In this study the authors analyze longitudinal student survey data from the 17-institution Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education (WNS) to determine the extent that the influence of overall exposure to clear and organized instruction on four-year growth in two measures of cognitive development is mediated by student use of deep approaches…

In 1995 when "New Directions" issue No. 63, "Understanding Self-Regulated Learning," was published, the issue editor, Paul Pintrich, was one of the leaders in studying how college students learn and what helps or hinders them during the process. His contributions to the field have been tremendous and very significant both theoretically and…

The exploration of alternative teaching and learning strategies such as those utilised in Supplemental Instruction (SI) is becoming increasingly important as students arrive at university less prepared for the rigors of higher education. Keeping these changes in mind, it is necessary to review the theories that inform our approach to ensure the…

Stressing that building vocabulary knowledge is a continuously developing skill, acquired over a lifetime and in a variety of ways, this concept paper suggests instructional strategies that lead to word knowledge. Following a research summary and a section on implications for instructions, the paper focuses on the various instructional strategies…

Analyzes strategies that successful minority students employ to overcome barriers to academic success. Uses an expertise model of successful college students on one campus so as to identify specific knowledge and actions that effective minority students employ. Describes various barriers students face and describes implications. (RJM)

Reports on a study of college students (N=276) that tested a model to identify a goodness of fit between students and educational environments. Findings indicate the importance of motivating students to engage in reciprocal relationships with their learning environments to enhance human capital skills. (RJM)

Implications from research suggest that library programs must be based around learning, that students' prior learning or mental models affect new learning, and that no significant learning occurs unless students are supported in their content and process learning. (Author/AEF)

Describes strategies being developed at the University of Strathclyde in response to the Dearing Report of a learning society in which communication and information technology is central to students' learning. Topics include the future of higher education; staff development; student development; infrastructure development; and barriers to the…

These five issues of "Research in Developmental Education," examine the theoretical models and foundations of developmental education. Included are the following: (1) "Theoretical Foundations of Developmental Education," by Hunter R. Boylan, which examines the behaviorist, humanist, and developmental theories underpinning developmental education;…

This article describes a training program, Self-Regulation Empowerment Program (SREP), that school professionals can use to empower adolescent students to engage in more positive, self-motivating cycles of learning. It is a two-part approach whereby self-regulated learning coaches (SRC) (a) use microanalytic assessment procedures to assess…

The S.A.C.K. Alignment Model integrates curriculum, instruction, and multiple assessments with the cultural and learning experiences of students. This model illustrates how prior cultural and learning experiences can be linked to state-mandated content and performance standards. S.A.C.K. is an acronym for skills, affects/attitudes, concepts, and…

A special transitional course (College Success) developed for college freshmen at the State University of New York College at Cortland is described in this report. Designed to meet standard problems of transition from high school to college and deal with detected deficits in learning and studying skills, it offers small group experience on issues…