The materials in this guide focus on a variety of approaches to acquiring learning skills and applying them to eight content areas. The guide begins with a definition, an overview of learning skills, and historical background on the process of acquiring and applying learning skills. Ten learning skill competencies are defined: (1) self-evaluation,…

Arguing that most basal reading programs lack appropriate instructional strategies for teaching irregular words, this paper summarizes a teaching strategy for introducing new irregular words to children and discusses learning activities to ensure students will have an instant recognition of these words. The paper suggests presenting three to six…

A comparison was made between student achievement in traditional and alternative schools in the Aldine Independent School District during the 1988-89 school year. Aldine Contemporary Education Center (ACE), the alternative school studied, is located in Houston, Texas, and is one of a growing number of high schools that practice adaptive education…

The hypothesis tested in this study was the statement that teachers reflect what they have been taught--that teaching is a direct presentation of a specified curriculum and the direct reinforcement of students' correct responses to the curriculum. A survey of 455 graduate students called for scale responses about several theories of learning as…

This report summarizes and describes the findings for a number of studies which assess the effects of "Tactics for Thinking," a program designed to teach and reinforce 22 tactics (strategies) for enhancing specific cognitive operations (thinking skills) that aid in the processing, retention, and extension of content-specific information.…

This paper presents a case history of an experienced special education teacher for the purpose of describing the nature of the teacher's knowledge structures. Data were gathered from interviews, stimulated recall of videotapes, and descriptions of her classroom. Similarities were found between her knowledge structures and those of other expert…

Ways that college faculty can increase students' learning by reducing stress are identified. Consideration is given to: the effects of stress on learning, the value of feedback and control, the importance of the interaction between faculty and students, the value of stress awareness, and what students can do. When given properly, feedback can…

The Content Area Study Experiences (CASE) system is designed to provide students with study experiences based on conceptual frameworks which transcend the limitations of content. Addressing the wide range of abilities, interests, and levels of achievement among the student population, the CASE model operationalizes essential skills and offers…

Designed to help poorly prepared students perform better in college and to help prepared students perform at higher levels, this paper presents a series of specific suggestions for students regarding study activities, course choice, thinking behavior, and time allocation. The suggestions include the following: (1) eliminate diversions during study…

Active learning is not a new concept, and recent research suggests that students who have opportunities to participate in the learning process are much more successful students in terms of achievement test scores and individual happiness. This paper discusses some recent research on active learning, including a description of a microsociety school…

The integration of recommendations, ideas, theories, and/or research results on the use of educational media in social studies with ideas, theories, recommendations, and research results concerning active learning in social studies is the focus of this paper. Educational media refers to software or hardware or both. Active learning refers to…

A survey of study behaviors was mailed to 300 adult students enrolled in two distance learning programs of The American College. The sample included three groups: high passers, low passers, and failers. The survey instrument was a 50-item rating scale measuring study practices in six areas: elaborative processing, information processing, attitude…

An experimental study was conducted to discover the relative effectiveness of five different instructional strategies on the acquisition of four psycho-motor skills associated with four physical sports (continuous volleying in volleyball, zig-zag dribbling in field hockey, headstand in gymnastics, and sail long jump in athletics). The subjects…

This monograph offers some basic information for putting cooperative learning into practice. Eight popular cooperative learning approaches are first outlined. The approaches vary along two dimensions: how tasks are assigned and divided among students, and what counts toward team scores and rewards. Certain approaches have all students working on…

Critical thinking is often defined as that which a particular instrument measures. The most prominent tests are the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, and the Cornell Critical Thinking Tests. Watson and Glaser's (1980) view of critical thinking is "a composite of attitudes, knowledge, and…