Describes a study conducted at the University of Nevada at Reno that compared final grades received by on-campus students and those completing interactive televised distance learning (ITDL) courses at remote sites. Results showed off-campus ITDL students had higher grades and suggests further research is needed to determine why. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the importance of research on the emotional impact of the medical examination for child sexual abuse. Summarizes current research; identifies unanswered questions; and proposes a research agenda to investigate effects of pre-existing factors, medical setting and emotional response, targeting positive and negative outcomes, and emotional…

Addresses three issues: (1) how children respond to the medical evaluation for sexual abuse; (2) how the trauma of the evaluation experienced by some children can be minimized and the benefits maximized; and (3) how children's responses to the medical evaluation for sexual abuse can be interpreted. (DB)

This commentary on a paper (EC 619 276) about the transmissiblity of sexually transmitted diseases in sexually abused children discusses two issues: (1) determining if a child is infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) agent; and (2) determining if the child's STD was acquired from the mother before or during the birth process through…

Outlines England's child-care system, focusing on services to protect at-risk children or support families of children in need; explores the changing Department of Health interest in research on outcomes of different aspects of the system, including the role of social services in child protection, the Children Act, the residential child-care…

Reviews the articles on counselor and supervisory self-efficacy in this issue of JCP (Larson's Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training is the theme). Provides advice about cafeteria-style theorizing, and deals with definitional and measurement issues (particularly the definition of counselor self-efficacy). Discusses relationship issues and…

Examines the efforts to find effective ameliorative measures for literacy difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, focusing on noneducational techniques found in holistic medicine, complementary therapies, and nutritional supplements. Maintains that dyslexia has become big business for drug companies and that the appropriate research regarding…

Self-reported internalizing symptoms of seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and regular education students were compared using the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children. The SED group reported significantly higher levels of internalizing distress than the regular education group. Results are discussed in terms of future research needs and…

Pasteur's quadrant is offered as a framework for escaping the dichotomy of "applied" vs. "basic" research. By focusing on research inspired by the community or society's needs, and which also draws on or creates appropriate theory, public universities can alter faculty's research agenda so that the total contribution of university research to the…

Discussion of user-relevance judgments in information retrieval focuses on findings from four separate studies of relevance judgments by 55 users conducting their initial online search on a particular information problem. Highlights include a theoretical framework, models of relevance, and implications for information-retrieval system design and…

This article discusses the promise and practice of functional assessment, provides a critical review of the existing experimental literature in the area of emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD), and presents a research agenda that will lead to more informed decisions regarding the use of functional assessment in the schools. (Contains…

In light of globalization-driven educational demands and growing student alienation, there is a pressing need to reevaluate the cultural context of schooling and learning. Comparative education studies have potential to illuminate the complex interplay of personal, social, and structural factors that influence student engagement in particular…

Discusses the importance of interaction between students and between teachers and their students in distance education in higher education. Reviews interactivity research studies, outlines vital online teacher competencies, and recommends the need for further research, including determining the best professional development programs. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the use of portfolios to evaluate student work, evaluates a Web-based learning portfolio, analyzes its impact on students' learning processes, reports on the validity and reliability of the questionnaire used in the evaluation study, proposes suggestions for revisions, and recommends future research. (LRW)

This article reviews research on the typical development of joint attention and challenges that infants and toddlers with autism experience in achieving this milestone. We define joint attention as coordinating attention to an event or object with another individual, sharing interest and social engagement, and showing an understanding that the…