The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a longitudinal study designed to measure changes in the knowledge, skills, and understandings of young Americans, ages 9, 13, 17, and 26-35. This overview discusses some special aspects of NAEP, and explains its history and governance. (MH) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in…

A long-range plan to evaluate medical students' physical examination skills was undertaken at the Ingham Family Medical Clinic at Michigan State University. The development of the psychomotor skills evaluation model to evaluate the skill of blood pressure measurement, tests of the model's reliability, and the use of the model are described. (JMD)

Describes South Suburban College's implementation of the Structured Open Access Model, an interventionist system that responds to underprepared students. (YKH)

A University of Adelaide (Australia) program to assist international graduate students in adjustment to Australian academic and discipline-related norms is described. The program focuses on language and academic skill development, and has been found to be effective. Factors in programs success, and their potential for wider application are…

A study involving 17 elementary school teachers investigated the effects of directly training teachers in problem-solving skills to enhance their performance on a consultation-related activity (parent-teacher conferences) regarding student-related problems. Results found the direct training enhanced the teachers' skills in describing students'…

In 1992, Texas A & M University's College of Education established the Texas Education Collaborative, a center for professional development and technology, to redesign teacher preparation and staff development programs. In 1996, the TEC joined with the university's Principal's Center to focus on principals' development in schools reconceived…

Ethnographic methodology was used to explore the development of self-management skills in an 18-year-old woman with Down Syndrome. Triangulation of data types and the constant comparative method of data analysis were employed. Outcomes suggested the individual's family culture had a large impact on development of self-monitoring and that early and…

Reviews the challenges and benefits of using multimedia instructional technology to teach intermediate business Spanish at Thunderbird American Graduate School of International Management (Arizona). Challenges were technical and administrative support requirements, technical training needs, and locating quality materials. Benefits included learner…

Discusses studies that investigated the impact of the Web on student learning and compared Web-based with traditional courses. Focuses on individual differences, including gender differences and generational differences; instructional design, including interaction and electronic learning communities; and skills that are enhanced by online…

Argues that learners and workers must be willing, not just able, to make informed, skilled, and fair-minded judgments as they solve problems, make decisions, and engage in professional practice. Makes recommendations for nurturing thinking and reflective problem solving in both classroom and workplace, including cultivation of a culture and…

The RECEPTION GAME teaches conversation skills to adult foreign language learners with positions in international business and diplomacy. The design combines elements of simulation and experiential learning and takes into account conversation's rapport-building function, turn-taking mechanisms, open-ended structure, listening demands for following…

Provides a critical commentary on issues facing fieldwork in undergraduate geography programs. Issues are structured around five key themes: aims and objectives, skill acquisition, relationship to other areas of curricula, fieldwork delivery, and fieldwork management. Encourages new perspectives and approaches in geography fieldwork. (MJP)

A sample of 49 non-psychology majors taking a course integrating library research skills with social science research showed increases in skill level, efficiency, and positive attitudes toward the library after a semester of outcome-focused instruction. The results suggest that co-development between course and library faculty can be an effective…

Discussed is whether, and to what extent, science teachers critically and spontaneously attend to the logical structure of situations, and whether they need prompting, or completely fail to do so. The relationship between the results of this study and science teachers' pre- and in-service education is discussed. (Author/KR)

The computer can be a powerful tool to help students who are having difficulty learning the skills of prewriting, composition, revision, and editing. Specific software is suggested for each phase, as well as for classroom publishing. (Author/JDD)