Instructors are constantly baffled by the fact that two students who are sitting in the same class, who have access to the same materials, can come to understand a particular chemistry concept differently. Variation theory offers a theoretical framework from which to explore possible variations in experience and the resulting differences in…

Reports on a study designed to investigate loudness judgments of 30 musician and 30 nonmusician listeners in response to performed dynamic changes within a musical context. Finds that musician subjects indicated a significantly smaller magnitude of dynamic change than did nonmusician subjects. (CFR)

For nearly half of his professional career, this author admits he was wrong about how to help students achieve. During almost thirty-six years as a college administrator and instructor, he designed programs and services, taught classes, and conducted workshops with one purpose in mind: to help students gain maximum benefits from college and…

Reports on the effects of tempo direction, listening mode, and level of musical experience on speed and accuracy in tempo change among 160 music majors and nonmajors. Finds that music majors more accurately detected tempo changes than did nonmajors. (CFR)

Difficulties in teaching students whose general knowledge is limited are discussed by a teacher at the Nofe-Golan Regional High School. Suggestions are offered regarding obtaining information about each student, preparing first lessons, student and teacher ground rules, readying students for tests, and special activities. (LB)

Both the literature on adult learning and the literature on the composing process focus on students and their behaviors rather than on teachers and their methods or on curricular content and structure. The most productive teaching of nontraditional students and the most useful educational research about them begins with the students themselves,…

This unit was created as a result of a summer institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The Center's goal is to improve student learning of foreign languages in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12). To this end, the Center provides professional support for foreign language…

This book integrates what is known about how adults learn and the principles of instructional design into a practical, yet theoretically based guide for planning instruction. The following are among the specific topics discussed: (1) the theoretical framework of instructional design in adult education (lifelong and experiential learning;…