Reports research into the design and application of physical and mental practice strategies for the development of laboratory psychomotor skills of freshman chemistry students (N=360). Design of instruction materials used (focusing skills using balance, pipet, and buret and skills in quantitative volumetric analysis), evaluation of strategies, and…

Questions whether children are being taught the knowledge and skills they will need to function effectively in the emerging information society and argues that, rather than feeling threatened by computers, teachers should regard them as tools to use to do an even better job in the classroom. (MBR)

Effective decision-making depends upon true communication among decision-makers. Futurists should develop fundamental thinking skills such as the ability to formulate good questions, consider alternative points of view, and set short- and long-range goals. By example and through education, the "tools of futuristics" can be employed usefully in…

Compared parents from families (N=103) with retarded children who began a training program in behavior management. Based on posttraining assessment, low proficient parents were designated as lower socioeconomic status with less experience. A prediction based on six-month follow-up indicated low follow-through families had achieved less…

Studied the effectiveness of programed instruction and large group instruction in teaching empathy to lay people (N=55). Results support the contention that empathy can be developed through programed tapes either alone or in large group programs. Modeling and practice are key factors in successful training. (Author/JAC)

Activities of the Pre-Medical Enrichment Program, sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) are designed to increase the number of minority and low-income students who are unable to successfully compete for admission to medical school as well as successfully complete a medical degree. (NQA)

Researchers from the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois assert that inadequate reading textbooks and the failure to teach reading comprehension in the primary grades contribute to reading comprehension problems in the upper grades. Shortcomings of textbooks are specified and methods for teaching reading comprehension are…

The sensory-motor bases of motor rehabilitation and current instructional theory about how handicapped children learn motor skills are explained. Strategies for organizing learning sessions, techniques of skill instruction, and the use of reinforcing feedback to maximize educational opportunities for handicapped children are discussed. (PP)

Teaching basic skills in elementary social studies courses does not promote more teaching of social studies; it decreases social studies teaching time. The adverse impact of overemphasizing the 3-Rs and auditory and abstract learning over visual and tactile-kinesthetic experiences is discussed. (AM)

Determined if training in rational decision making improves the quality of simulated career decisions. Training in rational decision making resulted in superior performance for females on one subscore of the knowledge measure. It also resulted in superior simulated career choices by females and younger males. (Author)

Presents a follow-up assessment of 18 outpatient clients who participated one year earlier in a coping skills curriculum of progressive relaxation, anxiety management, assertiveness, and self-reinforcement. Results revealed that coping-skills subjects held attitudes about the etiology of psychological problems consistent with those modeled during…

Students who can compute mathematical problems in their heads have learned a skill that is important for estimating and for understanding the number system. Practice activities that can help students master mental computation skills are described. (PP)

Counselor education programs are faced with a perplexing problem: with minimal staff, how can counselors be prepared to function competently in both an educational and a community-based mental health environment? Presents two approaches to deal with this issue and suggests a model of counselor education. (Author/RC)

Describes competence assessment as a method by which counselors can relate staff development directly to success on the job. Discusses collecting data to identify critical counseling competencies and constructing learning experiences to promote competence. Offers some general principles for staff development. (Author/RC)

Reviewed efficacy of programs designed to improve academic competence. Outcomes of studies published from 1974-1978 were more favorable, based on box-score tabulation and an analysis of more than 12 well-controlled investigations. Evidence indicates that structured multicomponent interventions, incorporating study skills and self-control training,…