Twenty-nine elementary special education teachers each monitored 2 students with mild disabilities using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) for 16 weeks. Students whose teachers implemented CBM more accurately made significantly greater math gains than students whose teachers either implemented CBM less accurately or who did not use CBM. Adequacy…

A study of 71 Michigan State University medical school students in their first semester of a problem-based curriculum found that students' initial dependence on tutors progressed to an emphasis on learning resources. This result was congruent with the theoretical model of the dynamics of problem-based learning. (Author/MSE)

Describes an empirical evaluation that investigated the criteria by which designers of human-machine systems evaluate design information. Professional designers of nuclear power plant control rooms rated hypothetical information search questions in terms of relevance, importance, cost, and effort based on Rouse's model of information search…

The evolution and design of an interdisciplinary honors course at the University of Maryland at College Park are described. The course, on knowledge and its human consequences, brings together faculty experts, "teacher-learner" faculty, and first-year honors students to explore different kinds of knowledge and their philosophical,…

This article examines the debate over reform of doctoral education in biomedicine and concludes that the two solutions most advocated are flawed, and that the broad nonscientific education some would like to see in the graduate curriculum is most appropriate in the undergraduate years. More rigorous graduate education, not job-related training, is…

Describes two-generation programs and how they differ from earlier single-focus approaches to serve children and families. Results from six programs are reviewed and indicate mixed and modest success in promoting the development of children and improving the parenting skills and economic self-sufficiency of parents. Recommendations are presented…

Describes the evolution of methods used in selecting students for the University of Southern California dental school's problem-based learning (PBL) program, discussing changes in policy based on experience over the program's three years. Comparisons are made with admission processes at some other health sciences schools around the world that are…

Chronicles the effect of using a hypermedia learning (HL) model for graduate students to learn about hypermedia authoring for the creation of computer-based instruction (CBI). The model details how students feel and act in each of the five sequential stages: dependent, interested, involved, engaged, and independent. It also specifies expected…

Examines how students use evidence, determines when they add further ideas and claims, and measures progress in understanding light propagation. Uses the Scaffolded Knowledge Integration (SKI) instructional framework for design decisions. Discusses design studies that test and elaborate on the instructional framework. (Contains 33 references.)…

Describes how to design a Web portfolio system that teachers can use in learning assessment. Evaluation of the Web portfolio system by students indicates that the applied technologies help students control their learning processes through developing portfolios. Students also believe Web portfolios serve as an effective communication channel and…

"Bohr's Atomic Model" is a small interactive multimedia program that introduces the viewer to a simplified model of the atom. This interactive simulation lets students build an atom using an atomic construction set. The underlying design methodology for "Bohr's Atomic Model" is model-centered instruction, which means the central model of the…

Criticizes the research design in "The Small ICF/MR program: Dimensions of Quality and Cost" (Conroy), that found small Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) for individuals with mental retardation are inferior to other community programs. Discusses the problem in selecting a control group on the basis of pretest matching. (CR)

Features six articles on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems for schools. Examines how to avoid air temperature complaints when choosing a system; special system features; engineers, indoor air quality, and schools; mechanical systems noise in classrooms; operation and management issues related to design; and details on bids and…

A national survey on academic advising practices at 754 colleges and universities investigated organizational models for advising programs, prevalence of seven such models in institutions of varying types and sizes, and institutional practices regarding policy statements, program evaluations, and coordination of advising system. Three themes in…

An interactive videodisc (IVD) system enables a student to practice skills that would otherwise be too costly or dangerous to attempt. IVD designers, utilizing the principle of hypermedia, stimulate students with realistic imagery and sound and branching options. The computer is able to evaluate the student's entry skills, identify deficiencies,…