Provides a follow-up assessment of the effectiveness of a communication skills training program for adolescents. Twenty-one control and 22 experimental subjects from a previous study completed both a behavioral, and a paper-and-pencil assessment prior to, immediately following, and five months after self-disclosure and empathy skill training.…

A pre- to post-test design was used to evaluate the effects of rule-based instruction on rule observance, copying performance, and discrimination skill. Three ways of imparting rules (demonstration, verbal description, and combined demonstration-verbal description) were examined, and their usefulness was compared to that of copying without…

The program positively affected family communication patterns, self-esteem levels, and drug knowledge levels at follow-up. The follow-up data indicated that drug-related school system and drug-related criminal justice system contacts were significantly reduced. There was a reduction in drug usage by regular users for selected drugs. (Author)

Describes the usefulness of a cloze test given after an initial oral reading of the same passage. (MKM)

A comparative analysis of two groups of students indicated that unless individuals had special reasons for taking courses in microbiology before entering the College of Veterinary Medicine, these courses would be of no special benefit in the one-year microbiologic sequence. (LBH)

Investigated effects of innovative teaching techniques on health knowledge among two hundred 9- to 11-year olds in rural India randomly selected from Children's Working Groups. Teachers attended a workshop to learn innovative strategies, including use of audiovisual aids, games, and music. Results indicated that children's knowledge level improved…

Minimalist design principles were used to test whether instructional intervention could decrease computer anxiety of subjects learning basic word-processing skills. Subjects were pre- and posttested on anxiety during each session. Findings indicated that the method as well as increased computer use decreased anxiety. (Author/AEF)

Describes a study at the University of Twente (Netherlands) that investigated the effect of two instructional variables, manipulation of objects and guidance, in learning to use the logical connective, conditional with a computer-based learning environment, Tarski's World, designed to teach first-order logic. Discusses results of…

Studied the use of humorous cartoons to reduce the anxiety levels of students in statistics classes. Used the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) to measure the level of student anxiety before and after a statistics course. Found that there was a significant reduction in levels of mathematics anxiety after the course. (SLM)

Two experiments with 254 and 76 undergraduates, respectively, investigated the hypothesis that there would be an effect of questions concerning application of concepts only when there was an interval between study and test. Results confirm the hypothesis regarding application questions inserted in text read by undergraduates. (TJH)

Describes the use of a computerized spreadsheet technique to assist in the front-end analysis phase of an instructional design project in an industrial training program. The use of a microcomputer is explained as a decision-making aid to analyze, select, and sequence instructional goals and objectives and to develop criterion performance measures.…

A multiple regression model for estimating true change of an individual by using information in addition to pretest-posttest data is described. Longitudinal panel or multi-wave data taken between the pretest and the posttest constitute the additional information. (TJH)

Parents of children with attentional deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), other psychiatric diagnoses, or no history of school or home problems reported the frequency of their children's sleep disturbances before and after observing their children's behaviors for a month. Parents of ADHD children reported higher frequencies of sleep disturbances…

Presents methods and outcomes of a study that analyzed the relationship between learner preferences, received instruction, and learner control. Seventy-five employees of a major corporation were pretested before and posttested after receiving random instruction. Tables display mean pretest and posttest scores, and attitudes toward received…

Compared the effect of a 5-week group counseling treatment to an information-only control condition for 37 women with early-stage gynecologic cancer. Women completed various measures related to mood, adjustment, and coping one week before treatment, at the last session, and at one month follow up. Differences are reported. (JBJ)