Enhancing learning and teaching in blended learning environments is a strategic goal of The University of Sydney as eLearning continues to grow. Blackboard (WebCT) was integrated into the undergraduate Bachelor of Education program curricula through e-readings, discussion boards, lectures and online assessment tasks. The study was undertaken among…

Seven- and eight-year-old skilled and less-skilled comprehenders were compared on a sentence recognition task in two conditions varying in memory load and retention interval. Integration of story information during comprehension was indexed by inflated recognition errors of foils that had been constructed by integrating information across original…

A discussion of the use of task analysis as a method of determining the need for training. (Author/HB)

This investigation identified the stroking habits characteristic of typists at various levels of skill. Typing by letter sequences within words was found to be dominant in accounting for increases in skill, phrase habits nonexistent and word habits present to a modest extent and only among the very fastest typists. (Author/CT)

Gagne's learning-hierarchy model and the model-testing procedures used in empirical investigations of the model are reviewed. Structural modeling techniques based on path analysis are suggested to represent Gagne's positive transfer hypothesis and associated hypotheses. Implications of structural modeling techniques for research in hierarchical…

The results of this study indicate that round robin tournaments based on matches of shortened length are highly effective in estimating the true skill ranking of table tennis players. (JD)

In 2 experiments, participants used a keyboard to enter 4-digit numbers presented on a computer monitor under conditions promoting fatigue. In Experiment 1, accuracy of data entry declined but response times improved over time, reflecting an increasing speed-accuracy trade-off. In Experiment 2, the (largely cognitive) time to enter the initial…

A comprehensive audit of the skills curriculum offered to students in a Bachelor of Laws program yielded important insights about the collective impact of assessment tasks on the hidden and operational skills curriculum. This qualitative case study supports the views (1) that assessment tasks provide significant skills practice and performance…

Given the known relationship between physical inactivity and chronic disease (US Dept. of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000, 2001), learning more about antecedents for physical activity engagement is an important research priority. In this vein, a number of studies have found a relationship between perceived and actual motor skill…

This brief represents part 1 in a series on fostering the adoption of evidence-based practices in out-of-school time programs. The lag between discovering effective practices and using them "on the ground" can be unnecessarily long, sometimes taking 15 to 20 years! The purpose of this brief is to provide practitioners with a better understanding…

TRAILS (Tool for Real-Time Assessment of Information Literacy Skills), is a free online test of student information-handling skills. It was formulated by the Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education and Kent State University Libraries. Based on the Ohio Academic Content Standards and the philosophy of Information Power, it assesses…

This paper explores some key findings from the recent two-year evaluation of a national pilot to introduce Restorative Practices (RP) in Scottish schools. A Restorative approach emphasises the human wish to feel safe, to belong, to be respected and to understand and have positive relationships with others. It recognises the fundamental importance…

This study is concerned with different forms of assessment of pupils' skills in experimentation. The findings of three studies are reported. Study 1 investigates whether it is possible to develop reliable multiple-choice tests for the skills of forming hypotheses, designing experiments and analysing experimental data. Study 2 compares scores from…

"Recognitional capacity"--the ability to recognize when procedures apply--is needed in order to perform tasks; this capacity cannot be replaced by higher-level procedures. As a result, guidebooks that attempt to provide step-by-step procedural accounts of task performance face an insurmountable barrier. User guides that attempt to show…

Levels of skill in the use of computers are defined. "Computer literacy" means a fundamental ability of computers. "Computer competent" implies being able to use the computer as a tool--professionally. "Computer fluent" implies knowing several computer languages, and "computer geniuses" are those who change the field. (MLW)