; conceptual framework for the library's role; timetable for a three-hour information literacy workshop; faculty role; faculty response; student response; and recommendations. (LRW)

Evaluates the use of the Internet by exploring seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education: (1) student-faculty contact; (2) cooperation among students; (3) active learning; (4) prompt feedback; (5) time on task; (6) high expectations; and (7) respects diverse talent and learning styles. Includes results from a student survey.…