This study of the effectiveness of a multimedia course in plant anatomy shows a highly significant improvement in the capacity to answer final examination questions which involve problem solving, and a correlation between this improvement and the strategies used in small group teaching. Data, references, and notes are provided. (Author/JEG)

This response to an article on recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education identified by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood raises concerns about the characteristics of the validation sample, the discrepancy between acceptance and use of recommended practices, and implications for…

This response to an article on recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education identified by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood raises concerns about consensus as a legitimate method for identifying recommended practices, the significance of inclusion of a practice, and separation of…

This paper reviews literature on evaluating allegations of child sexual abuse, to determine whether there are systematic and significant differences on psychological tests between sexually abused and nonabused children, and whether these differences are a direct result of sexual abuse or a result of other coexisting factors that might cause…

In their book, IQ and the Wealth of Nations, Lynn and Vanhanen ([Lynn, R. and Vanhanen, T. (2002). IQ and the wealth of nations. Westport, CT: Praeger.]) proposed the hypothesis that "the intelligence of the populations has been a major factor responsible for the national differences in economic growth and for the gap in per capita income between…

The Psychological well being Inventory (PWBI) is a multidimensional instrument that has enjoyed widespread use in a variety of research initiatives, from small-scale studies to national surveys. Recent empirical investigation of the measure has raised questions about its validity. This study examines the factorial validity of the Environmental…

The Concept Shifting Test (CST) is a newly developed Trail Making Type test that measures concept shifting and executive functioning. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether CST performance was affected by age, gender, educational level, or handedness and to establish the normal range of test performance. The CST was…

This instructional note describes the successful application and adaptation of teacher-student conference techniques as suggested by Donald M. Murray in his book "A Writer Teaches Writing." Athanasourelis states that while he believes that Murray overestimates students' abilities when he describes the conference process as "the working talk of…

This guide provides a brief overview of the issues involved in the validation process. It was developed for evaluators of adult education projects, such as 310 projects. The guide is organized in three sections. The first section discusses the rationale for validation. The second section describes the characteristics of validation models. The…

The report discusses issues regarding the validation of the child count data prepared by states to comply with P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It also proposes a validation procedure to assure the accuracy of the counts. The validatiion process is conceptualized, and steps in conducting an adequate state census are…

The distribution of academic programs in Connecticut as of July 1984 and recent trends in program approval are reviewed. Attention is focused on planned curricula that award certificates or degrees and that comprise five groupings: behavioral and social sciences, general and interdisciplinary studies, humanities, occupational/professional studies,…

The handbook is intended to assist evaluators working with preschool model demonstration projects funded by the Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP). Background on HCEEP is provided, and the function of evaluation within the network is emphasized. A section on planning evaluations deals with such aspects as focusing, planning…

Two surveys of educational professionals in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington sought, first, to assemble criteria to test the validity and "exportability" of potentially exemplary educational programs and, second, to develop a measurement instrument to perform such validations. In each survey the respondents rated the acceptability…

The analysis and description of four manpower nursing requirements models-- the Pugh-Roberts, the Vector, the Community Systems Foundation (CSF), and the Western Interstate Commission of Higher Education (WICHE)--are presented in this report. The introduction provides an overview of the project which was designed to analyze these different models.…

This document contains the general policy statement of the Nebraska State Board of Education and the Nebraska Council on Teacher Education relative to effective programs of teacher education. Approved institutions, upon application for each program for which approval is being sought, are given approval of one year which may be extended upon the…