An innovative classroom exercise that relieves anxiety related to psychological statistics courses and is relevant to the real world was tested with 26 psychology students. The use of real-world data based on a taste-test television commercial helps students understand the practical applications of statistics. (SLD)

A meta-analysis was performed to synthesize existing research on the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on cognitive outcomes. Analysis of 31 studies indicated that CAI had moderately positive effects on student cognitive outcomes and that the outcomes of using CAI extend beyond the content of the specific software or subject area. (42…

Discusses current theme in education, finding methodology for inservice courses through which skills and attitudes of teachers can be appropriately developed. Attempts to help teachers develop awareness of process by which learning takes place on an INSET course, to make process explicit to themselves and, in doing so, make this awareness…

Two articles discuss elementary school mathematics. One focuses on data collection, suggesting a children's counting book, "How Many Feet in the Bed?", to initiate several possible problems. The other offers a measuring activity for finding average heights and a survey activity to determine the characteristics of an average student. (SM)

Presents a learning cycle lesson plan in which students investigate the question of how cells divide. Students use microscopes to explore actual plant root and stem tissues to generate and test hypotheses to answer the question. Includes teacher material, student material, and teaching tips. (MDH)

Discusses how grocery shopping activities can help primary and intermediate grade students develop mathematics skills useful in real life. (BB)

Reports on the extension of an experiment in which one of three teaching methods (traditional instruction, expert system, or a combination of both) was used to teach a subject. Findings demonstrate that both method of instruction and personality traits affect the development of declarative and procedural knowledge. Three tables depict study…

A meta-analysis of 21 studies compared the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) with traditional instruction. Results showed that CAI focusing on higher-order learning in technical education was more effective. (Contains 38 references.) (JOW)

Describes how computer technology, specifically the use of a multimedia CD-ROM, was integrated into a microbiology curriculum as part of the transition from focusing on facts to fostering learning for understanding. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/YDS)

Achieving sustainable improvement in schools facing challenging circumstances remains a major challenge for policy-makers and practitioners alike. This paper analyses the strategies used within a group of English secondary schools that have succeeded in increasing and sustaining attainment levels over time in order to learn more about the factors…

A new report aims to promote awareness at the state level of the importance of Community Based Organizations (CBO) high schools, highlighting the promising lessons these schools hold for improving the educational outcomes of youth at risk of school failure or dropping out. This document briefly analyzes the report, "CBO High Schools: Their…

Pollination is a broad area of study within biology. For many plants, pollen carried by wind is required for successful seed set. Airborne pollen also affects human health. To foster studies of airborne pollen, we introduce a simple device--the "megastigma"--for collecting pollen from the air. This device is flexible, yielding easily obtained data…

In this article, the authors describe a study of a web-based, teambuilding instructional module that included activities designed to improve collaboration skills among team members conducting online projects. This module was formatively evaluated using 24 graduate students who were enrolled in an online course that assigned two online team…

This study examined students' perceptions of the Tablet PC as an instructional tool for teaching Calculus. A thirteen item survey was developed by the researchers and administered to 103 students in an introductory Calculus course at a large university in the Northeast of the United States. The purpose of this survey was to collect data regarding…

The description about the changed instruction to encourage student exploration of the graphical and then the algebraic representations of functions is presented, which enables the students to understand how the graph, equation, and table of a function are related. The activity addresses both the Learning Principle and the Connection standard and…