Learning progressions, or representations of how student ideas develop in particular science domains, have been argued to be important supports for teachers' formative assessment design and enactment. While many learning progressions have been developed in recent years, they have various design features and span wide ranges of grade levels. This…

Mental health and wellness is a concern, not only for students, but for instructors in higher education as well. Course design can have a positive or negative impact on both student and instructor wellness, especially around stress and anxiety with assessments, workload, and due dates. Factors of course design such as policies and values, academic…

Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP) modules are a popular option for international students at the University of Reading. Student feedback and module results show that some of these students face particular challenges in relation to their peers. In this paper, we describe how a team teaching Beginners French -- Common European Framework of…

Dyslexia and other learning disabilities are not being properly recognized and treated in our educational system or society at large. Unrecognized and untreated learning disabilities represent a serious social and economic problem, not only to the individual but to society as a whole. For example, antisocial behavior, as seen in prison populations…

Background: All types of librarians are expected to possess information and computer skills to actively assist patrons in accessing information and in recognizing reputable sources. Mastery of information and computer skills is a high priority for library and information science programs since graduate students have varied multidisciplinary…

Recent advances in computer technologies have provided new tools for accessing complex data for classroom inquiry. The effectiveness of these tools for learning depends on the extent to which students learn to engage them reflectively. From an analysis of the design of an earth science inquiry unit using complex datasets, the authors (researchers…

The paper reviews cognitive development during the sensorimotor period (approximately the first two years of life) and considers approaches to assessing multihandicapped, deaf-blind, or severely/profoundly retarded students functioning at this level. Evaluation and training of basic sensorimotor schemes (visual fixation and tracking, sucking, and…

The paper addresses the assessment of sensorimotor and communication skills in profoundly/multiply handicapped children. The problems inherent in assessing this population are described, including lack of validity of developmental norms established on children with intact sensory systems. Factors affecting sensory organization are reviewed,…

Described are identification procedures, a multi-dimensional screening device (MDSD), and special curriculum for gifted and talented students in Fairfax County, Virginia. Noted are discriminatory aspects of intelligence testing and teacher nomination in identifying gifted children. Described is the development of the MDSD which involves rating…

Jean Piaget's theories of development are reviewed and implications for instruction of mildly and moderately retarded children are drawn. Piagetian research with the retarded is traced, particularly the work of Barbel Inhelder. The research cited concludes that the cognitive development of retarded children follows the same pattern as normal…

Four common uses for criterion-referenced tests (CRT) are outlined: describing student achievement, improving curriculum development, being sensitive indicators of the effects of instruction, and facilitating classroom management decisions. These uses parallel various forms of empirically establishing the content, concurrent, and predictive…

This paper proposes that the original theory and practice of discipline based art education (DBAE) of the 1980s are undergoing significant changes, and that Neo-DBAE is emerging in the 1990s. Changes in original DBAE theory and practice of the 1980s are discussed, and reasons for such changes are proposed. Some identified changes are: more…

There are cognitive, social, personal, and practical reasons for studying a second language, and the syllabus is shaped by these and the identity of the learners, general and specific course objectives, educational principles, course components, learner input, and student evaluation procedures. A dynamic syllabus addresses four language competence…

The paper reviews findings and implications of curriculum based assessment (CBA), an approach focusing on collecting, interpreting, and using data to help lower achieving students have opportunities for success in mainstreamed settings. An instructional delivery model is presented to guage the probability of task success and provide a structure…

This study of seven diverse New Zealand elementary and secondary schools explored specific and cumulative effects of school reform related to the New Zealand Curriculum Framework, which established an overall vision for reform, identifying seven core learning areas and other essential skills for students to develop. Researchers interviewed…