Seductive details are highly interesting information tangential to course objectives. The inclusion of seductive details generally harms performance on recall tests, but few studies have used multimedia training or investigated effects on performance on recognition tests or transfer tasks. We conducted two studies using computer-based training,…

THE GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE--(1) THE IDENTIFICATION OF KEY VARIABLES IN AROUSING MOTIVATION, AND (2) THE DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULA WHICH INCREASE ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION. THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEED ACHIEVEMENT (N=ACH) THEORY AND RESEARCH IN THIS AREA ARE DISCUSSED. METHODS OF MEASURING MOTIVATION ARE DESCRIBED. PROPOSITIONS BASIC TO THE STUDY…

This course, developed at student initiative and designed to relate to student experience in the contemporary social and political scene, is a new required course in the School of Social Studies at the University of Sussex. (IR)

Argues against the thesis that a thorough study of the language used in the relevant professional environments is necessary and sufficient to produce adequate instructional materials for special purposes language courses. Maintains that this purely functional approach to language teaching ignores fundamental communication needs and impairs student…

Examines the types of readings students are likely to encounter in the "real" world and how they will interact with them. The four approaches discussed include reading in a daily-life context, reading for information, reading for pleasure, and participatory reading. (21 references) (Author/CK)

Incorporation of management principles in the classroom can motivate students to successfully complete project work. The Communication Arts Department at Georgia Southern University developed a Public Relations Event Management course in which the students were responsible for planning a campus-wide special event to raise funds for two clients.…

Emphasizes five aspects important to a primary school second-language program in Australia: a program rationale; timing of program initiation; teaching milieu; frequency and length of lessons; and locus for the lessons. The article argues that a new language program must be set up for success and a recurrent budget allowing for print materials,…

Describes an effort to teach French to boys with emotional and behavioral difficulties. The teaching used was based on lexical chunks of language rather than grammatical structures in order to create motivation and maintain interest in the short time available each week. The students greeted the lessons with enthusiasm and grew in self-esteem and…

This study skills curriculum addresses the problem of a lack of study skills demonstrated by students in grades 7-10. It focuses on 11 essential knowledge acquisition skills: (1) motivation and ice-breakers; (2) outlining and mapping; (3) time management; (4) PQ5R (Preview, Question, Read, Record, Recite, Review, and Reflect); (5) notetaking; (6)…

This handbook is designed to help educators improve the effectiveness of daily lessons. The need for flexibility and the ability to develop meaningful variety are emphasized. Suggestions and guidelines are provided for writing objectives, planning lessons, and selecting instructional methods. Three major categories of teaching/learning…

Describes how the job characteristics model (J. R. Hackman), used by industrial-organizational psychologists to enhance the motivating potential of jobs in industry, can be applied to increase student motivation. The job characteristics model describes the relationship between the core characteristics of skill variety, task identity, task…

An intensive case study in learning a second foreign language, which is part of an applied linguistics course for teachers/teacher trainees offered at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) is described. Attention is directed to: case study rationale and objectives; student orientation and preparation; and areas of focus and the…

This paper examines the possibility of establishing a threshold level for the projected European units/credits system for modern languages in adult education. By threshold level is understood "a basic level of foreign language proficiency the level below which no further levels could be usefully distinguished." It is concluded that the height of…

Many who believe in the value of the study of the humanities are faced with the problems of how to attract vocational students to humanities courses, maintain their interest in such courses so that they fulfill the general education requirements for graduation, and, if possible, generate an ongoing interest in the humanities. In response to these…

This paper describes an undergraduate course for non-education majors which emphasizes rational decision making as advocated by John Dewey. The course, offered in 1976 by the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, had three instructional goals. These were to (1) provide students an opportunity to learn about…