Describes a research program of four studies that investigated whether instructional media could be used to deliver persuasive messages effectively. Highlights include learner attitudes, aptitude treatment interaction, instructional media research, the effectiveness of various media types, learner characteristics, and suggestions for additional…

Describes the Minnesota Education Computing Corporation (MECC) Computing and Information Collection, a collection of software products for students in grades 4-12. These products are designed to support individual course content objectives and introduce and practice information literacy skills. Curriculum applications in language arts,…

Discusses the use of mental ability tests for grouping science students. Describes a study which investigated the analytical skill items on the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test for field independent bias. Results indicated that the test is biased in favor of individuals with field independent perceptual orientation. (TW)

Describes a study which attempted to determine the successful strategies utilized by adolescent learners studying French. The learning strategies investigated include: (1) classroom behaviors, (2) individual study tactics, and (3) social interaction behaviors. These strategies are examined in relation to their significance on different language…

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised scoring patterns of 197 Native American children (ages 6-16, 90 girls and 107 boys) at a Northern Plains boarding school were explored to identify characteristic cognitive processing strengths. Findings indicated greater strength than among standardization population in relational, holistic, right…

This study was designed to describe the frequency of professional development activities provided to part-time occupational and technical program faculty. Additionally, the perceptions of occupational education officers concerning the instructional professional development needs and their appropriate delivery method(s) for these faculty members…

This document outlines what beginning classroom teachers and arts education specialists should know and be able to do to teach the arts effectively. The volume serves as a guide for individual states, professional organizations, and teacher education programs as they develop and refine their standards and practices. The Interstate New Teacher…

This paper describes a case study in which one woman in a focus group of 11 women recounted her use of numerical and mathematical tools in her personal and work life. According to the researcher, the subject's experiences engendered strong feelings and revealed that aspects of her self-identity were bound up with her use of tools and feelings…

Students with or without disabilities often experience difficulties with abstract math concepts. This paper is intended to help solve the mystery of math concepts through origami construction, a hands-on activity. Students are involved in constructing and deconstructing concepts by folding and unfolding a piece of paper which eventually leads to a…

The 40 activities contained in this book were designed to persuade students to think both critically and creatively. The activities call for the use of all 18 of E. Paul Torrance's creative thinking abilities. The theoretical underpinnings for this collection are based upon philosophical and pedagogical beliefs that experiences be positive: if…

Leading educational psychologists address problems in adult development and learning in this book. "What Does Educational Psychology Know about Adult Learning and Development?" (M. Cecil Smith, Thomas Pourchot) is the introduction. "We Learn, Therefore We Develop" (Nira Granott) tackles the problem of distinguishing between…

This paper presents the results of a research study carried out with Mexican college students to analyze the relationship between readers' cognitive styles (field dependent/independent) and their performance at different levels of written discourse processing in Spanish (L1) and English (L2). The sample for the study included 452 undergraduate…

This book describes a culturally responsive science curriculum that the author has been teaching for 25 years. The curriculum integrates Native American traditional values, teaching principles, and concepts of nature with those of modern Western science. Every Indigenous culture has an orientation to learning that is metaphorically represented in…

The paper explores the nature of learning, focusing particularly on the theories of Biggs and Teffler (1989) and their research finding that the quality of learning is the result of the motivation for learning, and that this affects the learners' performance. An alternative theory of learning is offered and ideas for improving the teachers' role…

This paper applies Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) principles to a 19th century Portuguese novel ("Cousin Basilio" by Eca de Queiros) that is available on the World Wide Web. An undergraduate Portuguese literature Web course that studied the novel is also described. Students' reactions to this distance learning course were analyzed by…