A study was conducted to determine whether students who mapped prior and post knowledge of a basal reading lesson would achieve higher scores on a comprehension test and write better summaries of those stories than would students who received traditional basal reading instruction. Subjects, 30 fifth grade students, participated in either a…

Using examples from children drawing in a year one classroom, this article examines firstly, how drawing operates as a unique mental tool, and secondly, the role of drawing in the construction and development of knowledge. Young children utilize prior knowledge and experience to negotiate and construct meaning through their interactions with…

As one of the technical reports resulting from a study of postsecondary alternatives in California, this report proposes that the state give serious consideration to the provision of a variety of noninstructional services to adults in the state, based only on people's interests and needs. These services include: diagnostic counseling; educational…

The University Without Walls program at Hofstra University was approved as an experimental unit within New College in 1973. The UWW program is competency-based, with students developing individual programs of study. Educational plans and prior learning from college and life experience are stated in learning contracts with short- and long-term…

The Swedish policy that work experience can be used as a substitute for formal academic entrance requirements for higher education is assessed. The social and economic background of introducing work experience in higher education policy is described, and the significance of work experience to enrollment patterns and for the form and content of…

Two studies were conducted to clarify the influence of experiences and aptitudes on male-female differences in formal thought. Participants were 788 seventh-, ninth-, and eleventh-graders in three school districts differing in location, socioeconomic composition, and course offerings. Formal thought was measured with tasks involving proportional…

Conference proceedings on evaluation of credentials and degree equivalences of foreign students are presented. The conference was designed to improve evaluations in Massachusetts and to encourage more cooperation and greater consistency. Contributions are as follows: a UNESCO approach by Sanford Jameson; the approach of the National Association of…

Critical problems and functions of the Swedish system of higher education in dealing with adult learners are summarized in this workshop publication. Various institutional responses to the growing body of nontraditional students are discussed and it is suggested that the overwhelming reaction of Swedish higher education has been to incorporate…

A series of five reports is presented which describes the activities carried out by the Pennsylvania State University group engaged in research in computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in vocational-technical education. The reports cover the period January 1968-June 1968 and deal with: 1) prior knowledge and individualized instruction; 2) numerical…

An overview is presented of information processing analyses of knowledge and performance in three areas of the elementary mathematics curriculum: basic addition and subtraction facts, complex procedures such as multicolumn subtraction, and the solution of word problems. Theories of the knowledge associated with "expert" performance are discussed.…

When 32 mentally retarded adults who had been transferred from large institutions to new small units were tested 5.5 years after the transfer, tests indicated that they had retained or regained adaptive behavior skills but had declined in psycholinguistic abilities. (Author/CB)

Describes an approach to content reading instruction that emphasizes both content and process, and encourages reader response in social, affective, cognitive, and metacognitive realms. It begins with the Content Directed Reading-Thinking Activity, followed by the Group Mapping Activity and the Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy. (HOD)

Notes that appropriate materials are hard to find for refugees of marginal reading ability in English as a second language programs and describes teacher-made exercises that use the students' prior knowledge and experience. (HOD)

Examination of computer literacy debate presents arguments by Leuhrmann, who advocates teaching computer literacy in one course rather than across the curriculum; six definitions from educators; and results of a survey of 10 state education agencies on recent state involvement in implementation of computer literacy programs. (MBR)

The main purpose of this study was to gather evidence regarding the existence of a Culturally Relevant and Responsive Educational program (CRRE) in schools and especially classrooms. The CRRE conceptual framework presents a comprehensive model dealing with all aspect of instruction and education (Maddahian, and Bird, 2004). To examine the…