Discusses several points made by Keegan in an article of the same title which appeared in "Distance Education" in March 1980 and also classifies the different types of distance education and their respective philosophies and teaching requirements. (EAO)

The authors clarify the definition of cognitive styles and identify important areas of concern in the field. (MJB)

Presents a framework for analyzing what it means to understand an intellectual skill, particularly in science or mathematics: (1) types of knowledge, (2) knowledge associated with intellectual skills, (3) classification system for this knowledge, (4) application of the system to two protocols, and (5) instructional prescriptions. Gagne's learning…

Presents a syntax of metophor, discussing a typology of metaphor, the relationship between literal sense and figurative sense, and the importance of a precise definition of metaphor. (AM)

The definition of mental disorder in the third edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-III-R) explains that a disorder is harmful and represents a dysfunction, but it fails to capture the idea of dysfunction. Ideas for increasing the conceptual validity of the definition are presented. (SLD)

Outlines three broad approaches to defining the rural and concludes that only the discussion of the rural as locality is adequate. Introduces a theory of social representations of the rural and its relevance to the rural definition debate. (152 references) (KS)

This study compared the ICD-10 criteria for Asperger syndrome with those suggested by Gillberg with 200 children and adults who met ICD-10 criteria for autism. Comparison indicated only three subjects met ICD-10 criteria for Asperger syndrome whereas 91 met Gillberg's criteria. The discrepancy appeared due to the specific "normal development"…

Examines philosophical and epistemological perspectives on definitions of competence and its measurement in workplace contexts. Concludes that consensus on parameters and definitions of competence are needed to ensure the clarity, consistency, and reliability of measurement. (Contains 115 references.) (SK)

This article discusses issues of classification and identification, while evaluating some of the continuing controversies about learning disabilities (LD) related to those topics. The author suggests that many problems have to do with confusion between the two. Despite years of effort and an extraordinary increase in the number of individuals…

A recent overview of the field of learning disabilities (Torgesen, 2004) laid out several issues that will likely consume the field for the foreseeable future, including problems of definition and etiology, differentiation of learning disabilities from other disabilities, and issues in identification and service delivery. It has been approximately…

A more comprehensive definition of the variable "interaction" is needed to answer the numerous questions concerning interaction effects in distance learning. This study attempts to qualify the concept of interaction by applying various dimensions such as amount, timeliness, method, spontaneity, and quality. In turn, these dimensions of interaction…

This paper critiques Aumaugher's argument which states that the traditional view of concepts as a class of things with common attributes is an insufficient one, and, instead, offers a counterview, stemming from the work of Wittgenstein, which says that a concept is a term's use in the language. Aumaugher states that concept-terms are not always,…

Two studies were conducted to examine the extent to which the category "learning disabilities" (LD) meets the major criterion for classification systems, specifically that the category demonstrates at least one universal and one specific characteristic. Analyses were conducted on psychometric data for 248 students in regular 3rd, 5th,…

Three types of definitions of learning disabilities (LD) (ability-achievement discrepancy, low achievement, and scatter) were examined to determine the extent of common variance within 48 school-identified LD children and 96 nonLD children (all elementary students). Both samples had previously been administered a battery of psychoeducational…

The exclusion of culturally disadvantaged students from the general classification of students with learning disabilities is questioned. (Author)