Scales measuring people's perceptions of themselves as origins (determining their own behavior) or pawns (their behavior being determined by forces beyond their control) were devised using content analysis of verbalizations. Data were obtained from 528 people, experiencing one of nine life situations. Pawn and origin perception differed across…

This study, conducted in an Australian institution, investigates the intellectual requirements of the mechanics section of a first-year college physics text. Instructional and prerequisite concepts were classified in terms of the intellectual skills required to understand them. (HM)

Observes a number of illustrations from a wide variety of whaling narratives and discusses the purposes and assumptions behind them. Considers the individual artists and their contributions. Francis Allyn Olmstead romanticized the profession while J. Ross Brown emphasized the sordid aspects of whaling life. (MJP)

Describes the development of a Web site called Internet School Library Media Center (ISLMC) that grew out of a library science class. Topics include Web search engines; content selection; the roles of a school library media professional; curriculum support, including lesson plans; technical issues; and future goals. (LRW)

Presents a psychoanalytic critique of an advertisement for the Getty Center for Education in the Arts multicultural program. Applying principles derived from Lacan, Foucault, and Derrida, reveals basic racist, sexist, and elitist assumptions embedded in the advertisement. Includes a reproduction of the advertisement and extensive footnotes. (MJP)

Analysis of instructor (n=1) and student (n=61) postings on an electronic forum during a one-semester undergraduate phonetics course found students wrote about 340 topics in 143 postings, and the instructor wrote about 124 topics in 23 postings. Analysis of topics identified four interactive communicative categories that show interaction trends…

Discusses and appraises the work of Nobel Prize winning black author Toni Morrison. Locates thematic and stylistic antecedents in the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ernest Hemingway. Compares and contrasts Morrison's work with Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and discusses the critical reception of black authors. (MJP)

Presents results of a study undertaken for the state library of Maryland to develop a process for the development of a Maryland Digital Public Library. Highlights include planning; management; implementation requirements; networked environments; technical infrastructure issues; collection development; standards; information content; information…

Maintains that works of historical fiction and fantasy introduce children to concepts of time and history, as well as allowing them to empathize with other people. Historical fantasy often involves a young protagonist traveling through time and experiencing different eras and events. (MJP)

This essay discusses the difficulties many English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students face when mainstreamed into academic content courses while still enrolled in ESL classes. The author demonstrates the benefits of pairing an ESL speech class with a content area course as a method for improving English language skills. (Contains 44 references.)…

Context analysis of 10 adolescent novels revealed that the primary female characters of pre-1971 novels attempted only low-level tasks which involved self-concern and peer relationships. The primary female characters in post-1980 novels attempted tasks of practical and abstract skills that involved planning for the future. (BB)

Discussion of how to develop culturally based instructional materials highlights the development of a pilot series of videotape programs designed for elderly, non-reading Hispanic diabetes patients. Topics discussed include needs assessment; content analysis; learner analysis, including language, reading abilities, and ethnicity; production…

Asks the course planner, text writer, teacher, or even the student to consider a series of questions about Earth processes such as how, why, and where the process occurs and why is it important. Provides a guide for the coverage of a topic to ensure that nothing is overlooked. (Author/MVL)

Probes current children's literature which can be used to help students understand the responsibilities which have been thrust upon them by the changing U.S. family. Reports a lack of worthwhile materials for teacher use in dealing with these sensitive issues. (KO)

This article reviews the developmental literature in spoken persuasion and discusses implications for assessment and intervention with students with language-learning disorders, in terms of persuading others, analyzing persuasive appeals, and responding to persuasive appeals. (JDD)