Compares three competence assessment strategies that differ in the forms and amounts of evidence required and process of obtaining it: (1) performance samples; (2) workplace observations; and (3) evidence of prior achievements. Concludes that performance evidence may need to be supplemented with prior observations or achievement records and that…

Explores and documents the frequencies of conceptual difficulties confronted by college students (n=200) seeking to understand the basic processes of cellular respiration. Findings suggest that novices harbor a wide range of conceptual difficulties that constrain their understanding of cellular respiration and many of these conceptual problems…

Compares prior understanding of basic concepts of students enrolled in majors' versus nonmajors' introductory biology courses. Results revealed that nonmajors demonstrated greater improvement in posttest scores than did majors and their attitude toward science were improved, whereas student attitudes in the majors' courses declined in nearly all…

The relationships among gender, interest in and experience with electricity, and conceptual change text manipulations were studied for 48 male and 50 female college students learning basic electricity concepts. Conceptual change text facilitated learning, as expected. Interactions of gender and interest are discussed. (SLD)

Various assessment methods were tested for recognition of prior learning in rural industry: challenge tests, on the job, portfolios, interviews, and case studies. Regardless of method, the process was time consuming, labor intensive, and costly. Successful use will depend on finding ways to improve cost effectiveness. (SK)

Examines terms used to describe the changing of an innovation by an adopter, including reinvention, fidelity, adaptation, and mutual adaptation. Three explanations for adaptation of innovation--interpretation, adopter innovativeness, and generative learning--are discussed; and the theory of generative learning is used to explain internal…

Three qualities form the foundation of college-level learning: (1) conceptual knowledge--articulation of concepts, theories, and principles; (2) generalizable knowledge; and (3) courses traditionally taught in college--excluding secondary courses, noncredit programs, popular learning, and vocational courses. (SK)

Finds that under certain conditions topic interest and prior knowledge can influence developmental-college-student-generated questions and that differential patterns of question construction emerge in multiple-choice and essay conditions. (SR)

An action research project investigating the Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning at the University of Kent found difficulties in reconciling student needs with pressure to concentrate on experiences relevant to higher education. There was also tension between student needs and institutional requirements for the format of portfolios. (SK)

Reviews the literature on the effect of prior knowledge and text familiarity on document comprehension and usability. Discusses current methods for assessing subjects' topic familiarity. Presents an empirically based method for effectively assessing topic familiarity. Explains that the method includes use of two subject groups and reliance on…

This study examined ways in which experience in computer usage influences the manifestation of computer anxiety and computer interest in high school students in Western Australia. Use of the Computer Anxiety Scale and the Computer Interest Scale are discussed, and a decline in anxiety level corresponding with an increase in experience is shown.…

The past decade has seen the emergence of numerous new terms, research approaches, and evidence of the nature of learning. Some new concepts are authentic activity, apprenticeship learning, case-based research, conceptual change, constructivism, distributed knowledge, and socially shared cognition. Constructs underlying the new terms involve the…

This literature review examines seven issues: describing minimum requirements for qualifications, distinguishing qualification levels, recognizing prior learning, using short courses, recording competency-based assessment results, keeping records of individual achievement, and deciding whether to record exact competencies. Recent movements to…

Describes effective instructional practices for students who are acquiring English as a Second Language, grouped under two fundamental pedagogic principles: providing an encouraging learning environment for self-expression and deep personal involvement, and developing children's background knowledge. (SR)

An interactive approach to teaching French second-language reading comprehension is described. The method emphasizes involving the readers in the comprehension process and encouraging them to draw on prior learning to create hypotheses about the text's content. A four-stage instructional process is outlined. (MSE)