For those who attended the course, there was a significant increase in knowledge. However, none of the three groups changed significantly in level of guilt or number of concerns. An eight-session course may be too short to impact on these variables. (Author)

The biasing effects of a pretest on subsequent post-test results were investigated in two experimental studies. In general, the results argue for using designs without pretests. (Author/JKS)

Two experiments involving 226 college students were conducted to determine the relative effectiveness of increasing students' incentive motivation for studying and prescribing a text-processing strategy for them to use in studying. Findings suggest that the use of students' acquired learning strategies depends on their motivational levels. (SLD)

This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effect of being diagnosed with a learning disability on elementary school children's self-esteem. Findings indicated that self-esteem increased significantly above prediagnosis of a learning disability while self-esteem levels in a control group of children without learning disabilities…

Item-preequating and random groups designs were used to equate forms of the American College Testing Assessment Mathematics Test for over 36,000 students. Equipercentile and three-parameter logistic model item response theory (IRT) procedures were used for both designs. The pretest methods did not compare well with the random groups method. (SLD)

Describes study of undergraduates that examined uses and effects of learner control of the context or theme of practice examples on a computer-based statistics lesson in combination with the number of examples examined. Student attitudes are discussed, and correlations between learner characteristics and task outcomes are examined. (38 references)…

Forty-three preschool children with language, behavioral, and learning difficulties were administered the Children's Analogical Thinking Modifiability Test, which uses a test-teach-test approach. The group receiving difficulty-contingent, individualized instruction (referred to as mediation) performed significantly better on the posttest, while…

Investigated the range and limits of cognitive reserve capacity as a general approach to the understanding of age differences in cognitive functioning. Group differences were magnified by training to such a degree that age distributions barely overlapped at posttests. The testing-the-limits approach promises increased understanding of cognitive…

A study investigated the effects of an instructional design based on schema theory and of concept organizers on presentation of technical concepts and skill acquisition and retention in four secondary industrial arts classes. Pretest posttest and criterion-referenced test results suggested that concept organizers and schema-organized presentations…

Describes a study of undergraduates that was designed to assess the independent and interactive effects of emotional arousal and emotional valence on viewers' cognitive capacity and memory for television messages. Highlights include emotional processing and memory, emotion and cognitive capacity, pretests and posttests, and hypotheses tested.…

Students in three fifth grade classes were pretested on identification and correction of errors in written composition. Instruction on revision was provided to instructional groups differing only in tools used for editing: paper and pencil, word processing, or a combination. Attitude questionnaire and posttest results indicated less positive…

Undergraduates in a computer literacy class were pretested on analogical reasoning skills. One section then received LOGO programing instruction, and the other section received nonprograming instruction on computer uses in education. Posttest results indicated that analogical reasoning skills development is a consequence of LOGO programing and…

Discussion of children's comprehension of television focuses on a study in the United Kingdom that examined whether a successful course of television literacy could be developed for use with students from 5 to 12 years old. Treatments of experimental and control groups are explained, and correlations to other media are examined. (29 references)…

Effects of social facilitation and equilibriation were examined for 80 third and fourth graders working under interdependent, coactive, or individualized conditions to complete high and low complexity computer tasks. Results indicate that interdependent and coactive conditions are not detrimental to performance but do not enhance individualized…

Discusses computer-based learning environments and presents results of empirical research on ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) college students' work within a learning environment designed to help with elements of grammar. Topics addressed include illocutionary versus nonillocutionary natural language learning environments and correlations…