Describes a study of the use of an integrated communication arts instructional strategy to facilitate comprehension in a high school history course indicating that subjects who wrote following brainstorming activities and text readings generated higher quality ideas and synthesized acquired information better than the groups that did not write.…

Offers suggestions for improving teachers' techniques for questioning students, such as ceasing to ask leading questions or questions that require only a yes or no answer and instead asking questions that require deeper thought. (JC)

Empirical studies of the connection between humor and learning indicate that humor can increase student attention and interest. Presentation of humorous material involves skills that can be learned through practice, and faculty development programs for teachers to acquire these skills should be made available. (MSE)

Outlines Component Design Theory, which is based on the author's earlier Component Display Theory, and provides the instructional design guidance needed for experiential computer based instructional systems. Highlights include a contrast between tutorial and experiential instructional models, content structures, consistency rules, instructional…

The paper discusses the implications for research and education of learning disabled students of three models of learning disabilities. The models focus on either: (1) child-centered process problems (attentional deficits), (2) nonspecific performance problems (metacognitive problems), and (3) the interaction between child-centered variables and…

Embedding samples of items designed for program evaluation in course exams improves student motivation and faculty acceptance of assessment procedures. Sources of information on learning are discussed including: course examinations, course-based observations, locally developed comprehensive examinations, and externally developed comprehensive…

Twenty-three children in each of 2 first-grade classrooms were observed as they worked in pairs with the computer language Logo in a learning-by-discovery context. Describes children's behaviors related to planning, correction of errors, reflection, causality, and procedure-writing. (RJC)

A group of concerned educators evaluates the well-publicized arguments for teaching students to be culturally literate. They argue that content and process instruction are inseparable and that teacher preparation and student assessment should both reflect a more thoughtful fusion of content and process. (TE)

Three articles focusing on microcomputers in education discuss (1) a study that investigated children's spelling mistakes and used microcomputers to help improve their spelling; (2) use of computers to promote conceptual change in elementary mathematics; and (3) inservice computer training for teachers of kindergarten through grade eight. (LRW)

A four-part experiment testing Lozanov's suggestopedic method of teaching vocabulary uses a literary text as well as a list of discreet words. It was found that certain variations of the method are effective and appropriate for teaching vocabulary and reading comprehension. (MSE)

Discusses the relationship of fidelity and learning in computer simulation. Highlights include a review of previous research; a discussion of transfer of learning; a taxonomy for fidelity analysis with four different types of computer-based instructional simulations; and implications for instructional design and research. (41 references)…

Discussion of learner control in the educational process focuses on adult distance education. Independence, power, and support are described as the three components of control of the learning process, and the concept of control as it relates to the communication process between student and teacher is discussed. (LRW)

Noting the use of mental pictures to aid students' learning--the keyword method--is effective for both good and poor readers, describes specific methods, provides research to support their use, and presents classroom applications that lead from teacher instruction to students' independent learning. (NH)

Discusses a study during which the Myers Briggs Type Indicator was administered to 275 beginning economics students at Northern Virginia Community College to assess students' learning style. Concludes that most students had a learning style that was least accommodated by the typical instructional format found in economics classes. (LAL)

Introduces three philosophical issues to consider when developing curriculum for mentally retarded children: (1) the role of content versus learning processes and teaching methodology in curriculum decisions; (2) the principle of normalization and its implications; and (3) the child's right to choice in curriculum content. (DST)