This paper discusses the findings of a collective case study of two junior colleges in Singapore. It aims to identify and describe the scaffolding strategies used by teachers to engage students in computer-mediated lessons. For students to engage in the learning process, they need to be equipped with the learning strategies and see the relevance…

This quasi-experimental study investigated the potential benefits of two corrective feedback techniques (recasts and prompts) for learners of different proficiency levels. Sixty-four students in three intact grade 6 intensive English as a second language classes in the Montreal area were assigned to the two experimental conditions--one received…

This article presents an experimental study demonstrating how 120 learners use help tools in a virtual learning set-up. More specifically, several types of tutoring are investigated to find out the extent of the use of help tools in each. The effects of two independent variables which may have an impact on the behaviour of learners are studied:…

Focused freewriting, broadly defined as writing without stopping and editing about a specific topic, has been viewed and used as a powerful tool for developing student writing in a wide spectrum of educational contexts. This study aimed to further explore the use of focused freewriting in the context of promoting students' academic skills…

This study examined the construct validity of the "e-rater"® automated essay scoring engine as an alternative to human scoring in the context of TOEFL® essay writing. Analyses were based on a sample of students who repeated the TOEFL within a short time period. Two "e-rater" scores were investigated in this study, the first…

This paper provides strategies for communicating about and with learners diagnosed with emotional or behavioral disorders. Based on educator interviews, the author discusses ways to communicate about learners through Response to Intervention models from two Midwestern school districts. The models provide ideas for identifying and monitoring…

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a student controlled computer program for high school mathematics based on instruction principles derived from Schoenfeld's theory of problem solving. The computer program allows students to choose problems and to make use of hints during different episodes of solving problems. Crucial episodes are:…

This study explored the enhancement of comprehension of expository text by three specific types of embedded explication--etymological, causal, and analogical--together with momentum effects from sequencing. Four factors were examined: (1) the experimental effects of presenting the section of the script containing explications of new terms before…

A study examined two 1989 basal reading series' (published by McGraw Hill and Holt) readiness/priming sequences in order to ascertain the theoretical bases of each and then compared the findings with those of an earlier study. All pages of the readiness/priming sequence student texts and workbooks of both basal reading series were analyzed using…

The study sought to identify effective procedures for facilitating initial imitative vocal behavior in mentally retarded children, thus accelerating the initial stages of language acquisition. Three groups of Down syndrome children ages 6 months to 4 years (N=15) served as subjects in an examination of the relative effectiveness of three…

A study was conducted: (1) to determine the proportion of average 6th-grade students who, when given prompts, could produce an incipient form of dialectical reasoning; and (2) to test a unit of instruction developed to teach dialectical reasoning as an appropriate learning strategy for exploring public controversies. It was hypothesized that if…

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of several techniques for teaching reading to students with mental disabilities. Basic considerations include the following facts: (1) the effectiveness of the teacher is more important than the teaching method used, and (2) the teacher's view of reading should match the reading approach…

To examine the influence of two variables--prompting versus confirmation, and verbalization--on learning, 60 high school subjects used programed instruction under six randomly assigned treatment conditions to learn to write computer programs. The rules group periodically wrote out the programing rules; the naming group subjects named the rules;…

Describes a project that heightens teacher awareness of research on four types of beneficial classroom practices: (1) use of wait time when asking students questions, (2) attention to academic learning time, (3) use of prompting or cuing, and (4) use of reinforcement when questioning students. (SKC)

A brief inservice program followed by supervisory prompts and feedback provided to 39 education staff in 21 classrooms serving 152 severely handicapped students was consistently accompanied by increased student involvement in functional educational tasks. Improved services continued throughout a two-year follow-up period. (Author/JW)