A study of five adults with severe mental retardation in a residential facility found that progressive time delay was effective in establishing a receptive repertoire of communicative gestures. Results of the study also found no differential training effect for known versus unknown gestures. (Author/CR)

Displays responses from 540 organizations plus other recent surveys that show how much training is provided at what cost, types of courses provided, training staff, outsourcing, technological delivery methods, and human performance practices. Also looks at whether measures show that training is linked to performance. (JOW)

This study evaluated a treatment package to improve on-task academic skills by three children with autism. Program components included delayed reinforcement for on-task and on-schedule responding, fading of instructional prompts and instructor's presence, unpredictable supervision, and response cost for off-task responding. On-task and on-schedule…

A study assessed the efficacy of a written script/cue card program to teach conversational speech skills to three verbal, literate boys (ages 8-10) with autism. Initially boys demonstrated low frequencies of conversational speech. Following intervention, all three quickly met the training criteria and maintained correct responding without cue…

This article details the qualitative results of focus groups with adults who are visually impaired and received assistive technology (AT) training (n=55) and with AT trainers (n=48). Participants described the state of AT training at the beginning of the 21st century from their perspectives as students and teachers. (Contains 4 references.)…

Discusses instructional delivery models and their physiology in distributed learning systems. Highlights include building delivery models; types of delivery models, including distributed classroom, self-training on the Web, online training, communities of practice, and performance support systems; and actors (users) involved, including experts,…

Teachers are usually trained in stimulus-response techniques that run counter to democratic school-reform principles. Encouragement training, which prioritizes relationships, respectful dialog, and group decision making, changes the way teachers run their classrooms, resulting in students who are more involved, responsible, and academically…

Discusses the value of training interventions for performance improvement based on the author's experiences with various training events. Topics include making clear expectations; accomplishment-based project planning; understanding performance problems; and participant learning and instructional benefits. (LRW)

The relationship between the number of task, interpersonal, and hindering events and session outcome was examined for prepracticum trainees. Implications for counselor training are discussed. (Author)

Four patients with fluent aphasia received a semantic feature treatment to improve naming of either typical or atypical items within semantic categories. Patients trained on naming of atypical exemplars demonstrated generalization to naming of intermediate and typical items. Patients trained on typical items demonstrated no generalized naming…

Discusses blended learning strategies and reports results of a two-year empirical study that concludes that blended learning methods boosts employee productivity over single-delivery options. Highlights include examples from a variety of companies that included scenario-based exercises; realistic business situations; mentors; classroom…

Describes public education through the media to train government officials and journalists, undertaken as part of economic reform efforts in the Republic of Georgia. Focuses on six key topics. Concludes with a discussion of the necessary conditions for success of these broad-based educational efforts. (RLH)

This article discusses the creation of Rehabilitation Teaching Assistant (RTA) paraprofessional positions as a solution to the shortage of certified rehabilitation teachers for individuals with visual impairments. It discusses the potential negative ramifications of this approach and urges requiring a 2-year associate's degree as the education…

Three adolescents with moderate mental handicaps were taught bedmaking skills through a technique which involved dividing the entire chain into sections, teaching the first section in a total cycle fashion, and adding instruction on subsequent sections in a forward chaining manner. The technique promoted skill acquisition and substantial…

This article introduces the use of nonaversive behavior management with persons exhibiting undesirable behaviors. Definitions are suggested and three fundamental elements are explained: (1) a nonaversive set of procedures; (2) social validation criteria emphasizing personal dignity; and (3) the prohibition or restriction of certain aversive or…