In order to make information about technical writing more available, the South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA) has collected the papers not subject to copyright restrictions that were presented at the technical writing section of its 1987 meeting. The essays cover a wide range of topics in technical writing pedagogy and research. The…

A study examined the quantity and quality of ideas produced in freshman composition students' writing to determine whether computer assisted instruction (CAI) stimulates invention as well as or better than current invention instruction in traditional classrooms. Two CAI programs were used: QUEST, the systematic program that examines an item/event…

To determine which produced the most accurate item parameter estimates, four methods of item response theory were evaluated: (1) heuristic estimates; (2) the ANCILLES program; (3) the LOGIST program; and (4) the ASCAL program. LOGIST and ASCAL produced estimates of superior and essentially equivalent accuracy. (SLD)

The efficacy of an educational intervention in teaching medical students to select optimal diagnostic data consistent with the competing-hypotheses heuristic and Bayes' theorem when solving clinical problems was examined. The results suggest that some problem-solving skills can be enhanced or learned independent of the acquisition of content…

Appraises the computer as a prewriting aid. Evaluates both the quality and quantity of ideas produced by various invention techniques and programs, and compares results of similar studies by Hugh Burns and Helen Schwartz. (NKA)

Discusses a means of differentiating pedagogical materials on the basis of heuristics and theory. Discusses and evaluates three pedagogies that locate their heuristics in (1) form, (2) context, and (3) method, and suggests that materials combining pedagogies are the most adaptable. (FL)

Describes a read-listen-discuss heuristic that uses several stimuli to evoke a particular set of desired responses. (HOD)

Describes a thinking skills program in Oklahoma that has brought about a significant rise in achievement test scores. Teaching strategies are based on the premise that students learn new things based on the resemblance between new and familiar words and ideas. (TE)

This report analyzes the discursive interactions of four students to understand what heuristic methods they develop as well as how and why they build isomorphisms to resolve a combinatorial problem set in a non-Euclidian context. The findings suggest that results of their heuristic actions lead them to build isomorphisms that in turn allow them to…

Heuristic evaluation is a methodology for investigating the usability of software originally developed by Nielsen (1993, 2000). Nielsen's protocol was modified and refined for evaluating e-learning programs by participants in a doctoral seminar held at the University of Georgia in 2001. The modifications primarily involved expanding Nielsen's…

Describes a method that was used as a supervision and teaching tool to assist student counselors in developing client conceptualization skills. Describes the Inverted Pyramid Heuristic method, providing case illustrations. Discusses applications of the method to supervision and training. (KW)

Proposes a method for protein name extraction from biological texts. The method exploits hand-crafted rules based on heuristics and a set of protein names (dictionary). The approach avoids use of natural language processing tools so as to improve processing speed. Evaluation experiments were conducted in terms of: accuracy, generalizability, and…

Describes a heuristic conceit, "the writer's stance," to help students overwhelmed by the complexity and possibilities of a writing task regain control of the process. Stresses the need for writers to select vantage points and frames of analysis for their academic writings. (SR)

Seven papers on creativity and creativity research are presented. Topics covered include ordinary creativity, cognitive views of creativity (creative teaching for creative learning), immunizing children against the negative effects of reward, creative leadership, creativity and instructional technology, heuristics for empirical research on…

Reports on an investigation of whether or not persuasive writers actually can engineer a match between their stylistic and organizational intentions and their readers' perceptions of those elements of a text. Finds that a consistent writer/reader perceptual match can be achieved. (MS)