Sixth graders received music history instruction regarding musical periods and composers over two weeks. They were taught in alternating weeks using either interactive illustrations of mnemonic keywords or realistic line drawing portraits of the composers as recall aids. The mnemonic illustrations produced substantially higher scores on students'…

The five articles of this sourcebook, organized around the five-component framework for evaluation described by W. Shadish, T. Cook, and L. Leviton (1991), present a new theory of realist evaluation that captures the sensemaking contributions of postpositivism and the sensitivity to values from the constructivist traditions. (SLD)

Teaching an eight-year-old girl with learning difficulties a more advanced addition strategy through multicomponent self-regulation training and a self-instructional model resulted in more rapid problem solving, fewer learning errors, and the acquisition of even more advanced addition strategies. (SLD)

A study administered the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) to 892 individuals with severe mental retardation residing in a residential state facility. Significant positive correlations were found between corresponding MESSIER subscales and VABS…

A study involving 200 adults with mental retardation investigated the interrater reliability and internal consistency of the Matson Evaluation of Drug Side Effects (MEDS), a scale designed to evaluate commonly identified side effects with a psychometrically sound checklist. The MEDS had excellent consistency across raters and good internal…

Describes a project developed at the University of North Florida that used CD-ROM technology for preservice teachers to develop their professional portfolios. Highlights include use of the portfolios by students as a record of developmental progress, use by faculty to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses, and evaluation methods. (LRW)

Studies two classrooms, one of which uses computers as a student tool for mathematics exploration and the other which utilizes the computer as a presentation tool. Concludes that technology utilization was tightly linked with the underlying instructional philosophy and approach. Contains 32 references. (Author/ASK)

Science test results are often used to evaluate differences in achievement between males and females. Analyzes data collected in Ohio at the statewide level and suggests that it could be important to consider the rate of item omission before scores are computed. Contains 17 references. (DDR)

Describes a teacher's experiences in a classroom where mathematics problems are presented in the context of aliens and other galaxies. (ASK)

Describes an interdisciplinary project with 13-year-old pupils that brings the history of mathematics into the project. Concludes that many changes were observed in the attitudes of pupils toward mathematics and that this project enabled pupils to see human aspects of mathematics. (ASK)

Addresses problems and possibilities in development of practitioner research stemming from a semester-long master's level research course. Presents course context; outlines the four classroom studies that examined journal writing; explores commonalities among studies; shares conversations among researchers on issues of systematic inquiry,…

This study used meta-analyses to evaluate the relative effectiveness of a variety of educational interventions with students who have disabilities. A graph of average effect sizes for 18 interventions shows the demonstrated effectiveness of mnemonic training, reading comprehension instruction, behavior modification, direct instruction,…

Describes chat servers and message boards that are available for Web sites. Moderated celebrity chats, customer-service environments, three-dimensional space, education and training from remote sites, vendors, storage space, staffing, and liability are discussed. (LRW)

A study of 14 Open University (Great Britain) undergraduate courses examined tutor marked assignment (TMA) rates as a reliable early indicator of student retention. This article reviews the effectiveness of course-related evaluation strategies (standard, evaluator-initiated; specific, client-initiated; quantitative; and qualitative) and argues the…

Describes the development and implementation of computer-based multimedia techniques in organic chemistry courses. Provides technical details and some examples of student perspectives on the use of this technology. (DDR)