Discusses the use of computer assisted instruction to enhance learning basic skills within the traditional language arts curriculum. The Teaching for Transfer approach to software evaluation that is described is designed to provide teachers with information about how well a given piece of software can be integrated into the existing curriculum.…

Suggests that children's literature used skillfully in tandem with textbooks makes the content curriculum more palatable, comprehensible, and memorable. Offers several teaching ideas. (FL)

Describes some of the components of the West German approach to beginning reading and writing instruction. (FL)

Studies indicate that individual differences in strategy use among mentally retarded and learning disabled students can be explained by a metacognition model which integrates three components--Specific Strategy Knowledge, Metamemory Acquisition Procedures, and General Strategy Knowledge (including beliefs about the causes of successful…

Comparison of how English and Spanish speakers express contrastive emphasis revealed that, while English speakers used pitch and intensity, Spanish speakers used changes in syntax and lexicon as well as pitch and intensity in showing contrasts. (CB)

Keyword mnemonics compares favorably to other devices for learning words in a foreign language. The keyword approach provides both an acoustic link between a native-language word and the second-language word and an image of the keyword interacting with the native-language word or phrase. (LMO)

A longitudinal case study examining the learning of English (focusing on grammatical morphemes) by a Tunisian adolescent speaker of Arabic and French showed that the second language learner relies on his prior linguistic knowledge to facilitate new learning and that second language learning like first language acquisition is a creative process.…

Describes ways in which computers are used to help undergraduates learn through designing, i.e., various creative activities. Highlights include projects sponsored by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and the FIPSE Technology Study Group (FTSG), the importance of design in curriculum, and problems with teaching and…

Discusses the commonly held misconceptions on heat and examines potential contributing factors. Defines and provides examples of internal energy and heat. Suggests approaches to the teaching of heat for secondary level students. (ML)

Discussion of integrating computer technology into the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools focuses on the role of the teacher. Topics discussed include simplifying the technology; the need for better software; interaction between vendors and teachers; teacher training; the structure of learning; and the role of technology in education.…

Asserts that teachers should help students develop learning strategies, and describes how teachers' actions can increase students' success. Notes that, if students are given a "second chance" at completing their tasks, their chances of achieving academic success are improved. (MM)

Reviews two software programs for Apple series computers. Includes "Orbital Mech," a basic planetary orbital simulation for the Macintosh, and "START: Stimulus and Response Tools for Experiments in Memory, Learning, Cognition, and Perception," a program that demonstrates basic psychological principles and experiments. (CW)

This discussion of the use of microcomputers by mentally handicapped learners focuses on software availability and selection. Criteria for evaluating software are given, including considerations of visual display, reading level, program design, drill and practice opportunities, positive reinforcement, format variety, graphics, instructional…

Describes the following steps in an approach to writing research reports in which students work in teams, with systematic guided practice: (1) topic selection, (2) planning, (3) researching the topic, (4) organizing, and (5) writing. Includes pointers for implementation. (JD)

Two experiments examine the relationships among metamemory knowledge, the use of associative memory strategies such as elaboration, and cued-recall memory. Results show that metamemory development predicted most of the grade difference in cued recall, suggesting that metamemory development may explain improvements in retrieval strategies as well.…