Study abroad programs around the world offer participants a plethora of learning opportunities, from the formal component of credit-bearing studies to informal and incidental learning opportunities that come from living and studying internationally. Despite significant research in the field, the educative value of study abroad continues to be…

In their second year at the university, preservice chemistry teachers are confronted with organic chemistry. Because it is known that students often struggle with the subject, a new course design was developed, used, and evaluated for this study. To ensure meaningful learning, the students had many opportunities to actively participate in the…

Currently, there is an international change in education that includes the development of new learning programmes and policies, such as (a) bilingual education programmes, (b) the Bologna process, with an emphasis on a more autonomous way of learning, or (c) the systematic evaluation and assessment of students and educational results. These…

College students received either one half of the objectives for a certain test or no objectives at all. The subjects with objectives performed better than those without on posttest items referenced to their objectives (relevant learning) and less well on items not covered (incidental learning). Findings conflict with previous research. (Author/SE)

The effects of requiring an overt or covert response to objectives when grouped before or interspersed throughout a text were investigated for intentional and incidental learning. In addition, two densities of specific and general objectives were investigated. (Author/BW)

The primary finding of this study was that performance increments found with whole presentations of instructional objectives could be achieved with part presentation of objectives and text. In fact, the part presentations resulted in ever greater intentional learning than whole presentations. (Author/BJG)

The main findings of a meta-analysis of 23 research reports were the following: giving behavioral objectives, learning directions, or questions before an instructional text is read leads to some improvement in the learning of goal relevant material; however, these preinstructional acts impede the learning of goal irrelevant materials. (Author/BW)

The effects of four objective treatments (none, before text, after text, and combined before and after text) and two types of experience (practical and experimental) were investigated for intentional and incidental learning. (Author/RC)

Subjects received either specific or general objectives before or after the four sections of the audiotaped lecture. A control group received no objectives. Results on the use of objectives with written text showed that the before position increased intentional learning more than the after position. Incidental learning was significantly higher…

Behavioral objectives should be regarded as one of several tools available to educators. Research should be directed toward determining their advantages and limitations, as well as the conditions under which they can be used more effectively. Conditions vary depending upon student awareness of and interest in stated objectives; clarity,…

This study examined the effects of four characteristics of instructional objectives presented to the student prior to reading, upon intentional and incidental learning. The most salient result was produced by providing instructional objectives to the student prior to the text. The main findings were that (a) density increases (Proportion of…

This article offers a skeletal critique of the pedagogical theory and the teaching practices arising from the work of educational innovator, Benjamin Bloom. Professor Bloom's theory and method have overtly and covertly insinuated themselves into North American educational practice over the past half-century. Their impact and influence have been…

Many science educators have called attention to the need for teachers to prepare all types of students for a rapidly changing, technological world. Curriculum theorists have called for changes in a hidden curriculum of science they described as class specific and presenting science as a consensus arrived at by positivistic methods. This paper…

In two identical experiments, undergraduate students were randomly assigned to study course-appropriate prose learning materials under one of four experimental conditions (two levels of experience with objectives by two levels of possession of objectives). Achievement on objectives-relevant test items was significantly higher for possessors…