Describes a study of the effects on second language attrition of attitudes, motivations, and reported language use by learners during a six-month period after the completion of an intensive French course. (SED)

The results of this issue's series of articles are summarized, and implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. Initial academic achievement was the strongest predictor of student achievement. The impact of attentiveness, motivation, student background, sex, and time on task were also described. (GDC)

Adapting teaching materials and strategies to the learning preferences of each child can make a difference in how well and how much students learn. Steps in introducing strategies based on learning styles into an elementary school are described, and recommendations are provided for initiating a learning styles program. (TE)

This study examined the factors that best predict which elementary school children will transfer out of a French immersion program. Learner characteristics, teacher and parent evaluations, and family background were examined. Analyses suggest that attitudinal and motivational factors are of primary importance to the continuation of second-language…

Eight steps of the skill training process and 10 rules of learning psychology are discussed as techniques for increasing training effectiveness. The eight steps are: include preevaluate, plan, prepare, present, perform, practice, evaluate performance, and follow up. The 10 rules concern motivation, use of the senses, receptivity, association,…

Examines the cognitive, academic, social psychological, and linguistic consequences of transferring poor achieving English-speaking students out of French immersion programs. Data suggest that the child's basic cognitive and affective characteristics rather than factors associated with language of instruction influence academic achievement, as…

To better appreciate the role computer-assisted video instruction serves in education, this article examines the major features of the individual component technologies--computer assisted instruction, film, videotape, and videodisc; discusses potential effects and pitfalls of computer-assisted video instruction; and reviews research on its…

Compares and contrasts distance education and face-to-face education in terms of selected psychological dimensions, i.e., organization and learning, motivation, learning and communication processes, didactic activities and materials, and evaluation and feedback. Psychological aspects of distance education that may be favorable to learning are also…

Ten working guidelines for use in developing educational software programs present standards evolved by one courseware producer for program content, learner motivation, the learning environment, educational objectives, field testing, learner control of the learning experience, monitoring and reviewing learner's activities, documentation, accuracy…

Reviews general principles of adult learning; describes nature of the adult learner as suggested by the current literature; provides suggestions for the design of learning programs for adults; and reviews the implications of accepting ideas about motivation derived from adult learning theories for colleges and staff engaged in correspondence…

Differences in the mastery motivation levels and approval needs of children, ages four and eight, were investigated. Two groups of 32 children each worked on puzzle tasks in one of two conditions: (1) verbal reinforcement or (2) nonreinforcement. Younger children needed more reinforcement than older children. (Author/BS)

A schema for categorizing a student's inferred motivation to learn was tested with 37 students (9 to 18 years old), who had been referred because of a diagnosis of learning disability. Students were classified on three dimensions: level of motivation, degree of misbehavior, and degree of learning ability. (SW)

An intensive study of nine elementary classrooms over a three-month period was conducted to analyze the extent to which teaching and learning behaviors change when computers are used for instruction. Findings are reported for both directive (computer-assisted instruction) and interactive (programing) learning experiences. (TE)

Globalization and technology are two of the many drivers that impact today's education locally and internationally. The purpose of the research study was to identify how online learners in Korea and the U.S. perceived online learning motivation differently and what learner characteristics and cultural orientation affected the online learners'…

This study examined why preschool, kindergarten, and 4th grade students had poor comprehension of a second language. The reasons for this were threefold: learning a second language is not essential to a child's life at these ages; they are not motivated to learn a second language on their own; and it was widely thought that learning a second…