Reading skill plays a pivotal role in the process of acquiring information. An appropriate teaching technique should be implemented in order to improve the students' reading skill. This research aimed at revealing whether or not: (1) Herringbone technique (HT) is more effective than Tri Focus Steve Snyder technique (TFSST) to teach reading…

Thirty junior high students with and without learning disabilities used three forms of an encyclopedia--printed, electronic with menus, and electronic with commands. Students without disabilities were more successful in retrieval. Both groups were more successful at simple versus complex tasks, assigned versus self-selected tasks, and when using…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in cognitive and affective responses of eighth grade students to a short, educational film and to a videotape presentation of that film. The cognitive response involved students' understanding of such story elements of the film as plot, setting, character, mood, and theme. The affective…

Discussion of creativity in writing focuses on a study of eighth graders that compared results of an expository writing assignment completed on word processors with the assignment using pencil and paper. Students' ability levels are considered, and revision processes are examined. (LRW)

Reports on a study designed to establish whether strategies for social problem solving could be taught effectively to early adolescents using interactive video. Three methods were compared for effectiveness and differential effects: interactive video alone; teacher-led instruction with linear video; and teacher-led instruction with no video…

Discusses knowledge base development as a pedagogical activity and describes a study of eighth graders that compared three instructional conditions: (1) expert system development work; (2) problem-solving activities using computer-assisted instruction; and (3) a control group that used traditional noncomputer methods. Pretest and posttest scores…

This study compared the effectiveness of microcomputer and workbook instruction on silent reading comprehension performance of mild mentally retarded and learning disabled 11- to 13-year-olds. Effectiveness was measured by percentage of correct responses to reading comprehension questions and by observing subjects' attention to task behavior. (MBR)

Describes a case study that was designed to discover how seventh-grade students felt about writing when composed using a word processing program compared to using pen and paper. Student and teacher interviews are discussed, classroom observations are reported, and factors students found important to enjoyment of writing assignments are described.…

This study examined cognitive processes and outcomes associated with student knowledge base development. Sixty-nine students from two grade 8 classes were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a knowledge base development (KBD) group, a problem-solving software group, and a control group. Those in the KBD group received relevant instruction…

A study of eighth grade science students compared the instructional effectiveness and the cost effectiveness of an interactive video system with the use of 16mm films for teaching a science unit. Results indicated that interactive video can be significantly more effective than conventional methods of instruction. (eight references) (LRW)

This study compared the efficacy of interactive video instruction with stand-alone video instruction and computer assisted instruction (CAI) on junior high school industrial arts students' performance and attitudes. CAI and interactive video users scored higher on performance posttest than stand-alone video users; interactive video users scored…

Reviews studies that were carried out with children to compare cognitive processing of audio and television stories, and describes a study conducted in the Netherlands where children aged 10-12 either watched a television film or read a print version of the same story and then retold the story in writing. (23 references) (LRW)

This study investigated and compared the level of initial and long-term retention of frog internal anatomy among students using an interactive CD tutorial, a desktop microworld, and conventional frog dissection. Students' anxiety toward science was also compared across the three treatment groups and between genders. Additional data on students'…

Describes a study that explored the impact of using interactive video in a seventh grade earth sciences curriculum. The effectiveness of interactive video and traditional text instructional methods in different settings (computer lab versus classroom) are compared, gender differences are examined, and recommendations for future research are given.…

The main objective of this program was to produce animated educational material to stimulate students' interest and learning process related to the sciences and to measure their impact. The program material was designed to support middle school educators with an effective, accessible, and novel didactic tool produced specifically to enhance and…