Data collected through a time sampling procedure of eight staff and six resident behaviors indicated that licensed residential units for the mentally retarded were just as derelict as unlicensed units in providing habilitative programing for their retarded residents. (Author)

The effectiveness of using video replays to judge gymnastics vaulting was examined by determining reliability of judges' scores and comparing mean scores for original (live) vaults and replays. Statistical analyses suggest that variability of scores was greater after the live vault, and that judges' reliability may be enhanced by replays.…

Studies in applied behavior analysis have used two expressions of reliability for human observations: percentage agreement and correlational techniques (including the phi coefficient). Formulas for converting percentage agreement scores to phi coefficients and vice versa are presented. (Author/RL)

The article describes an evaluation procedure that observes the child's ability to use specific learning strategies. By extending on and manipulating initial responses, the procedures help determine the amount of interaction needed to influence a child's performance and identify the kinds of instructional interactions that exercise control over…

The Teacher-Student Instructional Interaction Observation System was designed for use by supervising teachers, educational consultants, and psychologists to provide teachers with feedback for improving the learning of low functioning, visually impaired students. (Author)

Data reported here were gathered in three educational research settings (a single school, a school district, and a research center/school district team). Described are perceptions of subjects of ethnographic observation (teachers, administrators, and program coordinators) regarding ethnographic techniques, the roles of ethnographers, and their own…

In this study the responses of 40 one to two and a half-year olds to social messages congruent across the visual and auditory channels and discrepant social messages were measured. (CM)

This study investigated the parameters of the smile as a signal. (Subjects were 733 adults of both sexes.) It was hypothesized for adults that gender influences rates of smiling, that smiles effectively elicit smile responses and that a social milieu increases smile responses. (MS)

Discusses the utility of heart rate recordings in several areas of research: (1) construct validation, (2) determination of the functional or adaptive significance of behaviors, (3) observation and hypothesis generation, and (4) assessment of process and outcome in the treatment of artistic children. (Author/SB)

A total of 204 male and female subjects rated an infant's emotional responses to four arousing stimuli. Half of the subjects were told they were observing a "boy" and the other half a "girl". Significant differences in responding were found by sex attributed to the child, sex of rater, and the rater's experience with young children. (Author/JMB)

The behavior of an autistic child (5 years old) was observed in three settings, over approximately 6 months. (Author/SBH)

A two-step procedure is proposed for detecting behavioral patterns in observational data in evaluation research. Latent class analysis is used to derive a classification of single observations at the variable level. The second step uses the probabilities that each observation falls into latent classes to derive behavioral preference scores. (SLD)

Discusses steps for Head Start staff and parents to observe child behaviors indicating possible undetected vision problems. Describes activities to test children's visual skills involving fixation, movement of both eyes inward, shift of gaze, and visual tracking of an object. Provides a checklist of unusual vision behaviors and tips for assisting…

Addresses the problems associated with deliberation: (1) hyperindividualism; (2) limited public dialog; and (3) increased hegemony of science and technology. Describes the naturalistic evaluation model used in rural Kentucky to critique the application of the National Issues Forum methodology. (JOW)

Investigated the collaborative efforts by way of desktop video conferencing between beginning instructional designers and intern teachers. Discusses the impact of a real-world context for designing instruction on beginning instructional designers and the opportunity for intern teachers to experiences the process of instructional design, and…