Based on a systematic search of literature published from 1988 to 1995, 20 math interventions for secondary students with learning disabilities were identified and analyzed. Effective methods include teacher-directed instruction, instructional design curriculum variables, three-term contingency trials, strategy instruction, self-monitoring…

Discusses the tutorial process in problem-based learning (PBL) and how it can be used to cultivate higher order thinking skills. Considers the role of the problem, collaboration among peers, the facilitator role, and the importance of student reflection. PBL principles are applied to instruction of gifted students. (DB)

Argues that definition of African American vernacular English is essential for linguists and for nonlinguists who define the language based on their personal relationships to the sociocultural matrix in which it is embedded. There is a need to resolve conflicts about the use of black English in the face of the complexity of responses toward it.…

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)

Whether explicit-strategy instruction combined with whole-language instruction would improve third graders' spelling more than using either approach alone was studied with 37 students. Findings suggest that young children learn to spell best when they are taught a repertoire of effective strategies in a meaningful context. (SLD)

Thirty-eight sixth graders were trained in fraction calculation through progressive transformation dialectics (PT) whereas a control group of 38 was taught through a traditional mathematics education framework. The PT group, encouraged to form network-type knowledge representations, performed better on problems that required more than mere…

Presents a case (based upon an actual situation that occurred between an insurance underwriter and a major university) used in a business writing course. Notes that the assignment requires students to compose a letter that addresses complaints, conveys bad news, maintains good will, and attempts to persuade the reader to renew a contract under…

Describes a technique for teaching history to gifted students in which the student selects a current event and then researches the event's historical connections as far back as possible. (DB)

First reviews the literature on bilingual/bicultural education for deaf students (DBiBi education). DBiBi education recognizes American Sign Language and English as distinct languages and deaf and hearing cultures as distinguishable sociocultural groups. It then describes environmental and pedagogical aspects that characterize DBiBi education as…

Presents an overview of user-centered design and usability testing. Describes a Web site evaluation project at a university, the iterative process of rapid prototyping and usability testing, and how the findings helped to improve the design. Discusses recommendations for university Web site design and reflects on problems faced in usability…

Presents suggestions for conducting safe and educationally stimulating field trips for young children, including factors to consider when planning trips, such as suitability and cost; preparation needed just prior to taking the trip, such as safety rule observance; considerations during the trip, including liability insurance; and follow-up…

Discusses the SAGE project, a Biology II project in which students analyze a specific disease by utilizing Internet resources. Poses seven problems for students and includes solutions. (ASK)

Discusses the logistics and pedagogical approach of a cell biology course devised at Emory University in Atlanta, GA for a class containing as many as 100 students. An important component of this course is the division of each class session into halves to allow for a 30-minute small-group presentation on a current research article. (AIM)

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Committee on Professional Training presented results from an industrial roundtable which showed that one of the key experiences industry seeks in new hires is team problem solving. Undergraduate chemistry education, however, historically stresses individual work. Offers suggestions for improving student learning…

Discusses values ascribed to performance assessment and recent criticisms of assessment and suggests model-based performance assessment for remedying and avoiding these criticisms. The paper explains the merits of a systematic approach to developing performance assessments and rubrics based on general models across ages and subject areas for…