This paper describes a qualitative study of asynchronous electronic conferencing by three tutorial groups on the same postgraduate course ("Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Worldwide"), forming part of an MA in Applied Linguistics (via Distance Education) at the Open University, UK. The groups varied in the degree to which…

Mentoring is being embraced by many schools as a way to fill gaps in the lives of children classified as "at-risk." Several lines of research indicate that mentoring programs encouraging positive adult relationships with these students provide the support needed to help these children reach their full potential. Through a collaborative…

This manual was developed as part of a project that investigated the effectiveness of class-wide, peer-mediated reading instruction with middle grade students having mild disabilities and reading difficulties. It explains the procedures for introducing, implementing, and monitoring the project's version of sustained oral reading practice, in which…

An intervention designed to increase the reading skills, habits, and styles of low-performing elementary school students was implemented in the Dallas Independent School District (Texas). The issues surrounding implementation illustrate many of the problems of inner-city schooling and disadvantaged students and offer some solutions. The Reading…

Many of today's children fear school because of violence. Some children do not feel safe going to school, so they stay home. Others are growing up in dysfunctional families, and are not prepared for school or able to perform well at school. Parental help, which is needed at school when problems arise, may be lacking for these children. Among the…

The City of Austin (Texas) provided funds for a supplementary educational activity to involve at-risk minority high school students in water quality issues. The program encourages at-risk students to remain in school by providing an interesting and authentic activity to use in the development of academic skills. Program activities included testing…

This implementation manual has been developed to describe four model mathematics and science programs designed to increase African-American students' interest in mathematics and science. The manual will help affiliates of the Urban League to mobilize existing community resources to achieve the goals of the national education initiative. The four…

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based instruction (CBI) tutorial in accounting education as compared to traditional classroom lectures. In the first experiment (involving over 200 students), two instructors taught one class section each using the lecture method and one class section each using the…

A study investigated the effectiveness of general study skill enhancement on the learning of a second language. Subjects were high school students deficient in study skills. They were enrolled in an after-school cooperative study skill tutorial program. After diagnostic screening, students completed the intensive tutorial program using selected…

PRIDE (Providing Resources and Information Designed to Educate) is an after school tutorial project for Hispanic students, grades 7-9, attending the school district of Saginaw, Michigan. The project is intended to provide approximately 70 at-risk Hispanic junior high students with an after school center where they can go to receive help with their…

A mentor-assisted enrichment program was initiated in the 1981-82 school year for gifted/talented (GT) 6th and 7th graders in a public elementary school in Vancouver. The mentors were 11 pre-service teachers who used a "Four Phase Enrichment Model" to assist pairs of students to plan, carry out, complete, and then present an enrichment project to…

From August 1988 to June 1989, Rock Valley college, in cooperation with a local literacy council and the English Language Study Center, administered a project whose goal was to recruit, provide tutoring to, and provide English-as-a-Second-Language classes to employees at their place of employment. The project functioned well, with each partner…

During winter semester 1989, Monroe County Community College (MCCC) developed a Writing Fellows program and introduced a Writing Center into the Learning Assistance Lab (LAL). Both these iniatives were part of the school's writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) efforts which had been launched in fall 1987. Writing Fellows are specially-trained peer…

Computer-based technologies are rapidly changing fundamental concepts about texts and how students interact with and learn from those texts. Early use of microcomputers included drill and practice work, tutorial programs, and word processing. In conjunction with information storage devices like magnetic and laser disc, the microcomputer has also…

The six editions of the newsletter provide a forum for the sharing of research findings and instructional strategies by faculty of Western Michigan University. Topics addressed include: active learning; lecture variations; lecture techniques; grading student participation; leading discussions; overcoming silence; discussion challenges; course…