The underlying reasons for muddled definitions of emotional disturbance and their resultant befuddled diagnostic processes are discussed in terms of four factors: (1) the impact of theory, (2) societal diversity, (3) benchmarks for decision making, and (4) instrumentation. The author presents a method for diagnosis that is practical, functional,…

Discusses several points made by Keegan in an article of the same title which appeared in "Distance Education" in March 1980 and also classifies the different types of distance education and their respective philosophies and teaching requirements. (EAO)

The evolution of terms, including disability labels in special education, is traced from a social and legal context. The educational implications of the concept of least restrictive environment, and specifically its difficulties when applied to severely/profoundly retarded students, are noted. (CL)

The paper advances a framework for defining the physical and emotional neglect of the mentally handicapped and offers an expanded definition which facilitates gathering data on environments provided by primary caregivers of mentally retarded children and adults. (SB)

After initial efforts to maintain the traditional posture toward learning disabilities in the rewriting of the Rehabilitation Comprehensive Services and Developmental Disabilities Amendments of 1978 (P.L. 95-602), the Rehabilitation Services Administration yielded to a new conceptualization which will now allow the severely LD access to…

The literature reviewed on the relationship of child abuse to mental retardation is said to suggest a higher incidence of mental retardation for abused children than might be expected in the general population. Implications are drawn for the expanded role of educators in prevention, identification, and treatment. (Author)

Examines a recent study of children's definitions of classroom work and play and discusses the implications of the findings for curriculum and teaching. Findings show that children in kindergarten call required work activities, work, and voluntary ones, play. Fifth graders define play as any activity, voluntary or required, which is pleasurable.…

Competence is seen as a cause of effective performance, not a synonym for it. Teaching and assessing competence may be different than teaching and assessing academic skills. Competence can be measured, but its measurement depends first on its definition. (Author/MLW)

The author explores the complex meanings of "education,""career," and "work" as they are used in career education discussions and proposals. (Ed/MM)

Functional literacy for inmates is that critical threshold in learning which enables a person to become an autonomous individual capable of reflecting on his/her circumstances and transforming the self and behavior. Once on 'the outside,' the conditions which led to incarceration can hopefully be recognized and avoided. (Author)

Discusses the role of the lexicographer in assisting the translator and the technical writer and in vocabulary control. (AM)

Describes a study examing 34 introductory psychological statistics texts for their usage and definitions of the terms "random sample" and "simple random sampling." Results showed a high percentage of conceptual errors. (CK)

The author examines the view of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Morris Weitz that an object is "art" if it shares characteristics with other objects already called "art." Asserting that such a definition provides the art teacher no standards for judging student work, he proposes the use of teacher-constructed, honorific definitions. (SJL)

It is posited that varying uses of the words "values" and "ethics" signify important clashes of opinion about the proper subject matter, scope, and goals of teaching about normative prescriptive judgements and theories. (MJB)

The authors clarify the definition of cognitive styles and identify important areas of concern in the field. (MJB)