A commonly held belief among educators, researchers, and students is that high-quality texts are easier to read than low-quality texts, as they contain more engaging narrative and story-like elements. Interestingly, these assumptions have typically failed to be supported by the literature on writing. Previous research suggests that higher quality…

Describes a collaborative writing project in which students must identify key variables, search and read relevant literature, and reason through a research idea by working closely with a partner. The end result is a polished laboratory report in the APA style. The class includes a peer review workshop prior to final editing. (MJP)

Examines music terminology acquisition of 71 undergraduate students in an elementary music-methods course. Observes effects of differential training by testing for apparent knowledge transfer in written concert reports. Finds students whose vocabulary lessons were reinforced by listening exercises used music terminology more frequently. (CH)