Meta-analysis of 18 studies on the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) at the college level found an overall mean effect size of 0.127, i.e., students receiving traditional instruction supplemented with CAI performed slightly better than those receiving only traditional instruction. CAI was most effective in aviation and English…

Analyzes data from the 1989 Survey of Doctorate Recipients to evaluate racial segmentation of the academic labor market along geographic and disciplinary lines. Finds that black faculty in the sciences and engineering are found disproportionately in southern, historically black institutions; areas with sizable black populations; and, independent…

Describes a method for automatically identifying sublanguage (SL) domain terms and revealing the patterns in which they occur in text. By applying this method to abstracts from a variety of disciplines, differences in how SL domain terminology occurs can be discerned. Findings indicate relatively consistent differences between the hard sciences…

To determine the extent to which tension between learning knowledge/skills and processes/understanding influenced practice and assessment in design and technology departments, this study analyzed surveys of department heads, teacher tutor reports, and student self-reflective reports. Suggests that a disjunction between policy and practice results…

Surveyed 82 departments of African Studies and 182 courses on gender to examine course offerings on the psychology of women, African-American women, and other areas related to gender. Results indicate that the psychology of women has not had much influence on the curriculum of African-American studies. (SLD)

Looks at relationships between cognitive skills and cognitive style in Anglophone Canadian students. Finds that they are statistically independent, that there is a statistically significant relationship between sex and performance in some subjects, and that there is a statistically significant relationship between skill, style, and subject in…

Analyzed early career outcomes of recent Canadian college graduates by discipline. Found that many outcomes conform to expectations: the professions and other applied disciplines generally experienced lower unemployment rates, closer skill and qualification matches, and higher earnings; however, fine arts and humanities graduates are more…

Uses data on the oral communication of elementary school learning groups (459 Canadian students in 63 learning groups) to show how experience transcends subject-matter planning, and the paradoxical nature of planning for authentic experiences in education. Presents a framework for semiotic research into disciplinary didactics as a prototype…

Studied disciplinary differences and their impacts on preferred leadership patterns in four disciplines (history, sociology, biology, and physics) in 2 Finnish universities through 56 main interviews with faculty members. Results support the hypothesis that diverse disciplinary perspectives seem to be consistent with certain preferences concerning…

Examines 17 national standards documents from 12 key subject areas, to identify six critical thinking and reasoning skill areas that cut across core subject areas. Discusses to what extent different subject areas place different emphasis on the various thinking and reasoning skills. Discusses how thinking and reasoning should be taught. (SR)

A case study of San Jose State University examined how changes in what counts as knowledge are reflected in universities' academic structure. Found that the multidimensionality of academic structure, with bureaucratic (departmental) structure relatively fixed and programmatic (degree program) structure relatively open, enables universities to…

Explores the term "applied linguistics" and discusses the role of language testing within this discipline, the relationship between testing and teaching, and the relationship between testing and assessment (Author/VWL)

Peter B. Dews played a significant role in shaping the distinctive characteristics and defining the underlying principles of the discipline of behavioral pharmacology. His early and sophisticated use of schedules of reinforcement in the 1950s, incorporated from research in the experimental analysis of behavior and integrated into the discipline of…

In the 1980s and 1990s the discipline of philosophy of education had an impact on schooling and the public service in New Zealand because of the contracted work of James Marshall and Michael Peters. This personal reflection by Robert Shaw is a tribute to James Marshall and provides insight into the relationship between Ministry officials, the…

Research has focused on the effectiveness of library instruction and assessment, yet little is known about how information-seeking characteristics of today's undergraduate students impact information literacy efforts. The current study sought to gain an understanding of students' information-seeking habits and preferences. By conducting focus…