In a study of attending behavior during the crossover period (12-13 years), when preferences shift from auditory to visual stimuli, females switched their preferences significantly earlier than did males. Besides biological factors, these sex differenes were attributed to differential conditioning of attitudes, reinforcement, and discrimination…

Describes experiences resulting from teaching two online graduate courses in special education and instructional design. Teaching techniques in online instruction are discussed, including (1) the context of teaching online; (2) preparation for online instruction; (3) teaching strategies; (4) evaluation strategies; and (5) placing online teaching…

A third-year university French composition course aims to develop student interest in/knowledge about a topic; promote discussion/writing of ideas, personal opinions, and experiences; help students explore the topic through progressively more difficult writing tasks; focus on communication of ideas, with some attention given to form; teach…

Discussion of instructional design for distance education compares team-based and faculty-driven design approaches based on three online graduate degree programs in two disciplinary areas. Discusses design considerations for online graduate distance education, including needs analysis, content and task analysis, and media selection and design; and…

Described in this article are some of the ways in which teachers of environment-based subjects can use the information derived from the media in their routine activities. Included are ideas on how to select sources of information, themes, and approaches. (KR)

The dichotomy between culture and communication as second language teaching objectives is a false one. The division only signifies differences in emphasis in course design and classroom practice, which can be resolved through careful choice of classroom techniques and materials. (MSE)

Describes the experiences of one instructor in designing and implementing a short course in scientific French for upper level students majoring in applied biology at Glasgow College. Materials used and aspects of scientific language chosen are briefly discussed. (LMO)

Types of specialty software that can help in computer editing are discussed, including programs for file transformation, optical character recognition, facsimile transmission, spell-checking, style assistance, editing, indexing, and headline-writing. (MSE)

It is proposed that the multiple-choice test can be useful in helping language students understand the meaning of text better without overwhelming them. Techniques for drafting effective questions are discussed, and a sample list of questions is presented. (MSE)

This article reviews the legislative history of assistive technology, discusses its benefits to and applications in learning environments for students with mild disabilities, outlines pertinent issues, and makes suggestions for selecting and using the various technologies. An appendix examines national policy on assistive technology and state…

It is proposed that video materials for French language instruction help illustrate two closely related aspects of the foreign language, linguistic and cultural. Guidelines for video materials selection are offered, common pitfalls are noted, and principles used by a French applied linguistics group to develop a series of materials are outlined.…

The article explains the role of feedback and biofeedback in speech therapy; identifies speech parameters that can be modeled by current systems (e.g., pitch, intensity, voice quality, and articulatory accuracy); and describes selected microcomputer-based speech production biofeedback systems that are available. An appendix provides sources. (DB)

Presented are the recommendations of the Committee to Develop Guidelines for Literacy on the selection of appropriate learning media for visually handicapped students. Sixteen basic principles are listed as the basis for future development of more complete guidelines. The recommendations stress that equal access to education implies equal access…

Examines how a high-tech service-support organization shifted from print to online documentation. Illustrates trade-offs critical to productivity and publications management that can be involved in moving to online documentation in both CD-ROM and Web media. Shows that planning, skepticism about tools, and usability assessment can be critical to…

Three attempts at consensus lists of evaluation criteria for the Web are compared with reviews in "Choice" magazine. There is little agreement on the most important/appropriate criteria for a Web site's value, and few of the criteria appear in the sample reviews, suggesting a continued lack of consensus. The extreme rapidity of change in the Web…