Two types of feedback are examined, and their use in controlling the processes of instructional development and improvement are discussed. Closed-loop feedback, the most direct, uses immediate feedback about a process or product to make immediate adjustments in it. Open-loop feedback, in which input cannot be changed immediately, uses feedback to…

The role of item response theory (IRT) in determining the validity of second language tests is examined in the case of one specific test, the listening subtest of the Occupational English Test (OET), used in Australia to measure the language skills of non-native English-speaking health professionals. First, the listening subtest is described. Then…

The guidelines define procedures outlined by state (Kansas) and federal laws and regulations concerning the identification of students with specific learning disabilities. The first chapter gives the Kansas definition of a learning disability and then outlines the identification process. Chapter 2 provides guidelines for carrying out…

Intended to help teachers, curriculum directors, school administrators, and school board members follow through on their commitment to teach students how to become better writers, the techniques and resources described in this booklet are arranged into seven chapters. The first chapter examines whether the "writing crisis" is fact or…

Briefly presented are the rationale and procedures used to develop and validate an interactive videodisc program to assist in diagnosing difficulties in mathematics in grades 1-3. The mathematics assessment program is described as 408 criterion-referenced items divided into seven strands. Questions are administered until a student makes three…

State program approval could significantly influence the redesign of teacher education programs because of its legal authority. This paper reviews the functions of state program approval, and compares these processes with those of national voluntary accreditation organizations, such as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.…

This guide is designed to familiarize counselors with the use of the Student Profile as a tool for placing students in cooperative vocational education programs in New Jersey. (The Student Profile, a two-page form, was developed to assist in the process of obtaining information from students' permanent records for the purpose of placing…

A project contacted approximately 800 voluntary organizations in northwest England to describe the learning activities in which volunteers take part. Data were collected through mail surveys, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, general observation, structured time observation, and case study. The following were among the findings…

Three research studies conducted at Thai universities involving language testing and courses in General English and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) are discussed. The first study examined the predictive validity of different types of language tests on academic achievement in General English and EAP courses. It found that the test format, as…

This consumer's guide provides descriptive information about currently available surveys of student alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. Its purposes are to inform schools and communities about the instruments available to survey student AOD use, and to delineate the issues faced by educators while selecting or developing a survey instrument to…

This study sought to determine if preservice teachers hold different preferences for college-course learning activities at four levels of professional training. Subjects of the study were 549 students, ranging from freshmen through seniors in their undergraduate teacher preparation program. The Learning Preference Questionnaire asked the students…

Ten years of intensive research and development in foreign language teaching in Finland have resulted in a foreign language curriculum with a communicative orientation and textbooks to accompany it. Another outcome of this work was a realization of the complexity of language teaching, which led to models of the language teaching process. One such…

While the concept of language awareness by language exploration and the use of performance objectives and testing seem mutually contradictory, they may not be. Where the processes of language learning are concerned, the two approaches may have important points of contact. In curriculum, the two complement rather than threaten each other. Both help…

This study investigates the validity of second language vocabulary tests, and whether or not test scores accurately reflect the quality of language behavior in real-life situations. It attempts to prove the validity of vocabulary testing by comparing test scores to indices of vocabulary richness in second language production. The student subjects…

This issue of the journal includes these papers on contrastive linguistics: "A Note on Semantic Representation of Lexical Items and on Lexical Gaps" (Maria Grzegorek); "Some Remarks on Case Grammars as Bases for Contrastive Studies" (Hans U. Boas); "Are Exclusively Attributive Adjectives 'Transpositional'?--Some Comments on the Nature of Lexical…