The deliberate rewriting of lecture notes into forms suitable for study and review is the key to successful learning. Using the outline technique helps students to think in terms of what the main points are and what are examples or secondary points. The divided page technique allows students to quiz themselves daily on the material they must…

Reader, writers, and teachers of expository prose should pay closer attention to the question and answer (Q&A) format's theoretical and practical implications. The Q&A format contributes to the seemingly endless succession of questions and answers and is part of that flight from one signifier to another characteristic of postmodern…

A principal and two teachers of a local elementary school were interviewed to establish a shared definition of humor in the classroom. A multidimensional definition emerged with intellectual, spiritual, and physical aspects. The teachers were observed to determine if specific uses of humor would be evident in their classrooms. Four types of…

A discussion is presented of the value and benefits of using questions in the classroom that will develop the critical thinking abilities of students. Some of the benefits of employing questions in classroom teaching are related to the affective domain, being psychological in nature, some are evaluative in that they provide clues to the extent of…

Application of the direct instruction paradigm to reading comprehension skills involves providing a problem-solving strategy through demonstration and modeling, guiding strategy application, and creating opportunities for independent strategy application. Examples of the approach to teach sequential relationships and main idea-supporting…

Responds to Robert Slavin's unfavorable evaluation of mastery learning by advocating a wide variety of learning methods and strategies. Mentions a recent paper discussing the need for mastery learning improvements, initial prerequisites, a supportive home environment, reading automaticity, and teaching higher mental processes. (MLH)

Explains the distinct features of both mastery learning and mastery teaching systems, highlighting their major foci, strengths, and weaknesses. Despite their differences, the systems can complement each other by providing teachers with powerful tools to enhance their instructional effectiveness. Includes 21 references. (MLH)

Conceptually-based teaching relies on the premise that skills can be acquired through instruction or intervention directed at the acquisition or formation of concepts defining those skills. Research indicates that methods directed at conceptual change result in gains in complex teaching skills and that concepts mediate skills. (TJH)

Explores some issues of adult learning, concentrating on three areas: (1) the conditions under which adults are most likely to learn; (2) strategies that trainers can adopt to enable this to take place; and (3) implications for the training organization sponsor. (Author/JOW)

The triarchic theory of intelligence (Sternberg et al.) includes three types of intellectual elements: metacomponents, performance components, and knowledge-acquisition components. Recent research on metacognition and giftedness and on availability and flexibility of cognitive style indicates that interaction among all these elements may provide a…

Reports on a study which reinforces prior findings on melodic memory that show a majority of students do not sing accurately enough after only one hearing of a melody to benefit from vocalization memory techniques. Questions whether vocalization can be a memory reinforcer in melodies that are shorter and simpler than those used in this research.…

An understanding of the uses of metacognition provides a powerful tool toward developing quality and efficiency in task learning and performance. Specific thinking skill categories of attention, organization, and elaboration are described with examples of how specific techniques can optimize learning and job performance. (Author/JOW)

Comparison of 38 learning disabled and 38 normally achieving eighth graders on a vocabulary learning task indicated that the two groups did not differ in observable learning strategies used during the study period and that strategy use did not account for vocabulary learning score. (Author/DB)

Learning disabled students frequently have difficulty with spelling. A process that develops the student's thinking so that he is able to discover spelling rules for himself encourages him to remember and use them. Rules governing when to double final consonants or drop silent e's illustrate the process. (VW)

The Flavell (l981) model of cognitive monitoring and metamnemonic development was tested by four experiments conducted to determine whether preschool children (1) recognize that mood, fatigue, and fear are variables that influence learning; and (2) self-monitor their internal states and adjust their study behavior when they are sad or tired. (NH)