In a medical sociology course composed of health care students with little sociology background and sociology students with no health care background, a paired observation exercise was given. Health care and sociology students were paired, and each pair observed the same medical encounter and reviewed each other's papers. (Author/RM)

Ten specific activities aimed at studying soil in a vacant lot are presented along with a discussion of necessary/useful equipment and an expemplary lesson plan. (JC)

Discusses methods for encouraging advanced language students to learn on their own. Successful learning results from the high stimulation and continuous activity of conscious and unconscious observation. If the learner is enabled to observe consciously outside the classroom, he will do it unconsciously and learning will be constant. (PJM)

Eight students (ages 9-12) with mild mental retardation were instructed in sight-word reading in 2 small groups. Results showed that the time delay procedure was effective, that students learned other students' words through observation, and that students learned some incidental information. (Author/JDD)

Presents a model for a creative art lesson which uses a mediational approach to modifying creative behaviors. Students learn vicariously through first observing a model demonstrate the complete learning experience. (Author/SJL)

A progressive time-delay and a trial-and-error strategy were compared in teaching sight word acquisition to two children with severe behavior disorders. Observational learning was also studied. Results found direct and observed instruction both effective, and progressive time delay somewhat more effective than trial and error. (Author/PB)

Shows how teachers developed student self-expression and appreciation for poetic rhythm by using blues music and lyrics in the classroom. Provides examples of students' collaborative poems. (RL)

A structured discourse strategy, employing child echoic imitations and adult expansion, was used to teach five autistic preschool children two-term semantic relations. The strategy increased the children's initial spontaneous imitations of two-term relations. Following the imitation increase, spontaneous productions of the two-term relations…

Provides instructional techniques, using samples from evergreen trees, to explain to school children the concept of adaptation. The techniques help children develop skills in observation, classification, communication, inferring, and predicting. A teacher's reproducible is included. (GLR)

Maxims derived from recent theory in learning and instruction and from reflection on excellent practice can be applied to teacher education, not only to improve the training of prospective teachers, but also to improve their ability to teach others. Especially useful are examples from Reading Recovery, a successful literacy training program. Some…

Utilizing four pairs of preschoolers with Down's Syndrome, the efficacy of two prompt-fading procedures (decreasing assistance and graduated guidance procedure) was compared during instruction of two self-help skills. The efficacy of observational learning was also examined. Both prompt-fading procedures and observational learning were effective…

This study investigated the effect on teachers of observing or implementing an alternative form of instruction in a primary-grade arithmetic class. Under consideration were the relationships between the beliefs teachers held about mathematics and about teaching mathematics, and their recognition and internalization of the principles of the…

The seasonal activities presented are: observing herbs to encourage use of the senses in writing; watching a jack-o'-lantern wither to learn skills in writing details; and building snowmen to learn to explain a string of events in writing. (SM)

A trend at U.S. colleges and universities in teaching first-year science courses is discussed. An approach in the classroom and lab in which students engage in science through observation and hypothesis is emphasized. Hands-on science, experiential science, and constructing science through cooperative learning are discussed. (KR)

This lesson plan describes techniques to develop the sensory awareness of elementary age children as they explore the natural environment. It includes outdoor activities and follow-up classroom experiences that develop observation skills and enhance the development of communication and classification skills. (MCO)