A study examined the effect of topic-specific background knowledge on the general quality and local coherence of student writing. Ninety-seven tenth grade students were assigned two writing tasks on specific topics at two points during a semester. J. Langer's measure of topic-specific knowledge was administered prior to each writing task. Each…

Explores how research in learning styles can benefit from findings in cognitive psychology. Discusses difficulties of research on learning styles and two relevant findings in cognitive research: the influence of prior knowledge on learning and the potential value to learners of metacognitive awareness. Urges rigorous conceptual and empirical…

Responding to the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) "Essential Computing Competencies for Educators" (1983), the teacher's education program at Texas A&M University developed several computer literacy courses for its students. An evaluation was conducted of the first of these courses, "Microcomputer Literacy for Educators," to…