This work proposes the definition of an Adaptive Conversation-based Learning System (ACLS) able to foster computer-mediated tutorial dialogues at the workplace in order to increase the probability to generate meaningful learning during conversations. ACLS provides a virtual assistant selecting the best partner to involve in the conversation and…

The America Reads Challenge (ARC) program, part of AmeriCorps, has the primary goal of ensuring that all children can read proficiently by the end of third grade. In Mississippi, the ARC program is referred to as the America Reads-Mississippi (ARM) program. In 1999, 37 schools in 25 school districts participated in this program, sponsored by 3…

The educational literature on tutoring programs indicates definite and positive effects on the academic performance and attitudes of those who receive tutoring. Such students outperform their peers on examinations, and they express more positive attitudes toward the subjects in which they are tutored. Tutoring programs also have positive effects…

Book Buddies is a community volunteer tutorial that began in Charlottesville, Virginia in the early 1990s as a cooperative effort between the University of Virginia, the Charlottesville City Schools and the Charlottesville community. A replication of Book Buddies was designed in fall of 1997 for two elementary schools in Millville, Virginia. A…

Research assessing the effectiveness of writing tutorial programs should consider how gender contributes to dynamics of the student tutor relationship. In "On Becoming a More Effective Tutor," Lil Brannon catalogues different postures that the writing tutor may adopt: some are more friendly, concerned with the student's self-esteem,…

This study examined the extent to which an After-School Peer Tutoring (ASPT) program in a rural southeastern school district was effective in elevating achievement levels of 89 at-risk middle school students enrolled in the program for one semester. End-of-semester grade was used as a measure of performance. The study also analyzed indicators of…

Varsity student-athletes (SAs) in National Collegiate Athletic Association member institutions encounter obstacles to their academic achievement that non-athletes do not, such as time for physical training and practice, and travel away from campus for games. A program is described that provides support for SAs. The Student-Athlete Academic Support…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a Salem-Teikyo University (West Virginia) program of English-as-a-Second-Language conversational tutoring for a cohort of 185 Japanese students and a similar but smaller Japanese-as-a-Second-Language tutoring program for the English-speaking cohort. Data were gathered through surveys of faculty (n=4),…

A study examined the characteristics and attitudes of tutors and students involved in Project LEARN, an adult literacy program affiliated with the Interchurch Council of Greater Cleveland, Ohio. Data for the study were obtained from several sources, including a mail questionnaire administered to all 183 tutors involved in the project, a longer…

The effectiveness of a commercial preparation class in New York City for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was studied. A group of the regular clientele of the school (55 eleventh graders) was compared with a group of low-income minority students given scholarships to the course (33 Black or Hispanic eleventh graders). The effects of the coaching…

Four papers address cultural issues related to the involvement of limited-English-proficient parents in public schools in the United States. "Cultural Issues in Indochinese Parent Involvement" (Bach-Tuyet (Pham) Tran) outlines the linguistic, social, and practical barriers to Indochinese immigrant parent involvement and makes suggestions for…

This paper is a preliminary report of a pilot study done at the University of Northern Colorado in 1984 using PHOENIX, a mainframe computer based education (CBE) system in a teacher education program. The study deals with the instructional tutorial and a computer based test generation system related to those tutorials. Data on the physiological…

Mentoring is being embraced by many schools as a way to fill gaps in the lives of children classified as "at-risk." Several lines of research indicate that mentoring programs encouraging positive adult relationships with these students provide the support needed to help these children reach their full potential. Through a collaborative…

This discussion of identification and instructional needs of minority gifted or talented (G/T) children in the multiethnic classroom looks at a variety of issues, including teacher expectations, native or dominant language and its effect on the results of assessment, acculturation and attitudes toward mainstream society, and learning styles. Eight…