This master's project contains two essays and a long poem, examining the possibilities of creative writing as a tool of inquiry in mathematics, history, science, film, art, and architecture. The project's first essay, "The Poet in the Warehouse," introduces a brief history of imaginative writing and an argument for its inclusion in…

Portfolio assessment is increasingly used in teacher education courses as teacher educators become aware of the importance of modeling best practice in methods classes. However, implementing portfolio instruction is not an easy task. Because this approach to evaluation is so different from previous educational experiences, preservice students…

This book is intended to introduce teachers to the practices of "environmental education," and is the first in a series published by the Institute for Environmental Education. The series focus is on problem-solving in the community as the subject matter for environmental education. Problem-solving is used as a process of investigatory…

A three-part series of evening workshops was designed to help adult basic education (ABE) parents identify learning styles and develop communication and advocacy skills, assertiveness, and self-esteem. At the workshops, instructors from the center presented an adaptation of curriculum on self-esteem for parenting developed by the Center for…

Over the past 3 years, a variety of studies in intelligent tutoring system (ITS) effectiveness have been conducted. A summary is provided of the research into the use of POSIT, MALM, and the Mobile Subscriber Remote-Telephone Terminal (MSRT) Tutor. POSIT is an ITS for the tutoring of whole-number subtraction. It assumes that the learning of a…

The hypothesis that the planning activities of classroom teachers correlate with the practices of instructional design professionals is explored within the context of this study. Classroom teachers participated in a survey which requested information regarding their planning routines. The 35-item two part questionnaire that was used as the data…

This paper discusses the factors involved in making decisions about a multimedia display system. Theoretical factors, including gaining and holding learner attention, specific attention-getting devices, encoding and retrieval of information by learners, and presentation of information are considered. Ways that video is associated with computer…

This paper is a narrative drawn from a 6-year study of two female elementary school teachers as they are learning to teach literacy. The teachers were part of a larger longitudinal investigation on learning to teach which began with their preservice teacher programs at a research university on the west coast. This report summarizes data collected…

Meaning constructs are aspects of a person's cultural worldview. They are those aspects that philosophers often write about as a means by which to make sense of the world. Teachers carry their worldviews and meaning constructs into the classrooms with them. Similarly to teachers, reflective teaching proponents hold meaning constructs that are…

Current research continues to attempt to determine factors, or combinations of factors, which influence efficacy in problem solving behaviors. This presentation combines several viewpoints regarding the most important component, or combination of components, needed for the most successful problem solving behaviors to occur. Quantitative literature…

The study of language acquisition requires that the analyst identify the learner's target and have available a grammatical description of the target. In the case of the Caribbean Creole environment, special caution is required in identifying the learner's target because substantial variation is intrinsic to the input and ambient language. Existing…

The 1988 Progress Report covers research activities of the five branches of the Center for Research for Mothers and Children of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. An introductory section briefly describes the Center, notes staff activities and Center sponsored conferences and workshops, and identifies highlights of…

This report presents the findings of the application of the Differential Coursework Patterns (DCP) cluster analytic model to the tests and transcripts of a combined sample of 1987-88 and 1988-89 graduating seniors at Evergreen State College (Washington). The project found that enrollment in different patterns of programs was consistently…

This curriculum guide aims to provide a beginning process for developing a K-12 balanced, comprehensive, and sequential arts curriculum for all students. Dance, drama, music, and the visual arts are treated as distinct and separate disciplines although five common goals and corresponding learning process components have been identified. The goals…

The Faculty Development in Computers Project (FDIC) at the University of Northern Iowa creates an on-going support structure for faculty involved in the process of incorporating computer technology into their personal and professional activities. Specifically, the FDIC facilitates development of broadly defined computer literacy among teacher…