Describes the Prism Awards program sponsored by The Kids Netword, designed to encourage original thought and creativity in Canadian children ages 7-14 who aspire to become professional writers. A training program that winners participate in to develop their writing talent is described, and a sidebar provides thoughts from a winner of the program.…

This study found that, following a systematic fading of putting guides, three adults with severe/profound mental retardation increased accuracy in making putts during posttraining assessments on a practice green. Results also maintained at, or increased above, posttraining levels at a two-week maintenance check and were generalized to a local golf…

Considers the role and effectiveness of virtual reality in simulation-based training. The theoretical and practical implications of verity, integration, and natural versus artificial interface are discussed; a three-dimensional classification scheme for virtual reality is described; and the relationship between virtual reality and other…

Three adolescents with severe mental retardation were trained to request snacks from visible three-item snack sets. During subsequent stimulus control assessment sessions, one subject requested food items when no food items were present, two frequently requested a missing item when the two other items were visible, and all subjects requested…

Describes a Missouri school district's recruiting, training, and retention strategies for school bus drivers. Includes an employer reference checklist and an applicant review form. (MLF)

Interviews with trainers in 23 engineering firms confirmed the relationship between innovative training and ability to cope with skills shortages. Strategies identified were (1) evangelical, involving active outreach, direct relevance, and incentive; and (2) pastoral, characterized by education, support, and facilitation. (SK)

This study investigated the effects of teaching sociodramatic scripts on interactions among three triads, each containing two typical preschool children and one child with autistic characteristics. Results supported the inclusion of systematic training of scripts to enhance interaction among children with and without disabilities during…

This study examined a system for fading teacher prompts to children who served as peers in peer-initiation interventions for young children with disabilities (n=6). Results indicated that social interaction continued at the levels found during intervention and was maintained during a short maintenance period. (Author/DB)

A model was developed to prepare specialists in orientation and mobility (O&M) who work with people with visual impairments, with the specialists in turn training and supervising O&M assistants. The project developed curriculum guidelines, training methods, a national workshop, and regional seminars. (DB)

Lists international and regional centers of activity that relate to education and training technology. Areas of interest, services, keywords, research and development, and publications are included for international centers and regional centers in Africa, Asia and Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, and South and Central America. (LRW)

Describes centers of activity in the United States that relate to educational and training technology organized into two sections--universities and colleges listed by state and other organizations with an interest in education and training. Areas of interest, keywords, services, research and development, and publications are listed. (LRW)

This study found that use of a simultaneous prompting procedure was effective in training expressive object identification to three preschool students with developmental delays. The acquired identifications were maintained up to three weeks and generalized across persons and materials at high rates. (Author/JDD)

A correction procedure, including interruption, physical guidance, verbal instruction, and repetition, was used to train five students with severe/profound mental retardation to reject unmatching referents to their gesture mands. Trainers are urged to assess student response when items not matching the referent of a prior request are offered.…

Presents a job aid for determining test-item format called TIFAID (Test Item Format Job Aid), based on adequately constructed instructional objectives. The four sections of the job aid are described: (1) a task classification system; (2) task-related questions; (3) a flowchart; and (4) a tips and techniques guide. (Contains four references.) (LRW)

Discusses the need to evaluate the effectiveness of games and simulations that are used for training and educational purposes. Evaluation criteria are described, including validity, reliability, and utility; methods of measuring training device effectiveness are explained; and problems encountered with evaluations are discussed. (30 references)…