The upper and lower 5% of 456 undergraduate students who completed the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI) were subjected to a laboratory stress test. In support of the hypothesis, poor constructive thinkers reacted to the stress with a greater increase in negative thoughts and negative emotions, and exhibited a greater increase in blood…

"Cross Currents" is a biannual journal (first published in 1972) contributing to the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas within the areas of communication, language skills acquisition and instruction, and cross-cultural training and learning. It is especially receptive to articles on: (1) language teaching and learning, especially…

Publications addressing the training of learners and the improvement of learning strategies are reviewed. This literature includes materials directed at the learner himself and at teachers, who are in turn expected to pass insights on to the learners. The literature also includes both formal language training techniques and the experiential…

Designed to aid teachers who are planning classes in the telematics mode, this checklist begins by reminding them that, in this mode, students cannot see them in the conventional sense, and classes are conducted using computer, telephone, modem, and microphone links. The checklist covers the following areas of concern: (1) the planning stage,…

Learning style is a composite of those elements that serve as a relatively stable indicator of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment. This paper presents quantitative data related to learning styles and qualitative data related to learning environments which could suggest changes in biology courses and…

This annual collection contains essays relating to the history of basic communication courses, offers insights into basic course pedagogy, and discusses the administration of multisectioned basic communication courses. Papers in the collection include: "The Basic Course in Speech Communication: An Historical Perspective" (Pamela L.…

This publication was developed to help teachers expand their choices for teacher-student instructional interaction. It identifies the key issues in the design of instruction and develops a common vocabulary surrounding instructional improvement. The role of the teacher as decision maker is emphasized. A description is given of the four interacting…

The roles of training, problem representation, and individual differences on performance of both automated (simple) and controlled (complex) process tasks were studied. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) training and cognitive style affect the representation developed; (2) training and cognitive style affect the development and performance…

This paper reports on a preliminary look at the student teaching seminar as a vehicle for encouraging reflective thinking about teaching and learning. The seminar group was composed of 32 undergraduate and graduate students, student teachers in the secondary school disciplines. A preliminary self-analysis essay written by the student teachers…

Even when the socioeconomic background is controlled, there is still a difference between blacks and whites in academic achievement. Studies have shown that, though social class is a factor in that difference, ethnicity is the primary factor. This report discusses ideologies that have tried to explain that ethnic difference. It discusses the…

Years of research have shown that student learning is based on cognitive development. This finding has implications for the teaching of vocational education, especially to marginal students who are potential dropouts. Research has shown that students who have an internal rather than an external locus of control and who are more field independent…

Using word processors and the traditional handwriting method, a study investigated the relationship of learning styles to performance in twelfth graders' written compositions. Subjects (n=55) were enrolled in a public school in east central Mississippi. The study hypothesized that students using word processors and those using the traditional…

One of three related documents exploring the problems inherent to current high school forensic coaching, this paper explores the ethics of "overcoaching" debaters to the detriment of their critical thinking skills. The paper first discusses the harm that over-controlling students can cause, noting that when coaches develop arguments and…

Contradictory research findings on teachers and teaching are frequently the result of overlooking or neglecting a systematic approach to teaching, using principles of human learning to enhance pupils' learning and their enjoyment of learning. In discussing teacher preparation, it is pointed out that task analysis is a crucial operation, in which…

This study examined the effects of two cognitive styles--field dependents-independents and reflectivity-impulsivity--on learning from microcomputer-based instruction. In the first of three experimental designs, a programmed instruction text on the human heart was used which contained both visual and verbal information in an instructional display,…