Focuses on the benefits provided by telecommunication and the adaptation of distance learning models in higher education. Argues that distance learning is cost-effective, time-effective, accessible, and flexible, and that varying student populations and a changing economy make distance education a vital new tool. (NB)

Reports on a study of critical thinking goals in senior capstone courses. Finds that: (1) independent research and group projects are the most effective methods to teach critical thinking, according to faculty; and (2) students felt that they expanded their intellectual curiosity and learned to think more effectively because of these courses.…

This is the second part of a two-part report of a study about the instruction of children who are learning or using both braille and print simultaneously (dual media). It explores the instructional methods and curricular decisions of teaching dual media to students with low vision and reports the students' current literacy levels and reading rates…

Is it possible simultaneously to enhance the academic quality of the student body and to increase its diversity? Assessments of creative and practical skills were given to college freshmen at thirteen varied institutions to supplement the SAT. Prediction of freshman-year GPA roughly doubled, and ethnic-group differences were substantially…

When autonomous adults are faced with challenging tasks within a nonstressful, collegial environment, they may have an optimal opportunity to learn. This paper asserts that educators should therefore consider strategies for infusing games with academic concepts. Guidelines are offered for conducting three games to stimulate thinking, active…

Active learning results in better comprehension and retention of course concepts than passive learning. Experiential exercises (EE's) are a valuable means of achieving the goals of active learning. Well conceived EE's require, among other things, that the student: (1) engage in the gathering of concept-related behavioral data; (2) write a report…

Using feature films to teach undergraduate psychology courses can promote active learning for several reasons. Films can reach students with a variety of learning styles, including those with a visual approach to learning. Also, students seem to enjoy commercial films and their use can help decrease levels of monotony from daily lectures. Feature…

This paper contains a variety of instructional strategies and a review of research related to different learning styles. A learning styles inventory, style profiles, and information regarding some types of activities for students with different learning styles are included. Two sample lesson plans introduce and describe the inductive learning…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on measurement and research tools for human resource development (HRD). "The 'Best Fit' Training: Measure Employee Learning Style Strengths" (Daniel L. Parry) discusses a study of the physiological aspect of sensory intake known as modality, more specifically, modality as measured by…

A practicum involved the design and implementation of a 10-week workshop that acquainted the staff of a nursery school with information about learning styles in the preschool. It was determined that because of a lack of information about learning styles, teachers and staff lacked the skills and confidence needed to apply learning style theory to…

This study was designed as a first attempt to study the relationship of learning style, perception, and performance to computer based instruction (CBI). First the relationship of two dimensions of cognitive styles, field independence-field dependence (FI-FD) and preferred perceptual mode (verbal-visual) was studied. Second, the main and…

The story comprehension patterns of 21 good and poor sixth grade readers were examined across four modality combinations for input and output: (1) listening and oral recall, (2) reading and recall, (3) listening and written recall, and (4) reading and written recall. The subjects were asked to summarize important information in a different short…

To help students develop needed skills in listening, teachers need to (1) encourage improved listening through interesting learning activities, (2) involve students in presenting ideas as well as listening to content, (3) vary kinds of learning experiences, (4) provide direct training in listening skills, (5) recognize differences in students'…

A study investigated the results of previous studies on the effectiveness of pictorial instruction, specifically examining whether the use of black-and-white pictorial instruction as a supplement to verbal instruction is more effective than the use of verbal instruction alone. Thirty-four studies on pictorial instruction that varied widely but…

This research review on basic reading skills begins with an historical perspective on reading methods, followed by an overview of reading instruction methods for the general population. Research findings are presented on several instructional methods, including phonetic, linguistic, artificial orthography, basal reading, and language experience…