A model of reading comprehension focuses on eye fixations, which are related to the level of reading processes--words, clauses, and text units. Longer pauses are associated with greater processing difficulty. This model is illustrated for a group of undergraduate students reading scientific articles from "Newsweek" and "Time" magazines. (GDC)

For college students learning concepts, the advisement condition resulted in better performance than the learner control condition and needed less instructional time than the adaptive control condition. Results also indicated that students given concepts simultaneously performed better and needed less instruction than those who received concepts…

The distinction between experimental evaluation (which employs generalizable analyses of discrete causes and effects) and contextual evaluation (which examines particular program operations holistically) is articulated. Program characteristics are examined and linked to experimental and contextual models of program evaluation. (Author/MH)

Content analysis of American government textbooks published in the post-McCarthy and post-Watergate eras demonstrates that, although underlying interpretations of constitutional issues remained constant, the overall textbook presentations shifted. This finding highlights the danger of overemphasizing current events, distorting overall presentation…

Provides a seven item checklist to help human resources development professionals determine whether multimedia is a correct method to meet training objectives. Topics include instructional design considerations when selecting a training method; needs assessment; learning styles; content and the need for updating; and individual learning versus…

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…

Discussion of research methodology for evaluating the degree of standardization in multinational corporations' online communication strategies across differing cultures focuses on a research framework for cross-cultural comparison of corporate Web pages, applying traditional advertising content study techniques. Describes pre-tests that examined…

Explores the complexity of researching networked learning in higher education. Suggests that no single theoretical model currently available is sufficiently powerful to provide a framework for a research agenda that takes into account key aspects of human agency. Presents findings of a multi-method analysis of the learning and tutoring processes…

Describes the development of a virtual library of education resources for preservice teachers at a tribal college, the Northwest Indian College, to help increase the number of Native American teachers. Discusses content, including links and pathfinders; graphics and design that are culturally sensitive and appropriate; and communication and…

Analyzes all U. S. sociology departments listed in the American Sociological Association Guide to Graduate Departments of Sociology from 1969 to 1985 with respect to the backgrounds of chairs as well as selected structural characteristics of their departments. Finds that chairs who are male and who hold the rank of full professor continue to be…

Teachers' styles of textbook use were identified, and the overlap between content taught and textbook content in elementary school mathematics was studied for four teachers in four Michigan fourth grades. In each classroom there were important differences between text content and teacher's topic selection, content emphasis, and sequence of…

Using content analysis, presents a study of 14 U.S. history textbooks. Analyzes textbook treatment of the Declaration of Independence, the atomic bomb, and the Holocaust. Examines nontextual materials. Finds errors of omission, boring writing styles, and a basic similarity between the textbooks. (RW)

Provides step-by-step procedures for developing an index which uses the Gunning Fog technique to evaluate the level of reading difficulty of textbooks. Cites examples, illustrations, and several warnings in the discussion. (RT)

An exploratory analysis comparing two test batteries for English-as-a-Foreign-Language reading comprehension used a single framework of communicative language ability and test method facets to investigate construct validity. The framework's use in the content analysis of communicative language tests, and for the comparison of content across tests,…

Reports on a study of picture books by and about Asian Americans that identified Asian groups in the literature; determined the literature's authenticity; determined literary and visual quality; and identified ethnicity of authors and illustrators and whether ethnicity affected authenticity or quality. A list of the books sampled is appended. (28…