Describes an attempt to study and map the development of children's conceptions of materials. Interviews with preschool, first-grade, fourth-grade, and seventh-grade students revealed a dramatic improvement during the years studied in children's abilities to talk and think about materials. (ML)

Evaluation of campus activities is essential if the programs are to be justified, credited, or improved. Formal qualitative evaluations can provide a wealth of information beyond what could be obtained from traditional quantitive approaches. (Author/MLW)

College presidents nominated students to receive the Robinson Student Humanitarian Achievement Award honoring their commitment to community service. The four winners, George Arnold Cuevas Antillon, Eileen Doyle, Diane Koucky, and Joseph O'Brien, are interviewed. (MLW)

Medical students interviewed a simulated patient who presented one of five main complaints, and the interview was videotaped. Postintervention interviews conducted by students in two groups that used the self-instruction videotape received significantly higher ratings than those in the control group. (Author/MLW)

A British study compared the experiences of female physics undergraduates and male English undergraduates, both minority groups, and found that, although the female students were considered a minority group, the male students were treated as individuals. It is argued that the responsibility for change lies with the institution, not with students.…

Discusses the findings of four studies that examined the use of microcomputers in special education classrooms. Surveys, interviews, and observations were used to discover software currently in use with handicapped learners, the instructional design limitations of software, and the potential impact of computer-assisted instruction on handicapped…

Studies the interviews of 24 professional scientists to seek their views on the long range effects of their initial training. Analyzes the interviews for content, teaching, and types of learning experience. Concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for science education. Argues for a reduction in content. (CW)

College students aiming for medical school often fall victim to 'pre-med syndrome'; they become narrow, grade-conscious overachievers, who are less sociable and more interested in money and prestige than are most other students. Suggestions for alleviating the severity of the problem are provided. (MLW)

Examines variation in the methods used to assign students to classrooms and teachers in a small but highly diversified sample of elementary schools. Gives explicit attention to parental influence on pupil assignments as well as to effects of having an unusually incompetent or excellent teacher at a particular grade level. (NH)

Describes the problem of non-use of classroom computers in an elementary school mathematics laboratory, and the use of a needs assessment survey and principles of instructional systems design to solve the problem. (19 references) (CLB)

Ashley Bryan, known for his distinctive illustrations on African themes and written and oral presentations of African folktales, responds to questions on his background, career, design process, and oral presentations. (SD)

Assesses the influence of religious-specific background knowledge on adult ESL listening comprehension. Sixteen Moslems, 20 Christians, and 28 religion-neutral students listened to two passages, one on prayer rituals of Islam and one on those of Christianity. Students better recalled and understood the passage related to their respective religious…

Discusses results of a longitudinal study comparing three models of preschool education for disadvantaged children: a teacher-oriented DISTAR program, a High/Scope collaborative model, and a traditional nursery school program. While all three programs improved IQ scores, participants in the DISTAR model reported twice as much delinquency as those…

Recounts an interview with chemist, educator, and executive Mary Good. Opinions are expressed about the status of basic research in chemistry, the relationship of chemical research to several federal agencies, the value of education in chemistry, and the perceptions of the public regarding the chemical community, particularly the health risks. (TW)

Traces a project that investigated the connection between reading and writing with oral language experiences such as oral history and folklore. (NKA)