Pondering a math problem while she swings her sneakered feet from a chair, 12-year-old Andrea Guevara is helping researchers design an assessment that will shape the learning of 19 million students. The 8th grader, who came to the United States from Ecuador three years ago, is trying out two ways of providing English-language support on a…

Audio-based virtual environments have been increasingly used to foster cognitive and learning skills. A number of studies have also highlighted that the use of technology can help learners to develop effective skills such as motivation and self-esteem. This study presents the design and usability of 3D interactive environments for children with…

A Danish university's foreign language teacher education program's use of learning contracts is described. The student project has four major functions: solving a particular instructional problem, working in a group, finding a method that uses the individuals' skills to their best advantage, and organizing the work to be done. (MSE)

Describes the conflict resolution program, Resolving Conflict Creatively (RCCP), that was founded for violence-torn schools in New York City. RCCP encourages open discussion in a supportive atmosphere through curriculum support, professional training of parents and teachers, and student-led mediation. (JPS)

An experimenting society is one that vigorously tries out proposed solutions to recurrent problems and then tries other alternatives if evaluation shows that previous efforts are ineffective or harmful. Methods that social scientists could use if the experimenting society becomes a reality are explored. (SLD)

The introduction of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in correctional facilities in Minnesota is described. This experimental program indicated no increase in achievement or attitude attributable to CAI for the participants, but that computers are useful in motivating students, increasing their problem-solving skills, and providing repetitious…

The University of New Mexico established an innovative learner-centered, problem-based, community-oriented medical education program that runs parallel to the traditional program. The programs both fostered acceptance of the experiment and permitted comparison of results. The innovation resulted in higher achievement and reinforced interest in…

Reports part of the results of the Design, Development, and Assessment in Mathematics Education Project that tested the booklet on descriptive statistics called "Data Visualization" in six experimental algebra classes in Whitnall, Wisconsin. Describes examples of problems presented, use of cooperative learning during instruction, and…