Explains six tasks which require comprehension of words and which can be used to teach beginning readers. (MKM)

The duty areas of agriculture/agribusiness task statements identified in an Ohio study can be an asset in the development of updated courses of study relevant to secondary-level students' needs. Teachers of vocational agriculture can use these common core tasks as a curriculum-discussion base with the local advisory committee. (Author/AJ)

Explains task definition which is the first stage in the Big 6, an approach to information and technology skills instruction. Highlights include defining the problem; identifying the information requirements of the problem; transferability from curriculum-based problems to everyday tasks; and task definition logs kept by students. (LRW)

Describes an examination of arithmetic problem posing designed to examine the behaviors of 63 prospective elementary school teachers. Findings indicate that the test effectively evaluates arithmetic problem posing. Most subjects were able to pose solvable, complex problems. Performance improved when the task contained specific numerical…

Examines word awareness in 4-year-old children, comparing bilinguals and second language learners with monolingual children. The study controlled for many methodological problems, including the possibility of enhanced word awareness due to early reading. Results indicate that experience with a second language does not promote word awareness at…

Extends a study on the developmental effects of learners noticing differences between their own and native speaker output. Spanish learners were assigned to three groups: task repetition, noticing, and noticing + simulated recall. Learners noticed differences between their own essays and reformulated writing and that there were quantitative…

Explores the interaction between heritage speakers and second language learners of Spanish in a synchronous computer-assisted learning environment. Students in an intermediate language course were paired with heritage speakers. Transcripts of interactions were examined for points of negotiation. (Author/VWL)

Reports the results of a study carried out with high intermediate/advanced English-as-a-Foreign-Language learners who completed two form-focused tasks--a dictogloss and a text reconstruction) collaboratively. Learners' interaction with both tasks was codified and language-related episodes were identified. Results are considered in the light of…

Investigates student attitudes toward activities that would strengthen their apparent developmental "weaknesses" or areas of less extensive development. Students (N=200) completed measures of psychosocial development and intended program participation. Results show that students preferred programs and services related to developmental…

Investigated the impact of performance conditions on perceptions of task difficulty in a test of spoken language, in light of the cognitive complexity framework proposed by Skehan (1998). Candidates performed narrative tasks whose characteristics and the conditions under which they were performed were manipulated, and the impact of these on task…

A self-management training package used in conjunction with a changing performance criterion was effective in increasing the number of steps a profoundly retarded student in a community employment setting was able to perform independently. A four-step model for teaching the severely disabled to manage their own behavior is suggested. (Author/DB)

Proposes a schematic multidisciplinary model to help developers of intelligent computer-assisted instruction (ICAI) identify the types of required expertise and integrate them into a system. Highlights include domain types and expertise; knowledge acquisition; task analysis; knowledge representation; student modeling; diagnosis of learning needs;…

The relationships of task complexity, necessary information types, information channels and sources are analyzed at the task level on the basis of a qualitative investigation. Data were collected in a public administration setting, and the findings indicate systematic and logical relationships among the factors analyzed. (54 references)…

The AccesSports Model allows professionals with basic knowledge of visual impairments and mainstream sports to analyze any sports activity and design adaptations needed for targets or goals, boundaries, and rules to enable individuals with visual impairments to participate. Suggestions for modifying baseball, table tennis, swim racing, wrestling,…

This study focused on the input-to-intake phenomenon: Can foreign language/second language (L2) learner-readers process grammatical information presented via written input as intake? Multiple tasks were designed to assess the processing of input into intake by first- and second-year students of Spanish. (JL)