This paper first gives a historical overview of mosaics, discussing mosaic masks made by the Aztecs and floor mosaics made by the Greeks, as well as the Roman mosaics at Pompeii and the Byzantine decorative mosaics exemplified by those at Ravenna. The paper then elaborates on children's mosaic making observed during research conducted between 1986…

In research on classroom discourses, case studies have been used to describe the dynamics of effective and ineffective instruction. In other research, quantitative studies have identified global features of such discourse. The research reported here combined the advantages of both methods, investigating how generally effective classroom discourse…

This case study of artist/researcher Ursula Kolbe was undertaken in 1998 to extend understanding of the complexity of the process of teaching and learning in respect to children's interactions with visual arts materials. The following questions prompted the research: how does a teacher who is also an artist work with young children? and does a…

Naturalistic observation was used to investigate the occurrence of behaviors reflecting social competence and information processing in problem solving within educational computing environments. Forty-eight first and third graders were observed working in pairs on the computer. Findings indicate that a LOGO programing environment is superior to…

It is vital that librarians know the assumptions and principles of information-seeking behavior, make observations of themselves and users, and analyze failed reference interactions. They can make the human factor a strength rather than a limitation in the seeking and sharing of information. (Author/JMV)

Summarizes year one of a two-year study of peer harassment in eight New York State schools. Most adolescents find school a harassing experience. Three types of students report being harassed: girls viewed as unattractive or unstylish dressers, physically well-developed girls, and non-macho boys. Educators must intervene to create more caring…

Describes a project at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign that explored several models of teleapprenticeships to provide teacher education students with collaborative, constructivist learning models through the use of electronic networks, and to integrate instructional computer experiences within the teacher education process. (five…

A one-year project was conducted by the Training, Enterprise, and Education Directorate to evaluate the effectiveness of a learning program at a northwest England Skillcenter for developing nonmanual skills in unemployed adults. Interviews with 30 trainees and training workplace observations identify strengths and weaknesses of this continually…

Describes a study that investigated the interaction of learning-disabled students and their teachers with instructional elements of commercial courseware. The relationship of courseware design to student independence and motivation is discussed, implications for improving courseware design are noted, and ideas for further research are suggested.…

The incorrect Humean notion of causation in the standard view of science has had devastating effects on social science research. Alternatively, scientific realism, as illustrated in R. Bhaskar's work, provides a scientific framework for research, incorporates the perceptions and intentions of participants, and advances critical values (i.e.,…

An ethnographic approach with added quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis was used to study the extent and nature of technology-based materials in 15 elementary school mathematics classrooms. The blend of methods provided rich and varied information and gave insights either type of analysis could not provide alone. (SLD)

This study focused on French and U.S. mother-infant dyads interacting in their homes. Infants' visual attention, tactual exploration, vocalization and mothers' mediated and unmediated stimulation and speech to infants were observed. Mothers and infants in the two cultures showed some similarities and some different emphases in their activities,…

Compares activities and interactions of Japanese and American mothers and their five-month-old infants in their natural home settings from a macroanalytic viewpoint in terms of mothers' verbal and visual stimulation of infants and infants' visual and tactual exploration and vocalization. (Author/BB)

In the context of a project implementing Belgian observation and assessment scales in German kindergartens, a study examined German practitioners' attitudes toward systematic observation of children. The most significant overall finding was the low priority attributed to systematic observation in teacher training and practice. These findings are…

A study examined the effects of combining naturalistic teaching and peer-mediated tactics to address the developmental skills of 10 preschoolers with autism. Compared to naturalistic tactics only, the involvement of typical peers resulted in a substantial increase in the duration and rate of skills addressed during each teaching episode.…