Compares the affective reactions of nonretarded second- and third-grade children to those of mildly retarded children to a videotape in which a protagonist's initial behavior (good, bad) was factorially varied with the emotion he experienced in the concluding incident (happy, sad). (HOD)

College students (N=60) majoring in French, German, or Spanish took Self-Appraisal of Speaking Proficiency and State Anxiety Inventory before being assessed by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). Results showed that anxiety did not exert as much influence on scores as ability did. However, once…

Discusses the benefits of using a "process" approach to writing instruction. Claims that beginning a writing course by reading about and discussing the approach makes students excited to use the same technique as professional writers and aware of the skills writing requires. (JD)

A training course providing German primary school teachers with techniques for asking classroom questions resulted in increases in the questions using higher cognitive processes and in the correspondence between levels of questions and responses, maintained over a three-month period. (MSE)

Outlines a distance education course in telecommunications offered through Brunel Technical College, Bristol, England. Objectives of the college, the sponsor, college staff, and students enrolled in the course are investigated together with problems, cost implications, and student and staff perceptions. Distance and evening students' performance…

Reports an evaluation of the Teddy Bear disc, an interactive videodisc developed at the Open University for a second-level course in metallurgy and materials technology. Findings from observation of students utilizing the videodisc are reviewed; successful design features and design problems are considered; and development costs are outlined. (MBR)

Describes a case study in the use of stimulated recall, a method of evoking an individual's thoughts about a previous episode in his/her life, to evaluate a science education videotape. The method's general value to researchers and material developers is discussed and its potential in educational media research is assessed. (Author/MBR)

A study which used multiple regression analysis to assess the relationship between student ratings of classroom practices, instructor characteristics, and student commitment to the course and an overall rating of the instructor found that variance in instructor ratings reflected variance in classroom and instructional practices. Twenty-six…

Discusses consequences of using computer-assisted learning (CAL) packages for experiment planning in undergraduate physical chemistry laboratories and examines textbook presentations and syllabus criticism. An approach to syllabus reconstruction that combines operational research with experiences of CAL development program is demonstrated through…

Six school districts selected through Project BEST (Basic Education Skills through Technology)--Cincinnati (Ohio) Public Schools, Alexander (Albany, Ohio) School District, Ann Arbor (Michigan) Schools, Cupertino (California) Union School District, Fairfax (Virginia) Public Schools, and Plains (Montana) Public Schools--describe their use of…

Describes structure, aims, methodology, and results of a study investigating the use of school broadcasts in primary and secondary schools in Scotland. Findings indicate that teachers and pupils value broadcasts highly despite problems with provision of equipment and facilities, management of resources, policymaking, and inadequate teacher…

Describes an investigation of videodisc applications and their adaptation for training programs which focused on a lesson on preparation and administration of intramuscular injections taught at the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences. Results indicate students using videodisc may not learn more but learn faster and retain information longer. (MBR)

Advantages and disadvantages of videodisc-based programs for training military paramedics were explored by comparing instructor-controlled and student-controlled videodisc groups with each other and with a control group taught by traditional methods. Results indicate reduced instructional time with no achievement loss and high user satisfaction…

Reports on research from New Zealand showing that both teachers and students benefited from a concurrent interview technique in which teachers try to discover what their students understand, or fail to understand, from the material they read. (HOD)

Describes the recent phenomenon of early exploratory field experiences in teacher education programs in the United States and Canada. Describes the rationale, structure, personnel, and reactions to the early field experience in the teacher preparation program at the University of Calgary. (SB)