Focuses on the underlying elements in the reading comprehension process that better distinguish its developmental phases. Offers suggestions for the acquisition of strategies pertaining to textual organization that, together with proposed activities for comprehension, contribute to the formation and consolidation of reading habits. Includes…

Study showed that almost half of all high school social studies teachers cannot perform the basic critical thinking skill of distinguishing between statements of fact and statements of opinion. Teachers cannot teach critical thinking skills, one of the major objectives of social studies education, if they themselves lack the skill. (RM)

Involving students in the planning, use, and assessment of their own questions can help them realize that they can control the direction of their own learning. A sample lesson involving a class of middle school students in a study of Canadian culture and national unity is presented. (RM)

Presents perspectives on the aims and content of materials science courses and materials engineering courses. Outlines a proposed curriculum for a four-year degree course in engineering and identifies technical and social skills necessary for engineers. (ML)

Discusses problems which arise when a discipline such as music uses more than one learning domain. Points out the difficulty in developing music skills while trying to achieve cognitive goals such as those outlined in Bloom's taxonomy. Examines whether such a taxonomy can help in sequencing learning in the music classroom. Provides suggestions for…

Examination of the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of three cooking skills by three multiply and severely handicapped blind adolescents revealed that a "whole task" approach was successful in teaching the subjects to boil an egg, grill cheese, and cook a TV dinner. These skills also generalized to other cooking products. (Author/CB)

Presents a simple, inexpensive and realistic model which allows introductory geology students to obtain subsurface information through a simulated drilling experience. Offers ideas on additional applications to a variety of geologic situations. (ML)

The summary writing skills of 30 hearing-impaired and 30 normally hearing college students were analyzed. Compared to controls, hearing-impaired students included opinions in their summaries more often, included important ideas less often, selected or created topic sentences less often, and integrated ideas within and among paragraphs less often.…

Use of the term "acceleration" to describe interventions to enhance children's intellectual potential is inappropriate, as the term cannot by justified from the standpoint of mental measurement, mental growth, genetics, or education. Maximizing a child's potential through creation of stimulating environments is recommended rather than…

Describes a study which compared the instructional effectiveness of a team-based, peer-review approach to teaching programing skills to secondary school students, with that of a traditional approach. The discussion covers students' attitudes and programing skills development resulting from the implementation of the experimental approach. (Nine…

The effectiveness of a teaching skills program for residents at Louisiana State University Medical Center was evaluated among 22 residents in obstetrics and gynecology, medicine, and family medicine who were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. There was greater increase in the scores of the experimental than the control groups.…

Discusses "invisible thinking" (responsive critical analysis inseparable from content) and "hypertext" (multilayered multimedia, computer-accessed compilation of data and visual images). Argues that a curriculum focusing on these concepts is more effective in teaching the basics of initial skill mastery and the "higher…

Two experiments challenging the value of training social workers in nonverbal interviewing skills found that (1) trained students placed less value on both responsiveness and unresponsiveness, (2) untrained students' interview reactions are more predictive of client reactions than trained students', and (3) clients do not value responsive over…

Reviewed 38 social skills training studies which used social-learning or social-cognitive approach and were published between 1976 and 1985, analyzing methods of outcome assessment. Recommended outcome measures, often not adequately measured, included generalization and durability of treatment effects, and functional analysis of relationship…

Elaborates on R. M. Gagne's distinction between lateral and vertical transfer for written composition. Claims that the theory of lateral and vertical transfer as applied to writing is compatible with (1) current conceptions of declarative and procedural cognitive processes and (2) a balanced pedagogy of both student-centered and direct,…