Planned, individualized vocabulary instruction is an essential ingredient of developmental reading classes, and deserves special attention, since expanding word knowledge is the one area related to reading comprehension in which student progress can be directly observed and measured by the learner in daily or weekly increments. The two factors…

A 10-week project conducted with 12 gifted 4th and 5th grade students (10 boys and 2 girls) examined the effectiveness of the Logo computer programming language as a tool for helping students understand some basic principles of physics. Three assumptions were tested: (1) motivated elementary school students can learn both turtle graphics and word…

Noting the difficulties communication departments have in providing students with television production opportunities, this paper proposes the use of cable television public access channels as a means of overcoming those difficulties. After defining and differentiating between local origination and public access programing, the paper discusses the…

This paper deals with the primary processes of cognition in fifth- and sixth-grade children; i.e., how children this age interpret what they see and hear, how they remember it, and how they reason and solve problems. Designed to provide background information for the staff of the Skills Essential to Learning Television Project (a multi-level…

Use of low-stress algorithms to reduce the cognitive load on students is advocated. The low-stress algorithm for addition developed by Hutchings is detailed first. Then a variation on the usual algorithm is proposed: adding from left to right, writing the partial sum for each stage. Next, a "quick addition" method for adding fractions proposed by…

Three research questions were posed for a study: (1) Are there differences among the Piagetian scores of students in the various teaching majors? (2) Do students at various cognitive levels differ in academic achievement? and (3) Do students in different teaching majors differ in achievement? The population included 670 education students enrolled…

Matching teaching strategies and classroom environment to students' learning preferences has been found to be related to students' self-concept and achievement. By identifying the learning and reading style of each student, the teacher will increase the youngster's chances of being successful, thus having a positive effect on the child's…

A survey was conducted in the fall of 1983 to investigate the provision of programs for faculty in microcomputer use at 30 southern and southeastern universities whose libraries were members of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries. Each participating university was sent a description of a 10-week set of seminars on personal computing…

The audio teleconference summarized in this report joined six state education agencies (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and the National Institute of Education with experts nationally and abroad for 3 days in April 1984. Presentations summarized include (1) "The Need to Consider Alternative Delivery,"…

The bilingual manual for permanent employees and field staff details the regulations and guidelines that govern the activities of Katimavik, a volunteer service program in which Canadian youth, ages 17-21, spend nine months in groups of 12, participating in community work projects and special learning activities in the areas of work skills, second…

Part I of this booklet introduces the concept of the student-centered approach to teaching with a description of the salient features of student-centered activities. These features have characteristics that increase student participation: (1) the ability to create; (2) divergent rather than convergent thinking; (3) exercising curiosity and being…

Preservice teacher education curriculum and instruction were surveyed to reveal the state of the art, to identify issues and problems, and to submit suggestions for improvement. Part I, "The Teacher Education Curriculum," presents an overview of current practice in the preservice curriculum. It considers both the general and professional education…

A survey of teacher education evaluation practices was conducted to cover areas not addressed in previous studies. The initial survey form was reviewed by college administrators at Western Kentucky University, revised, and later reviewed by selected members of a group of professional educators across the nation. A questionnaire, developed to…

This study examined how students perceived and responded to academic task structures in six junior high school classes. Two classes in mathematics, science, and English were observed for six weeks in order to identify how teachers organized and conducted activities and academic work. In each class, samples of student work were examined and student…

From 1980 through 1983, 41 articles in selected professional journals dealt with summative evaluation of training and development efforts in business and industry. All of the standard components of program evaluation were addressed either directly or indirectly in them, in varying degree and depth. Although one must contact the primary audience to…