The problems of modeling a process as complex as reading are discussed, including such factors as the lack of agreement surrounding definitions of modeling, varying levels of rigor within and between models, the disjunctive categories within which models fall, and the difficulty of synthesis across fields which employ very different technical…

Wide ranges of functional abilities existing among the disabled led to the development and application of a quantitative method of evaluating severity of functional impairment for rehabilitative purposes. (BP)

Argues that the concepts "career" and "dual-career marriage" are loosely defined in the literature, hindering the comparability of findings and accumulation of scientific knowledge. Supports this assertion with a review of recent articles. Finds sociological and psychological levels of analysis not clearly differentiated, with researchers assuming…

Presents a general definition of a system; outlines a collection of properties identified through a review of the literature to be used as a criterion for determining whether an aggregation of objects is a system; and tests a computer-based system against the checklist to see how it measures up. (MBR)

Despite much effort by scholars, the definition of play remains a problem. Observers of preschool children tend to rate constructive activities as play; this has implications for play criteria. Types of play recorded may be appreciably affected by the time frame of observations and the use or lack of supplementary interviews. (RH)

A classification system of mental retardation is proposed based on etiology and IQs at least two standard deviations below the population mean. Social competence and performance capabilities of individuals with subaverage IQs are removed from definitional status and given prominence as correlates of class membership. (Author/CL)

In Study 1, 85 percent of 248 third-, fifth-, and twelfth- grade students identified as normal could have been classified learning disabled (LD). In Study 2, 88 percent of a low achieving fourth grade sample could have been identified as LD, with 4 percent not meeting any criteria for classification. (Author/CL)

Discussions about how to use and analyze transcripts inevitably include how to classify and measure individual courses and how to aggregate and measure groups of courses in a meaningful way. The Secondary School Taxonomy (SST) was developed in the 1980s by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) as a framework for aggregating and…

Author first outlines what constitutes community action" and then suggests three broad categories into which most examples of such action may be placed. (Editor/MB)

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)