Reports on two studies in the second Text Retrieval Conference (TREC-2) program that investigated the effect on retrieval performance of combination of multiple representations of TREC topics. Six methods of query combinations and the combination of the same queries on different databases are examined. Results show that combining evidence from…

The Helping Relationship Inventory was used to see whether objective improvement in medical student (n=109) communication skills occurred in a relatively brief (nine-hour) small-group course in interviewing. The study demonstrated that even brief small-group interviewing courses can effect a positive change in communication skills. (Author/MSE)

Relates how student-made questions inspired at-risk students to get involved with an assigned text. States that the students became engaged in literature and no longer needed the teacher to pose questions or set agendas. (PRA)

Describes a program in which undergraduate psychology students submitted questions about homosexuality prior to a panel discussion by a gay rights organization. Suggests that such a program helps students understand that discrimination and abuse are not justifiable responses to homosexuals. Includes questions about family relationships,…

Strategies for the college institutional researcher to use in responding to an unethical request for information or research are outlined, including techniques for developing an effective personal administrative style, basic principles of strategic communication, and the ultimate option of resignation. (MSE)

Parents and teachers help children develop their intelligence by mediating their learning experiences. When children seek such mediation by asking questions, parents and teachers can use one of seven responses. The single most helpful response is to take children's questions seriously and turn them into golden thinking and learning opportunities.…

Emphasis on competency-based teaching and outcomes oversimplifies teaching and learning. Reducing a complex and highly political process such as dialog to a series of orderly steps falsely presents the classroom as predictable and implies that success lies in efficient delivery techniques without regard for context. (SK)

Assessment of 15 students with learning disabilities (ages 9-13) found that their ability to answer comprehension and synthesis questions was poorer than that of their peers, but their ability to answer knowledge, analysis, and application questions was commensurate with age peers. Findings suggest that individual assessment of levels of…

Three experiments in the framework of Activity Theory explored the relationship between the questions of 104 male and 88 female adult learners (college students) and subsequent comprehension in a tutorial learning session. Questions asked during knowledge implementation aid comprehension more than do those asked during acquisition. (SLD)

The art of negotiation in college fundraising is making the right things happen once a prospective donor has been asked to make a gift. It involves listening actively, interpreting accurately, and responding appropriately. Working through donor concerns knowledgeably helps connect supporters with the school's educational mission. (MSE)

Student questioning within the Search, Solve, Create, and Share (SSCS) problem solving instructional model was investigated. The results suggest that the SSCS problem-solving instructional model increases student questioning in the presence of the teacher (n=22) when compared to a teacher-directed laboratory instructional model. The implications…

Describes the Junior Great Books program used by many Catholic schools to improve reading and critical thinking skills, as well as stir students' interest in reading. Explains the shared inquiry method of learning utilized to stimulate discussion about excellent literature. Offers examples of the ways in which the program operates at six different…

This article reviews communicative competence in the forensic context of child abuse cases. It examines adult questioners' competence in terms of the form, content, and pragmatics of questions; time and number concepts; and physical appearance and kinship terminology. It examines child respondents' competence in terms of comprehension, cognition,…

In response to a paper by P. Yoder (EC 220 946) that examined relationships between maternal questions and language-disordered children's later usage of auxiliary and copula verbs, this letter argues that Yoder's results were influenced by the analytical procedures used and that a reanalysis suggests a slightly different set of relationships among…

Provides an overview of ways that various forms of talk and dialogue foster the development of classroom communities. Examines the ways that talk functions in the classroom and what teachers might do to make use of talk in facilitating a child's development as a reader. (SR)