Discussion of elementary school mathematics instruction focuses on computer graphing programs to teach subtraction that use pictorial representations as well as graphs. Classroom graphing activities for first graders are described, and evaluations of student progress based on pre- and posttests are discussed. (two references) (LRW)

This response to a previously published article on the replaceability of media and instructional methods focuses on a study that uses a chemistry multimedia software package to examine cognitive processes in which learners interact with instructional designs and use media and methods to construct understanding. (nine references) (LRW)

Regression analysis of results from 81 fourth graders (41 females) completing several assessments of metamemory indicate that relationships between metamemory and recall depend on assessment method and timing of the child's engagement with the recall task. General metamemory is significantly related to recall on the posttest and near transfer.…

The grade improvement program "Where There's a Will There's an A" was evaluated with 36 experimental and 37 control group undergraduates. The approach and content of the evaluated materials appear inconsistent with the body of research on academic improvement, and study results do not indicate any improved achievement. (SLD)

A model-testing approach for evaluating the stability of item response theory item parameter estimates (IPEs) in a pretest-posttest design is illustrated. Nineteen items from the Head Start Measures Battery were used. A moderately high degree of stability in the IPEs for 5,510 children assessed on 2 occasions was found. (TJH)

Describes a study conducted at the University of Guelph that compared the learning achievements of a computer-administered mastery testing approach with a seminar-discussion approach. Pretests and posttests are described, student opinions are reported, and results are reported that indicate mastery/testing generated higher learning achievement.…

Describes a six-week summer remedial writing program at the State University of New York at Buffalo, which utilized instructional approaches designed to accommodate students' learning styles. Results on pre- and posttests of essay-writing ability, sentence fluency, and attitudes toward writing revealed improvements in all areas following the…

Describes a study of electronic support of face-to-face group meetings that was conducted with undergraduate and graduate students. Strategies used by groups to distribute control, determinants of which members took control, and the consequences of control strategies were examined. (Contains 38 references.) (LRW)

Effects of 3 different types of instruction (use of manipulatives, use of diagrams, and use of symbols only) of rational number content and teaching techniques were compared for 75 preservice teachers in a course in elementary mathematics. Only the manipulatives group showed significant improvement pretest to posttest. Implications are discussed.…

Reports on a study of college computer-science students that investigated possible benefits and shortcomings in the learning outcomes of novices who use a case-based hypermedia instructional environment. Highlights include cognitive-flexibility theory, influence of epistemic beliefs on student learning, experimental hypotheses, and results of…

Describes a study of college students that investigated whether various types of visual illustrations influenced abstract concept learning when combined with audio instruction. Discusses results of analysis of variance and pretest posttest scores in relation to learning performance, attitudes toward the computer-based program, and differences in…

Presents the results of an evaluation of an experimental program designed to speed up the acquisition of Dutch by immigrant children in the Netherlands. In a longitudinal study that tracked both the experimental and a comparison group, both groups of children were pretested and posttested each year with curriculum-dependent and -independent…

Studied collaborative reasoning in 86 seventh-grade minority students in an urban low-income school. Students who collaborated had higher percentages of fully correct explanations on the posttest than those who worked alone. Collaborative experiences were beneficial for reasoning about unfamiliar, moderately difficult, nonverbal problems. (SLD)

Studied the relationship between modified oral input and the acquisition of word meanings by Japanese high school students. Results include a strong relationship between comprehension and word meaning acquisition was only evident in a test replicating learning format; and rate of word acquisition was faster with the premodified input. (54…

Describes a study of 107 sixth graders that investigated the effects of learning strategy training intervention and the incorporation of learner control on achievement, learning efficiency, and instructional choice while subjects learned from a computer-based science tutorial. Principles for instructional design incorporating learner control are…