Uses two studies to examine developmental and task effects in estimation problems. Results are discussed in terms of student and task characteristics and the implications of such variables on information processing model of learning. Implications for science teaching, learning problem diagnostics, and science curricula are also discussed. (TW)

Discusses the benefits of five short science courses offered to middle school age children and their parents. Reports on the participants' reactions, two to three years after taking the courses, to the course experiences, the influence of the courses on learning behavior, and the relationship between the parents and their children. (TW)

A study identified adult learning principles critical for effective Web-based instructional design (WBID), barriers to effective WBID, and practices of professionals who design WBID. National experts in adult education and WBID were interviewed, and the resulting product was an online assessment that 10 Web-based instructional designers completed.…

A study researched the impact of the portfolio development process as an instructional strategy that promotes increased critical thinking, organization, communication, and self-reflection abilities. The inquiry began with a case study of eight adult learners representative of the student population of a nontraditional undergraduate program with a…

Adults may seek out learning at different times in their lives, for different reasons, and for vastly different purposes. Some of the reasons are to achieve pre-determined goals; to fill education gaps; to explore options and make choices; to develop personally; to perform a job or role better; or to enhance employment prospects. Learning itself…

An instructor and her students used questions to plan, teach, and assess a lesson in a Family Literacy/General Educational Development (GED) program. The class identified that their families should lose weight and exercise more to have healthier hearts. They focused on the area of responsibility, called Promote Family Members' Growth and…

Many organizations are not satisfied that their methods of evaluating training are rigorous or extensive enough to answer questions of value to them. Complaints about Kirkpatrick's popular four-step model (1959) of training evaluation are that each level is assumed to be associated with the previous and next levels and that the model is too simple…

This action research project evaluated a program to improve student motivation, attendance rate, percent of homework returned, and student academic growth. The targeted population was a seventh-grade class in a middle school in north central Illinois. The problem of inadequate student motivation was documented by means of attendance rates,…

This study examines thought, language, and related action in sixth-graders working to understand concepts related to mass, volume, and density. Students from a heterogeneous urban classroom worked in various social contexts including individually, in pairs, in groups of four, and as a class. Their work was examined via videotapes, field notes,…

This guide is intended for individuals and groups who are interested in developing resource material for highly participatory, small, democratic adult discussion groups that are based soundly on adult learning principles. Suggestions are provided for preparing learning circle material that will be balanced, authoritative, and help people in…

One of the critical elements of effective schools developed as a result of recent reform efforts and restructuring processes was the concept of learning communities and learning circles. This short paper discusses learning communities and learning circles. It defines learning communities as "a fellowship of learners in which the teachers in a…

This guide provides specific strategies for improving language and culture learning prior to spending time abroad. It begins with three surveys to help people recognize how they currently learn languages and culture. Section 1, "Culture-Learning Strategies," offers a pre-departure unit: "You as a Culturally Diverse Person"; "Understanding the Ways…

A conceptual framework for further education (FE) outlines a design for the future of FE curriculum in Victoria. This framework needs to consider shaping influences--political, economic, technological, and cultural considerations--and educational debates---humans as learners, models of knowledge and learning, and educational practices. A close…

Confronted with the pressure of a rapidly changing environment, organizations demand new skills and capabilities of future managers. These demands and the findings of learning theory necessitate a corresponding change in education of tomorrow's managers. Future management education requires a balance between the imparting of knowledge to the…

This document is intended to assist adult educators in helping their students develop the confidence and test-taking skills required to overcome test anxiety. Section 1 contains the following items: an instrument designed to help students privately assess their standing on the anxiety scale; a play which explores flashing back to earlier negative…