Six papers dealing with decision support and knowledge based systems are presented. Five of the papers are concerned in some way with the use of artificial intelligence techniques in individual or group decision support. The sixth paper presents empirical results from the use of a group decision support system. (CLB)

Suggests that learning comes about by recognizing anomalies, experiencing doubt, and making subsequent changes, and uses a study undertaken in a classroom for learning disabled students to illustrate. (JC)

Considers the legal meaning of the "right to receive" in light of the many cases where reading material has been censored by being removed from public school libraries. (NKA)

Considers the effects on education and training of (1) global competition; (2) declining per capita/family incomes and concomitantly rising income inequality; and (3) workplace changes. Sees increased role for educators in retraining displaced workers; training students for full participation in work, social, and civic contexts; and teaching…

Describes a program developed by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) which includes an engineering/science outreach program designed to enrich the science experiences of fifth and sixth grade students and encourage them to aspire to careers in scientific and technological fields. (TW)

Discusses the claims that experiences in computer programming enhance performance on conditional reasoning tasks. Describes three experimental studies designed to address that hypothesis using three different populations of students. Results of all three studies indicate nonsignificant treatment effects. (TW)

Investigates how Ritalin, a powerful stimulant drug frequently prescribed for children exhibiting hyperactive behavior, poor attention span, and/or distractibility, is prescribed for children in educational settings, what doses seem appropriate, and what effect Ritalin has on reading achievement. Discusses the implications of Ritalin research for…

This review of research on computer use in education focuses on the development of higher order thinking skills and the effects of programming instruction. Eight hypotheses are proposed to account for the general failure of the research to confirm the expectations, and a new programming language, Prolog, is described. (70 references) (Author/LRW)

Identifies pattern recognition as one problem-solving behavior which should be taught to upper elementary and middle school mathematics and science students. Advocates a team-teaching approach with mathematics and science teachers and a learning center in a corner of the classroom. Gives examples of how software could be used. (CW)

Argues that comprehension is a problem-solving activity and that different problem-solving schemata exist for different types of texts, both narrative and expository. Suggests that good comprehension occurs when there is a match between the author's schemata and that of the reader, creating a dialogue between the writer and the reader. (JK)

Describes a study that compared the expressed objectives of teachers using computer-based information handling packages in the classroom against recorded classroom outcomes. The areas of skill and knowledge acquisition, learning strategies, sociopsychological issues, and life skills are discussed. (9 references) (CLB)

Suggestions to help faculty discover ways of achieving interactive, investigatory, and intimate learning environments in large settings are provided. The instructional objective is to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning. (MLW)

An experimental study compared the instructional effectiveness of Logo programming, commercially available software designed to aid composition and problem solving, and traditional teaching methods for low socioeconomic status first-grade students. Both software environments enhanced problem solving performance for a novel task, but Logo was most…

This study examined the instructional effectiveness of three software learning environments--LOGO, drill and practice, and teacher-directed activities--for preschool special needs children. Cognitive distancing was applied to classify children and child-software interactions; dependent measures included indicators of problem solving, skill…

Description of VALNet (Valley Library Consortium), a consortium of public, academic, and school libraries in Idaho, highlights proposed online public access union catalog which would include nonbibliographic and referral files and circulation and serials control modules. The political climate, marketing, needs assessment, support and consultation,…