The level of abstraction of the message and the educational effects of five media presentations (Print, verbal sound, print/pictures, print/verbal sound, and pictures/verbal sound) were experimentally investigated. The media components were presented singly or in combination to 6th grade students in a uniformly controlled consistent environment.…

An experiment investigated the effects of representational modes, presentation methods, and age on learning. Representation was in either iconic or symbolic verbal style, the verbal component was presented by either tape or booklet, and the pictorial component contrasted filmloops. Nine and eleven year old learners were exposed to a lesson on the…

This discussion of teaching methods in higher education in Great Britain focuses on lectures as the dominant method and explores ways to change to more student-centered methods of instruction. A study is described that used interviews and questionnaires to determine teacher and student views on lecture versus discussion formats. (LRW)

Discussion of the effects of variations in lesson control and practice on the learning of facts, procedures, and problem-solving skills during interactive video instruction focuses on a study of graduates and advanced level undergraduates learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Embedded questioning methods and posttests used are described.…

Description of a microcomputer-based instructional strategy used to adapt computer assisted instruction (CAI) to individual learners' needs highlights its use with elementary school arithmetic classes to solve work problems. Experiments with a control group that received conventional problems are described, and applications for undergraduate…

A comparison of the performance of two groups of third grade students practicing division problems is used to assess the effect of a commercial computer-assisted instruction drill program on learning. The progress of the experimental group (using computers) is compared with that of a group using conventional print drill practice. (20 references)…

Describes a study of secondary school students in Nigeria to determine whether use of musical accompaniment on videotape recordings used in instruction of economic geography had any effects on students' learning. Results offer inconclusive differences in effect between video instruction accompanied by music and video instruction without music.…

Outlines a plan to provide professional, graduate-level courses to adult students off-campus. Based on experiences at the British Open University, audiocassettes and printed support materials were used at Brigham Young University as the delivery system for a management course. The examination scores of on-campus and off-campus students are…

A study of undergraduate students investigated whether different rehearsal strategies are more effective in facilitating achievement, whether certain rehearsal strategies require learners to spend more time interacting with instructional content, and whether verbal or visual testing requires students to spend more time processing and responding to…

This study used three treatment conditions to examine feasibility of augmenting computer-presented learning activities for preschool children with instructional videotapes: computer activities alone, a videotape designed to improve visual discrimination with computer activities, and videotape with activities and discussion. Results indicate…

Describes a rigorously controlled study comparing university students' perceptions of learning from a business simulation and from cases in a business policy course. Results indicate students perceive both cases and simulations as viable and valuable instructional methods, although cases are perceived to be generally superior to simulations. (MBR)

Examines the effects of three self-pacing procedures on student withdrawal rate, rate of progress, final examination performance, and attitude in a personalized system of instruction for undergraduate students in an introductory speech course. Benefits of reducing student procrastination are discussed in light of the study's results. (Author/MBR)

The evaluator was contracted to determine whether the online or face-to-face course components met course participants' needs and increased their understanding and knowledge of policy development processes, and to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery strategies. In addition, the course evaluator was asked to look at the…

The effectiveness of two weight loss programs with 71 overweight junior high school students is compared. One program featured multicomponent behavior modification techniques and significant professional input, and the other emphasized self regulation in a simpler exercise and nutrition education format. The two programs attained comparable…

A study of five adult males with autism investigated which combination of input/output modalities (typed or spoken) enhanced the syntactic, semantic, and/or pragmatic performance of individuals with autism when engaging in conversations with a normal language adult. Results found that typed communications facilitated the use of longer utterances.…