Three major types of technology being used as part of the curriculum in preschools serving children with varied abilities and needs are discussed, namely television, videos/interactive videodisc, and computers/software. The discussion covers how the technology is used, its impact on developmental domains, and suggestions for improved development…

This study examined different course delivery formats for an introductory special education course, focusing on their impact on student motivation, learning, and attitudes toward helping. The 3-credit course was offered in two formats: a traditional course format (one large lecture section that met for 100 minutes once a week for 150 students and…

Reflecting the diverse philosophies and experiences of clinicians and practitioners, this book presents 30 essays that address the identification of reading strengths and weaknesses, assessment, and instructional strategies for remediation. Chapters in the book are (1) "The Role of Vision in Reading Disability" (Lois B. Bing); (2) "Problems with…

A project investigating the effects of peer tutoring on students' academic achievement focused on use of tutoring with underachieving, limited-English-speaking 11th- and 12th-graders. The method was designed to use materials readily available and require minimal expenditure of teacher time and resources. Students (n=18) voluntarily attended…

The purposes of the Colorado Science Teaching Enhancement Program (CO-STEP) are to improve the background in science content and the instructional skills of teachers in grades four through six throughout Colorado and to support the implementation of effective instruction. A network of six Teacher Development Centers in Colorado coordinate teacher…

The Queensland (Australia) Department of Education s "Corporate Plan 1994-98" identifies student learning and teaching as a key issue and includes effective learning and teaching as a corporate value. This document provides information on five guiding principles that have been formulated for the development and implementation of quality…

This review of the literature focuses on research findings concerning the long-term academic, social, and emotional effects of acceleration, as well as the results of non-acceleration, on gifted children. Access to accelerated programs in Canada and the United States was also investigated. The review led to the following conclusions: (1) academic…

This brief focuses on assessment issues for American Indian and Alaska Native (collectively referred to as "Native") students, as well as other pedagogical issues related to improved teaching and educational outcomes. Although traditional Native educational strategies emphasize cooperation, experiential learning, and reflection, Native students…

Two multiple-case instructional treatments were compared to determine their relative effectiveness for helping program participants acquire, apply, and transfer complex knowledge about Assistive Technology (AT) available to help people with impaired vision. Thirty-eight college students were randomly assigned to two conditions. Both treatments…

Many parents on a southwestern Manitoba (Canada) Indian reservation are troubled by the small number of high school students who graduate. Much of the failure can be attributed to the generally poor writing skills of aboriginal students. To increase the students' writing ability, a computer-assisted instruction program emphasizing writing and…

This study explores the instructional impact of using computer multimedia to integrate metaphorical verbal information into graphical representations of biotechnology concepts. The combination of text and graphics into a single metaphor makes concepts dual-coded, and therefore more comprehensible and memorable for the student. Visual stimuli help…

An ongoing series of studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign concerning cross-cultural interpretation of implicature in conversation is discussed. Implicature is defined as the process of making inferences about the meaning of an utterance in the context in which it occurs. The studies focus on non-native speakers' (NNSs')…

This digest provides a review of the research literature on assessment of the effectiveness of higher education in producing graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for well-educated citizens today. Major findings are grouped as answers or partial answers to the following nine questions: (1) "what are the critical competencies and…

Middle level teachers are unique not just by virtue of the level of students they teach but also by the ways in which they teach. This monograph emphasizes strategies that actively engage students of all ability levels, promote collaboration, provide for various levels of concrete and abstract thought, and foster student inquiry. The monograph…

A 12-week practicum testing a method for improving writing skills and self-esteem among secondary school students learning English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) is reported. Thirteen students in a larger class at one school were identified for participation, and placed in small heterogeneous groups by skill level. Groups selected writing…