Describes study that examined the effects of presentation sequence of examples and example difficulty on undergraduate learning with computer-based instruction. Establishing example difficulty according to a generalization formula versus subject matter experts is discussed, and effects on time on task and the number of examples required are…

Describes PRECEPTOR, an intelligent tutoring system that provides multiple explanations for algebraic word problems involving two variables. Modeling the cognitive processes of an effective teacher is discussed, the capacity for individualized tutoring is examined, and differential tutoring based on varying difficulty levels is explained. (17…

The article documents an intervention approach with learning disabled students which combines the effectiveness of Direct Instruction and mastery learning with the efficiency of technology (videodiscs and computers). Examples are given of effective technology use to teach earth science/chemistry, fractions, health, reasoning skills, and…

Readability formulas applied to materials for hearing-impaired students do not account for important factors in reader-writer-text interaction. Factors include the reader's purpose, cultural background, and extent of background knowledge; writers' assumptions about readers; the text's structure, content, and cohesion; and the role of…

One hundred thirteen kindergartners and first graders completed phonological awareness (PA) tasks designed to separate task difficulty from linguistic complexity. Comparison of these results with measures of early literacy suggests that PA measured by differences in linguistic complexity seems more closely related to the single factor on which…

This paper reviews studies that have used instructional variables as nonaversive interventions for problem behaviors of individuals with severe disabilities. These include student choice of task, task variation, pace of instruction, interspersal of high probability tasks, partial versus whole task training, decreasing task difficulty, and a…

Effects of dimensionality on ability estimation of an adaptive test were examined using generated data in Bayesian computerized adaptive testing (CAT) simulations. Generally, increasing interdimensional difficulty association produced a slight decrease in test length and an increase in accuracy of ability estimation as assessed by root mean square…

Discusses how students generate meanings for mathematical word problems, develops a generative predicational model to account for students' comprehension of word problems, and describes an empirical study of Israeli sixth graders that was designed to test the model. Talk aloud protocols of the students are analyzed, and hypotheses tested are…

Challenges in applying cognitive strategy research to complex knowledge domains in students with learning disabilities include the need to focus on deficits in domain-specific knowledge; adaptation of assessment designs to answer cognitive questions; and procedures for individual cognitive strategy instruction in group settings. A research agenda…

A University of Hawaii study compared objective and subjective assessments of the three-step triple jump examination which tests medical students' clinical problem-solving processes. Subjects were 58 first-year students. Results found the subjective assessments were more consistent across problems of varying difficulty level than were objective…

Assessing use of language learning strategies has become commonplace around the world. One strategy assessment tool is the questionnaire, which usually asks students to report on their typical, general use of language learning strategies. Because of this general focus, most questionnaires do not require respondents to complete an actual language…

Background: The objective of this study is to identify intact and deficient cognitive processes in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and children with high functioning autism (HFA). Method: Three rigorously diagnosed groups of children aged between 6 and 12 years (54 ADHD, 41 HFA, and 41 normal controls) were tested on…

Purpose: To examine the critical roles of leadership in higher education and to define how such roles enable an environment that embraces the demands of a knowledge-based organization. Design/methodology/approach: Through interviews with executive leadership in several higher education institutions, the ontology of knowledge management was…

Evidence of phonological awareness levels usually comes from English-speaking children. The evidence in Spanish is scarce. The present study examined the phonological awareness of syllables, onsets--rimes, and phonemes, extending the Treiman and Zukowski (1991) results to preliterate and literate Spanish-speaking children. The sample comprised…

This paper assesses university students' acquisition of simple and complex knowledge, in exploring whether the knowledge gap hypothesis (KGH) with its origins in community-based research into people's informal learning from mass media, provides insights into students' acquisition and retention of information. The KGH posits that attempts to…