Recent research on how college students learn and what constitutes an effective educational experience is reviewed, and implications for bringing about desired changes in the undergraduate experience are discussed. Topics examined include students' ability to reason with abstractions, development of moral values, extent to which the curriculum and…

Describes the School Enrichment Model (SEM), a systematic set of strategies for increasing student effort, enjoyment, and performance and for integrating varied advanced learning experiences and higher-order thinking skills into existing curriculum or school organization patterns. SEM enhances three key school-improvement dimensions: the act of…

Discusses opportunities for interactive learning on the World Wide Web for elementary and secondary school students. Highlights include active learning Web sites; telecollaborative learning; simulations; tools and resources; technology issues; small group collaboration; student privacy; and an annotated bibliography of applicable Web sites. (LRW)

Describes the construction and evaluation of a Web-based learning portfolio of authentic assessment. Discusses the design of the portfolio database; its implementation in a course at National Taipei University of Technology (Taiwan); and student opinions about the impact on the learning process. (Author/LRW)

Presents four case studies to examine how first and second graders worked together using source texts to write their own informational books. Concludes that all four pairs of students were successful in many ways. Notes how the students saw themselves as experts, and were able to see firsthand how important reading and writing were in their…

Examines two rating scales for assessment of oral proficiency and judges both as inadequate because they are based on an untenable theory of the development of proficiency in a second language and on mistaken intuitions about oral interaction. The paper concludes with a discussion of an architectural, context-dependent theory of second-language…

Describes metacognitive processing strategies employed by nonnative readers of German who read and recalled authentic texts. Findings indicate that second-language readers of German engage in metacognition, using the following strategies: awareness of text format and attention to trivial detail, and an ability to monitor comprehension and identify…

Presents the results of research into language acquisition in technology-based environments, discusses how these results allow second-language educators to develop conceptual bases for second-language learning and teaching, and demonstrates the framework of optimal learning environments that has served as a model for a college…

Discussion of interactive multimedia instructional systems focuses on interactive multimedia courseware (IMMCW) and offers a conceptual framework for its design. Highlights include interactivity among students, instructors, and computers; instructional objectives accomplished using IMMCW; Gagne's events of instruction; learning effectiveness; and…

Focuses on the effect of using a second language in the classroom and the series of mental situations created in the listener in this environment. The second entry in this section discusses what is required in a student who listens to the news in a foreign language on a daily basis as presented by Radio Canada. (CK)

Studied number use in language by preschool children and their mothers during cooking experiences. Found that although children used a variety of number words, mothers made greater use of number words than did children. Strong relationship between reciprocal numeracy episodes (between mother and child) and child's number use suggests that adult…

Describes a teacher's experience with students during their first- and second-grade years. Claims that meaningful learning in a variety of curricular areas occurs when children are interested in a topic. Suggests that teachers capitalize on these situations and create learning experiences that reflect those outside the classroom. Suggests the use…

Discusses the impact of computer-supported cooperative work tools in the creation of educational environments and the facilities such tools bring to teaching methods, and examines the relationship between new techniques and the learner-centered, active learning approach in higher education. The importance of collaborative learning in this context…

Today's "digital child" has never known a time bereft of computers, change, or easy communication systems. Computers and other technologies have irreversibly transformed kids' learning environment, temperament, and conceptions of work and playtime, relationships, location, technological advancement, relevant knowledge, and flexibility. (MLH)

Explores how technology can provide students with cognitive tools that can be used to create knowledge. Defines knowledge and addresses the processes that mediate knowledge construction. Summarizes the conceptions of technology and how technology can influence student learning. Considers the implications technology has for education. (CMK)