Describes study that investigated the impact of individual differences on deaf college students' attitudes toward computers at Gallaudet University. The impact of age, gender, computer experience, and major are examined, and results indicate a strong correlation between computer experience level and attitudes. (22 references) (Author/LRW)

Presents a sampling of questions from a districtwide survey that was designed to determine elementary and secondary school librarians' prior knowledge about and use of computers and software; what software and hardware was available at each school and how it was used; training needs; and the interpretation of policies on purchasing. (LRW)

Challenges the widely endorsed practice of activating relevant knowledge prior to reading. Outlines a perspectival (perspective-relative) view of reading and suggests that this view provides a means to make coherent sense of interpretations. Concludes that having specific knowledge is not the main desideratum in interpreting texts--the main…

Describes a study that investigated search intermediaries' requests for information from patrons during mediated online searching in an academic library. Topics of search intermediaries' elicitations include search terms and strategies, database selection, relevance of retrieved items, patrons' knowledge and previous information seeking, and other…

Investigated seven-year-old children's understanding of certain geographical terms. Found that children this age have considerable difficulty with some concepts and that even vernacular terms are often misunderstood. Results support the idea of children's alternative conceptions and suggest that, for teaching to be more effective, children's prior…

Describes a study that was designed to examine whether the computer attitudes of graduate students in a beginning statistics course differed based on their prior computer experience and the type of statistical analysis package used. Versions of statistical analysis packages using a mainframe and a microcomputer are compared. (14 references) (LRW)

Identifies the unsophisticated assumptions and conjectures, both intuitive and empirical in character, underlying secondary school science students' (n=25) portrayal of scientific knowledge and its production. Structured interview protocols explored not only the students' substantive knowledge base but, perhaps more important, their ability to…

Describes results of a survey of 732 students in 12 Departments of Information and Library Studies (DILSs) that measured prior experiences in office automation skills, their assessment of their knowledge and confidence with computers, the level of information technology (IT) provided, and whether their IT training was adequate for future…

Among 238 Canadian high school seniors who took a science achievement test, 15 were interviewed afterward. Girls scored lower than boys and more frequently cited school experiences (rather than informal experiences or common knowledge) as the basis for answers. Some items elicited spontaneous negative reactions from girls but not boys. Contains 55…

Describes a study of undergraduates at Ohio State University that examined the relationship between drawing performance and cognitive abilities related to visual perception and analysis, drawing strategies, type of stimulus, previous experience with visual studies, and gender. Related studies are reviewed, and implications for instructional design…

Interviews with three kindergarten teachers examined the effect of an in-service program which introduced them to findings from emergent literacy research with a developmental perspective. Although subjects used teacher-led instructional methods, they considered active child-centered kindergartens preferable. They enumerated external constraints…

Describes a study that was conducted at the School of Library and Information Science, University of Western Ontario, to examine search behavior of users in a hypertext information retrieval system. The effects of gender, search task, and search experience on two search options--analytical or browsing--are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (LRW)

Discusses how the Science Activity Filter can facilitate elementary school teachers' choices of appropriate science activities for their classrooms. The filter is a process for choosing activities that considers seven factors: (1) meaningful learning; (2) the amount of time required; (3) cost of materials; (4) safety; (5) level of difficulty; (6)…

Discusses the success, motivation, and acculturation of Russian immigrants in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classrooms, explaining why they are motivated and well-prepared, discussing variations in their previous English education, examining the effects of cultural differences, and noting other problems that they may face in ESL classrooms…

Explains the relevance of reading-comprehension research for classroom teachers, discussing how knowledge of the world and active engagement with ideas in the text influence comprehension and looking at how to develop both these capabilities. Four sections discuss the power of background knowledge, reading aloud and discussing literature with…