Provides an overview of cognitive task analysis-based instructional design (CTA-BID) and its applications in the design of instructional and testing materials for distance education. Reviews developments in education, psychology, and instructional design that complement CTA-BID. (Author/AEF)

Argues that there are no apparent methodological implications of feminist scholarship. Discusses feminist epistemological critiques of social science. Asserts that a feminist perspective can be incorporated into any research methodological tradition. (CFR)

From a sample of National Association for Vocational Special Needs Personnel members, 245 usable responses identified the following teacher beliefs: (1) at-risk students are capable of learning higher-order thinking; (2) special-needs students learn best linearly; (3) at-risk youth do not predictably transfer learning; and (4) realistic, relevant…

Examined hypothesis that cognitive misers (CM)--individuals low in the need for cognition--forego effortful message scrutiny with a presumably truthful communicator. Results showed that CMs depended more on message scrutiny when a knowledgeable source is of questionable honesty than when the source's honesty is clear. Other factors are discussed.…

A fluency therapy process for adolescents who stutter is described and illustrated by a case history that applies a four-stage process for structuring, targeting, adjusting, and regulating behaviors. The affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of fluency are considered, along with behavior techniques for eliciting a feeling of fluency…

Examined the relationship of maternal interaction and private speech to task performance, using a sample of four- and five-year-old children. Findings underscore the positive, self-regulatory function of private speech, highlight the role of adult communicative support in extending the child's competencies, and call attention to the cognitive and…

The freshman-year cognitive impacts of 5 2-year and 6 4-year colleges were studied for 3,840 students from 23 institutions. Evidence suggests a parity in the relative cognitive impacts of two- and four-year colleges that enroll first-year students of generally similar academic preparation. (SLD)

Picture naming in children was assessed as a function of two stimulus characteristics: the number of correct names for a picture and the degree to which a picture realistically represents the object. Two experiments showed that children named low-uncertainty objects faster than high-uncertainty objects with multiple correct names. Contains 50…

Study determined whether student teachers' self-talk differentially related to personality characteristics of locus of control and self-esteem. Subjects (n=69) recorded self-talk and completed personality assessments. They mainly engaged in negative, child-oriented, external self-talk. Those with high self-esteem and internal locus of control used…

Describes a telephone survey that investigated differences in information needs during the viewing of serious news programs (i.e., The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour) versus routine news (i.e., network news). Topics discussed include the role of the news media; types of television news; and television news program effects. (43 references) (LRW)

Describes a process approach to teaching and learning in preschool settings. The approach uses child-initiated play in a prepared environment, and encourages children's formation of symbolic mental representations through social interaction and mediation. Offers guidelines for the implementation of the process approach. (MM)

Discusses approaches to the problem presented in understanding consciousness as a yet undiscovered process of interacting neuron activity. Presents the historical context of research in the area of human awareness and identifies research necessary to scientifically explain how the brain relates to the mind. (MCO)

Discusses research findings that relate to teaching fractions for conceptual understanding. Gives teacher/student dialogues that illustrate the thought processes of students as they form part-whole and improper fraction concepts. (MDH)

This article introduces several papers which discuss chronic illnesses that are frequently associated with learning disabilities, noting the relationship between the disease's pathophysiology and learning disorders and, sometimes, between the treatment of the disease and learning effects. The four papers in the series in this issue are each…

Six validated principles of instruction are applied to the development of guidelines for using computerized instruction with students with special needs. The six principles are direct instruction, mastery learning, overlearning and automaticity, cooperative learning, monitoring student progress, and learning styles. A table lists guidelines for…