To accomplish cultural relevance in the classroom for Indian students, changes in instructional methods must complement alterations in course content. Since learning styles, like cultural features, may vary for Indian students, the effective teacher will master a matching teaching style adapted to emphasize unique cultural strengths rather than to…

This article considers the physiological, psychological, and aesthetical parameters of video on two levels--practical and conceptual. Physiological effects and processes are defined as those which occur within a human being when viewing a video event, while videopsychology focuses on how people use the medium of video and the possibilities for…

Finds the use of mapping strategies drawn from current research enhances students' ability to organize, analyze, evaluate, and reason critically when composing from academic sources. Presents five examples. (NH)

Overall findings of this meta-analysis reveal small effects of adjunct pictures on reading comprehension. No advantage was found when traditional v nontraditional text settings were compared. Line drawings seem to facilitate comprehension and color pictures seem to have a greater effect than black and white pictures. (Author)

A number of studies conducted during the last decade have found that students' achievement increases when teaching methods match their learning styles--biological and developmental characteristics that affect how they learn. Correlational studies and experimental research studies are reviewed on instructional environments, perceptual preferences,…

Experience with one young man in a school for troubled adolescents helps author understand how the application of voluntarism could help initiate troubled adolescents into a community of learners and empower them to take control of their lives. Describes the school's successful venture teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to provide work…

Reviews 11 articles on education, including: (1) "A Strategy for Helping Students Learn How to Learn," by M. McClanaghan; (2) "What Works in School Improvement?" by A. Harris; (3) "Just a Matter of Time," by F. Smith; and (4) "Selected Pre-Writing Treatments," by Brodney, Reeves, and Kazelskis. (NB)

This paper reviews the literature on learning styles of Native Americans and Asian-Americans. Four different operational definitions of "learning style" or "cognitive style" are presented, related terms are examined, and inconsistencies of usage in the literature are discussed. Noting the great diversity among Native American…

This review of literature on the topic of learning style opens with a history of the development of theories on information processing habits which represent the learner's typical modes of perceiving, thinking, remembering, and problem solving. A discussion is included on writings about the sense modalities used in learning--visual, aural,…

Noting that one means of better understanding the nature of cultural differences is to elucidate the cognitive differences between members of differing cultures, this paper examines Alexander Luria's sociohistorical theory of functional cognitive systems. The paper first describes Luria's notion of functional systems, the crux of which postulates…

A literature search identified 39 studies assessing modality preferences and modality teaching. The studies, involving 3,087 disabled and nondisabled elementary/secondary level subjects, were quantitatively synthesized. Subjects receiving differential instruction based on modality preferences exhibited only modest gains. (Author/JDD)

Discusses research supporting the contention that listening fluency should be taught first and oral response delayed because languaqe acquisition takes place without any overt performance. Includes extensive bibliographic references. (PMJ)

Examines learning style and interactional style differences of American Indian and Alaskan native students. Provides specific classroom examples and research findings concerning culturally influenced learning styles, the visual approach to learning, field dependence, public versus private demonstration of learning, and cooperation versus…

Reviews studies concerned with perceptual learning styles and provides a research basis for an experimental procedure which allows students to be introduced to new information through their strongest modality, to have that information reinforced through multisensory assignments, and to internalize the information through application in a creative…

Learning style is the foundation of successful teaching and teaching for thinking. The recent conceptualization of the brain as a complex system for processing and storing information can be meaningful to educators. Too many schools, however, rely on a rather mechanistic approach to learning. Future school administrators must be taught to…