The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1991) has identified the use of computers as a necessary teaching tool for enhancing mathematical discourse in schools. One possible vehicle of technological change in mathematics classrooms is the Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), an artificially intelligent computer-based tutor. This paper…

Insights into successful collaborative writing interactions were derived from an analysis of the discourse of three ninth-grade coauthoring triads (groups of three students)--a model group, a typical group, and a problem group. The writing task was an argumentative essay. Students received instruction in collaborative writing through teacher…

This assessment guide represents a method for evaluating visual arts achievement by third graders. The artwork presented can be used to determine whether students have met learning objectives and are ready to advance, and also as a diagnostic tool for school improvement. The guide is based on selected sample learning objectives from "State…

This study explored two aspects of language expression (defining words and repeating sentences) in samples of 26 Downs Syndrome (DS) and 26 mentally handicapped (MH) adolescents and young adults matched on intelligence and chronological age. Testing included language tests, a comprehensive audiological assessment, and computer-based memory…

A study of the effectiveness of a language proficiency testing method using partial dictation is reported. The study used 60 undergraduate students at a Mexican university studying English as a second language under a traditional four-skills approach. The partial dictation exam was a combination of dictation and cloze procedure. The entire text is…

Intended for elementary and secondary school teachers, supervisors, curriculum specialists, and researchers, this report presents the proceedings of an institute on the Learning from Text Project sponsored by the University of California and the California State University systems. After an introduction by institute chairperson Deborah Hancock,…

Since an author does not provide all critical information, a text is never fully explicit; it demands that the reader/listener supply missing elements in order to form a coherent and logical whole. A study was conducted to explore both the types of responses urban first grade students made when asked to predict a narrative ending and differences…

The existence, before any formal physics instruction, of schemata which lead to an idiosyncratic interpretation of real world events, which physicists see as exemplifying principles of physics, is now well established. Because these interpretations are often at variance with physicists' interpretations, they have been labeled, among others,…

A study measured both short- and long-term effects of an educational workshop designed for teachers in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion, Israel. Participants were 60 volunteer faculty members who were randomly assigned to one of eight multidisciplinary groups for the 4-day workshop, which aimed at improving teachers' instructional…

Current research and evaluation studies describe changing knowledge about the effects and conditions of computer-based tools in learning and teaching in elementary and secondary school classrooms. Current studies of computer-based tool use are characterized by: (1) a focus on many dimensions of learning, learners, and learning environments; (2) an…

Latent trait measurement theory was used to investigate the measurement characteristics of both parts of a multiple-choice measure of field-independence, the Finding Embedded Figures Test (FEFT). Analysis was based on data provided by 1,528 students enrolled in one of two middle schools located in the southern United States. Of the subjects, 731…

The implicit assumption behind personal writing assignments given at the beginning of a writing course is that personal essays eliminate the writing apprehension of having nothing to say. However, college freshmen find it very difficult to write about themselves and their own opinions because this writing involves abstract mental processes and…

This research explored cognitive-motivational patterns of learning-disabled and nondisabled adolescents by employing the theoretical model of C. S. Dweck, which posits that a "learning goal" orients students toward the development of competence, whereas a "performance goal" orients students toward the documentation of competence, and that these…

Abstracts and abstractors' critiques of ten published articles related to curriculum, misconception research, and instruction are presented. Aspects addressed in the studies include: (1) Canadian teachers' opinions on changes in elementary and junior high school science programs; (2) current status of ecology education in Illinois; (3)…

The study compared perceptions of high school and college faculty regarding the characteristics and preparatory needs of secondary learning disabled (LD) students. The analysis was based on a survey of 288 high school teachers (246 regular and 42 special education) and 82 college teachers. Separate factor analyses identified three academic factors…