A system for effective collection of classroom observation data from teachers in schools was developed. Drawing on the Flanders Interaction Analysis System, a procedure for coding classroom interaction into 10 categories, a system was developed to collect direct observation data with microcomputers. Software was prepared for Tandy computers. Field…

As part of a longitudinal study of the predictors of preschool-aged children's peer relationships, data were collected on the social behavior of 1-year-olds. Participating in the study were 48 mother-child dyads. Individual and comparison data were gathered through observation and videotape recordings in laboratory dyadic play sessions involving…

To provide preservice teachers with exposure to a diverse set of observation experiences, a three-year Iowa State University project will beam live television broadcasts from school classrooms to the university. The process will allow small groups and whole classes of preservice teachers to unobtrusively observe and discuss classroom events as…

Part of an overall evaluation study of the WANDAH Project at Logan High School (Utah), this study compared the time on task of students in a computer-based English class in two conditions, the handwriting condition (any situation in which they were not involved with computers) and the computer condition. Observational techniques were used to code…

Using a case study approach, this report summarizes a teacher's observations of students working on a personal computer in both classroom and nonclassroom settings. The first section addresses teacher concerns about technology in education, such as fear of replacement by a computer and other symptoms of computer anxiety. Four phases of classroom…

This report summarizes findings from an ethnographic study of the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP), a Head Start demonstration program providing child development and family support services to low-income families with young children. Designed to describe program operations from the perspective of staff and client families, the study was…

When the University of Iowa's athletic training education department developed evaluation criteria and methods to be used with students, attention was paid to validity, consistency, observation, and behaviors. The observations of student behaviors reflect three types of learning outcomes important to clinical education: cognitive, psychomotor, and…

Designed to help parents communicate with teachers about the school problems of their children, the handbook provides strategies which can guide parents to collect accurate information about a problem and to use it to initiate an open exchange with the teacher. The strategies can be used whether parents are becoming aware of a problem or have been…

Potential contributions of research on classroom contexts to preservice teacher education curriculum are outlined in this paper. A review of traditional teacher effectiveness research cites studies that either extrapolated from laboratory research to design a teaching model or used direct classroom observations to correlate behaviors to outcomes…

To determine what pedagogical uses the primary trait system might serve apart from providing a means to assess students' writing, data were collected from 11 elementary and junior high school teachers who had participated in an earlier week-long workshop on primary trait scoring. Participating teachers were asked to complete a log of their…

This social psychological laboratory activity permits the systematic observation of spontaneous human behavior as simulated on television and provides one way to effectively demonstrate and compare time sampling, event sampling, and trait rating techniques. The preparation involves videotaping a popular television show that depicts observable…

The elements of design (line, shape, color, value, and texture) are the artist's lexicon rather than words, and the meaning of these elements is carried in their expressive properties in picture books as well as in paintings. Line can convey repose when horizontal, stability if vertical, and action when diagonal or curving. The element of shape…

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the linguistic behavior exhibited by a female subject (age 2 years, 4 months) during naturally occurring social interaction with children of different ages. Verbal and nonverbal behavior were studied; of additional interest were variables influencing the emergence of linguistic behavior. Data were…

Moderate amounts of self-disclosure and willingness to let others disclose are considered essential in moving from casual to lasting relationships. Self-disclosure, however, is a private behavior which is seldom observed directly. Television provides a unique opportunity for the observation of otherwise personal behaviors, and may affect viewers'…

While manufacturers have produced a wide variety of software said to be easy for even the youngest child to use, there are conflicting perspectives on computer issues such as ease of use, influence on meeting educational objectives, effects on procedural learning, and rationale for use with young children. Addressing these concerns, this practicum…