A classification scheme for multimedia interaction is described based on the degree of control and type of cognitive engagement experienced by learners in prescriptive, democratic, and cybernetic independent learning environments. Reactive, proactive, and mutual levels of interaction and their associated functions and transactions are discussed.…

The New Zealand Correspondence School has taught nearly 750,000 students since it was established in 1922. Indicators of success are student achievement, parental satisfaction, and cost per student. Possible models for basic distance education are as follows: (1) isolated students learning independently; (2) a partial intermediary who provides…

A 1-year naturalistic study examined the differences and similarities in the literacy experiences of second grade at-risk children in 2 different types of classrooms: 1 traditional and 1 whole language classroom. The purpose was to develop models of the 2 contrasted classrooms. The study sought to shed light on the probable causes accounting for…

This is a checklist for use by science coordinators, school principals, science supervisors, and teachers in identifying strengths and weaknesses of science programs in grades kindergarten through 12. It can also be used by science coordinators during school visits. This guide contains space for recording information concerning: school name and…

Issues in the development of assessments of higher order thinking skills for college graduates are discussed in the order in which they were presented when this series of papers was commissioned. With regard to Issue 1, it is generally agreed that the development of these skills is a desirable goal, but there is little consensus on how they should…

Traditional methods for task analysis have been largely based on the Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model, which is widely used throughout industry and the military. The first part of this document gives an overview of cognitive task analysis, which is conducted within the first phase of ISD. The following steps of cognitive task analysis…

The Primary Mathematics Education Enhancement Program (PMEEP) is an early childhood teacher enhancement project funded by the National Science Foundation. It is a collaborative project of Kent State University and 11 school districts in a primarily rural midwestern county that has recently been classified as Appalachia. At the conclusion of 2…

Fifty-three secondary educators in six Alaskan school districts participated in a Carl Perkins grant project to integrate academic and vocational education and thinking skills. The first year of the project combined onsite and distance delivered instruction on the development of interdisciplinary units and integration models. An electronic college…

This competency analysis profile contains a list of 70 communications skills that have been identified as core competencies for inclusion in programs in 49 occupational areas. The core competencies, which have been identified by employers and verified by English-certified instructors, have been organized into units devoted to reading, writing,…

Achievement of the six National Education Goals will require changes in the present educational system, change in how communities respond to education, and especially change in how education is visualized. An effective guidance program has the capacity to make major contributions to all of the National Education Goals. School administrators,…

At College of DuPage (CD), in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, institutional planning is a multi-level, on-going process involving continuous college-wide input. The nine schematic levels in the CD planning process are interconnected and progress from global and broad-based issues, answering such questions as why the college exists, to concrete levels…

The Urban Institute organized a workshop to receive the reactions of experts to a model for helping underclass youth, the Mentor, Peer Group, and Incentive (MPI) Model. This model uses the three components of mentors, peer groups, and incentives to improve the life chances of adolescent males in socially distressed neighborhoods. Workshop…

The workplace research of Sylvia Scribner provides a model with which to study relationships between socially and institutionally organized practices and individual cognitive processes as well as to explore relationships between practices and processes in writing and the teaching of writing. Observations and conversations in one inner-city,…

This book presents 17 selected papers from recent issues of the journal, "Focus on Exceptional Children," concerning current and emerging challenges facing the field of special education. The book is organized in two parts. Part 1, "Contemporary Challenges," includes the following articles: "Transitions in Early Childhood Special Education: Issues…

Technological literacy has become an indispensable part of general culture. Vocational education must simultaneously provide students with the special and general qualifications required to achieve increased productivity and flexibility. The concept of technological capabilities is based on the pillars of general technology, technical systems, and…