This paper reviews Lev Vygotsky's theories concerning optimizing of potential through assistance, support, or instruction. The paper notes that there is a "zone of proximal development" or a band around intelligence quotient (IQ) scores reflecting one's true potential. IQ tests are generally well-standardized and "static,"…

This book offers more serious consideration of content in the social studies curriculum by including content-specific chapters written by discipline experts. Interwoven with content coverage are numerous teaching-learning activities. The book is divided into three parts and an introductory chapter by James C. Schott and Laurel R. Singleton. Part…

This report presents the methodology and results of a survey which determined the current level of involvement in literacy-related services of 50 public libraries in British Columbia. The primary areas addressed by the survey are: (1) the degree of "formal involvement" in literacy-related activities; (2) most common literacy activities;…

Goals of higher education in the Peoples Republic of China are to teach students to use their theoretical and technical skills to help improve the lives of the Chinese majority, not for individual social mobility. The process is described in terms of admissions requirements, academic standards, curriculum content and methodology, and research. (JT)

Cautioning against the tendency of educational researchers to overgeneralize their results, the author discusses three variables important to research on methods of instruction: the characteristics of the learner (six are listed), characteristics of the subject matter, and time. Differentiation between major research efforts and purely practical…

Problems of educability, analysis of learning situations, importance of home environment, nutrition, health, plasticity of intellect, importance of affect, importance of shared purposes, control of decision-making, importance of social class mix, and the relevance of schooling are among the issues discussed. (AM)

The author discusses the difference between the use of a sign language (which has its own lexico-semantic, syntactic, and expressive rules) and the use of signs as codes representing English in various ways; he urges use of sign language to provide early natural language experience for deaf children. (Author/LS)

Paraprofessionals don't arrive on the job equipped with all the knowledge and skills needed for effective service. Danish and Brock discuss four systematic methods that have proven successful in the training of paraprofessionals, and give readers some guidelines for choosing methods that are most appropriate for their own programs. (Author)

The reference handbook is the product of an Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education project entitled "Accommodation Strategies." The project attempted to: facilitate mildly handicapped students in regular education through the development and utilization of unique educational strategies; enhance cooperative endeavors between…

The monograph describes the application of flexible pacing as a means of meeting the educational needs of gifted students in schools throughout the country. Flexible pacing is defined as placing students at an appropriate instructional level and allowing them to move forward in the curriculum as they master content and skills. Flexible pacing is…

The review describes the advance organizer technique and reviews the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of advance organizers with both normal students and students classified as handicapped. Examples of advance organizers include the expository advance organizer, the comparative advance organizer, the graphic advance organizer, and…

This paper suggests that considering fundamental issues in educational research may help researchers conceptualize more productive research methodologies for computer based instruction (CBI). Inconsistent findings and methodological shortcomings in media research, including CBI, raise the possibility that current research methodologies may be…

College teachers are seeking alternatives to the conventional lecture as a means of teaching students. This paper presents five alternative teaching methods and their advantages and disadvantages. It describes a program for instructional method selection design and includes an evaluation matrix for the five methods. The methods examined are the…