In order to stay competent and update in the fast changing landscape of technological advances, professionals nowadays are expected to continuously upgrade themselves of professional knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. Many professional organizations stipulate that their members should take part in a minimum number of hours or…

This article discusses design and usability issues pertaining to context-sensitive "help" in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). As part of the discussion, we present a study in which we examined the effects of three independent factors on student usage of context-sensitive "help": feedback, exercise type, and language proficiency. Forty…

This study examined the effectiveness and efficiency of combining classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) and constant time delay (CTD) on the academic performance of 3 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 15 students without LD enrolled in an inclusive sixth-grade language arts class. Treatment integrity checklists were used to measure the extent…

Based on data collected during a three-year ethnographic study, this article explores the inextricably-linked notions of language and identity for White girls living in a high-poverty neighborhood in the US. Class-specific primary discourses are analyzed through an informal discussion, a literature-based discussion, and a conflict within a…

Digital Chisel is a user-friendly multimedia authoring tool for helping students and teachers to tutor/teach the computer. It can be used as a visual presentation tool, as a tool to provide individualized instruction and as a tool to help students learn using a variety of visual and auditory modes. Interactive presentations can be designed without…

The use of numerical simulations to design and analyze new products requires both conceptual and operational knowledge. This paper describes COMPANION: an intelligent multimedia system for vocational training used by engineers and technicians. A key concept in terms of training methodology is that of "situated learning," or continuous…

The introductory writing course, English 101, at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, has gone through several stages in the last decade, changing from a course emphasizing writing in the rhetorical modes to an issue-oriented interdisciplinary course, to, at the present time, a course focusing on the writing process and on collaborative…

There is no lack of debate regarding year-round schooling. Emotions run high when school districts tamper with the "traditional" agrarian school calendar and adapt a year-round calendar. This study examines one program in a multi-track year-round elementary school, a tutoring program delivered during the students' intersession. Through…

An 18-month project researched the development of basic skills support in Further Education (FE) colleges in England and Wales. The methodology included 2 surveys of 206 colleges that provided basic skills support, and case studies of 8 colleges. The statistical surveys showed that many colleges were not collecting data relating to students…

This paper presents a series of reading and writing activities centered around a 19-item word list suitable for use in tutoring adults. The activities in the paper involve short stories, writing exercises, and take-home exercises. Included with the activities is a guide that presents, in addition to the word list and the exercises, instructions…

Designed for parents and teachers of students with dyslexia, this book uses accessible terms, charts, graphics, and lesson plans to provide step-by-step instructions for teaching reading. Part 1 of the book discusses different types of learning disabilities, followed by case studies that illustrate how children overcame each particular disability.…

This handbook is designed for individuals who tutor hearing impaired adults in literacy skills. It provides general information about a number of topics: adult learners; deaf adult learners; deaf awareness; deaf culture; communication tips; language, communication, and literacy for deaf adults; and teaching strategies. A 13-page report describes…

This paper describes a father's reflections on his daughter Charlie's failure to pass a state-mandated standardized test; reactions of both to the failure; reactions of both to emerging events; Charlie's next challenge and her looking to the future, and final thoughts and conclusions. The paper is a collaborative effort between father and daughter…

The term "peer" is often used to mean both tutor and tutee, but writing center directors should avoid romanticizing the notion of peer tutoring and recognize that peer tutors are considerably more advanced, and therefore more "powerful", than their tutees. In fact, the question of difference between tutors and tutees is a vital…

The percentage of students who speak and write English as a Second Language (ESL) is steadily increasing on all college campuses. Although only 8% of the student body at the Pennsylvania State University are ESL students, 15% of the Penn State Writing Center clientele are ESL students. In the past, the Penn State peer tutor training program has…