A framework for analyzing the social organization of education in nonclassroom environments is developed, based on observations of students in an experiential learning program. The argument is made that the process of education must be understood by the effect of the broader social context in which it occurs. (Author/SK)

Task-centered social work, like many other short-term treatment models, assumes that the degree of concentration on a problem is positively related to change. This study examines that assumption. (Author)

A profoundly retarded adult was taught to open doors having a standard rotary door knob through prompting and fading techniques in a backward chaining sequence. (CL)

The article presents three case studies in which severely handicapped adolescents were taught the use of a frisbee, how to operate a cassette tape recorder, and electronic bowling skills. (DB)

Discusses the method used for rewriting a piece of technical text to improve readability, compares several readability measures of the revised text, and notes difficulties encountered in the study. (CHC)

A study sought to determine if there was a difference in task analysis data collected by interviews and by mailed questionnaire. The business that was interviewed reported a significantly greater number of tasks as performed by beginning employees when compared to the mailed respondents. (LRA)

Using word attack reading skills as an example, the article focuses on a process for translating the IEP (individualized education program) into a guide for effective instructional planning with handicapped students. (CL)

Determines the essential skills needed by personnel in the entry-level data processing jobs of programmer, computer operator, and keypunch operator as determined by two representatives from industry and two from education. (Author/IRT)

Subjects (N=80) made expectancy of success statements in a dart throwing task under two conditions. Significant differences between criterion groups were obtained, with success statements remaining constant across difficulty levels in the relative criterion condition while declining rapidly as a function of task difficulty in the absolute…

Reviews assumptions underlying approaches to research into speaking task difficulty and questions the view that test scores always vary with task conditions or discourse variation. Offers a new approach to defining task difficulty in terms of the interaction between pragmatic task features and first language cultural background. Results of a study…

Discusses problems in task-based language assessment, including the definition and sampling of tasks, generalizations across tasks, interpretations about broad ability and language use domains, and the notion of task difficulty. (Author/VWL)

Factors influencing students' interpretation of learning tasks are discussed and two qualitatively different types of student interpretation are identified--procedural and content-related. The implications for research on the alternative frameworks used by students are discussed, including the identification of different levels of alternative…

Describes the first stage in a study of home information systems in the United Kingdom that is being conducted to develop a theory of household information systems that will inform investors, producers, and consumers in a given region. Highlights include methodology, questions for structured interviews, task model, and technical model. (Author/LRW)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining two training procedures (task-size fading and automatic prompting) in increasing the unsupervised responding of two adult subjects with severe/profound mental retardation. Results suggest the effectiveness of this combination of training methods. (DB)

Describes the process used in developing custom-tailored workplace basic skills programs. Examples show that learning objectives are mainly the same skills that are taught in more generic classes. The difference is that they use scenarios and text directly from the workplace. (Author/JOW)